HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 01-26-2004-5bORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: January 26, 2004
Action Agee
Item No.
SUBJECT: One Book One Community Project
DEPARTMENT: Human Rights and Relations
ATTACHMENT(S):
Resolution
PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Milan Pham, ext. 2255
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Hill 968-4501
Durham 688-7331
Mebane 336-227-2031
PURPOSE: To present the Board of County Commissioners with information on the One Book
One Community Project and to request that the BOCC approve a resolution challenging
residents to participate in the One Book One Community Project.
BACKGROUND: The Human Relations Commission, through the Department of Human
Rights, applied for and received a $1,500 Martin Luther King Grant from the North Carolina
Martin Luther King Jr. Commission. This grant was intended to support a series of yearlong
human relations activities - including the Community Dinner and Pauli Murray Awards. This
year, in addition to regular Human Relations Month activities, the grant will support a film
screening of "An Unlikely Friendship" and a community-wide book reading of Summer Snow by
Dr. Tnidier Harris. The Human Relations Commission through the Department of Human
Rights and Relations is coordinating a series of discussions on race and human relations based
on Dr. Harris' book. Dr. Harris will be in attendance at many of these discussions and her
books have been distributed through the public libraries for ease of access to many residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The Department has received $1,500 from the Martin Luther King Jr.
Commission.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board of County
Commissioners accept the information regarding the One Book One Community Project and
approve the resolution challenging residents to participate in the One Book One Community
Project.
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT
ONE-BOOK ONE-COMMUNITY PROJECT
WHEREAS, the Orange County Human Relations Commission received a mini-grant from the
North Carolina Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission to provide partial funding of
activities that foster and promote the legacy and philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.; and
WHEREAS, the Orange County Human Relations Commission implemented a ONE-
COMMUNITY PROJECT which was comprised of two parts: 1) a film screening of
the film documentary, An Unlikely Friendship and 2) a ONE-BOOK ONE-
COMMUNITY project; and
WHEREAS, the goal of the ONE-BOOK ONE-COMMUNITY project is to have Orange County
residents read a book that has a human relations and/or human rights theme; and
WHEREAS, once read, discussion groups will take place that "might start discussion on what's
necessary to transform ourselves, to move across racial lines and on how we
unlearn what we need to unlearn"; and
WHEREAS, the book of choice is "Summer Snow: Reflections form a Black Daughter of the
South" by Trudier Harris-Lopez, the .J Carlyle Sitterson professor of English at
UNC; and
WHEREAS, the book can be purchased at the Barnes & Nobles Bookstore at a 20% discount
and checked out of the local libraries;
NOW, THEREFORE, we, the Board of County Commissioners of Orange County, North
Carolina do resolve:
SECTION 1. That the Orange County Board of Commissioners expresses its support and
recognition of the ONE-COMMUNITY PROJECT.
SECTION 2. That the Orange County Board of Commissioners encourages and challenges all
of the residents of Orange County to participate in the ONE-BOOK ONE-COMMUNITY PROJECT.
This the 26th day of January, 2004.
BARRY.JACOBS, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners