HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRO-2024-001-Black History Month Proclamation PRO - 2024 - 001 ; 4 - a ; 2/20/24
COMMISSIONERSRANGE COUNTY BOARD OF
LACK HISTORY MONTH
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS , it is essential to sustain a harmonious and inclusive society , Orange County
discourage practices and actions deemed detrimental to the peace , welfare , and progress of our
community ; and
WHEREAS , Orange County is home to Black Americans who descend from formerly enslaved
peoples who were victims of the Trans -Atlantic slave trade , captured and transported from the
continent of Africa to the Americas where they were sold as property and endured brutal treatment
while being forced to build and develop new lands which includes a country that they would have
to fight to belong to ; surviving more than 400 years of subjugation and oppression , all the while
becoming a new and unique group whose lineage predates the founding of the United States of
America ; participants in every war fought to defend and protect this nation , even from itself, Black
Americans hold a special place in the foundation of our country and continue to be the standard
bearers of freedom and democracy despite the ever present residue and persistent ramifications
associated with America ' s original sin of slavery ; Black Americans worked and fought to improve
their lives while facing down overt and systemic racism as well as racial violence and terror ; Black
Americans have , and continue to contribute to the nation ' s , and our community ' s social , economic ,
political , spiritual , and mental prosperity ; and
WHEREAS , Black Americans represent a diverse group of respected residents of this country and
the Orange County community ; and their contributions of humanitarian knowledge , technological
and societal innovations are vital components of the cultural fabric of our County , nation and world ;
and
WHEREAS , Black American experiences and unrelenting resilience inspire people in Orange
County and around the world , we recognize a collective struggle for equality and inclusiveness now
and into the future until our shared humanity is acknowledged and celebrated ; and
WHEREAS , every American recognizes the need for protest and the defying of cultural norms ,
practices , laws and systems that are unjust , oppressive , and exclusionary ; we celebrate this year' s
Black History Month theme of "African Americans and the Arts " ;
NOW, THEREFORE , we , the Board of County Commissioners of Orange County , do proclaim
February 2024 as " BLACK HISTORY MONTH " and encourage our residents to honor this
distinctive month by becoming more enlightened as to the true history of Black Americans in this
Country and in our community .
THIS THE 20th DAY OF FEBRUARY 2024,
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Jamezetta Bedford , Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners
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