Black History Month Proclamation

A PROCLAMATION
National Black History Month – February 2021

WHEREAS, During National Black History Month, we celebrate the vast contributions of Black and African Americans to our Nation’s history and identity; and

WHEREAS, Black is history is not only Black History but American History; and

WHEREAS, In 1926, Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History proposed a national “Negro History Week,” which was intended to showcase everything students learned about Black history throughout the school year; and

WHEREAS, Woodson, known as the “Father of Black History,” whose parents were enslaved, was an author, historian and the second African American to earn a Ph.D. at Harvard University; and

WHEREAS, Woodson chose the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, a famed abolitionist who escaped from slavery, and President Abraham Lincoln, who formally abolished slavery; and

WHEREAS, February 1 is National Freedom Day, the anniversary of the approval of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in 1865; and

WHEREAS, In 1949, President Harry Truman recognized National Freedom Day and urged citizens to pause to contemplate its significance and in 1976, during the height of the civil rights movement, President Gerald Ford expanded the week into Black History Month; and

WHEREAS, The theme of Black History Month for 2021 is “The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity”; and

WHEREAS, The Town of Davidson is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This stance includes the cultural and racial affirmation of our community members who identify as Black African American; and

WHEREAS, The Town of Davidson strives to close the equity and outcome gaps for Black African American through policies and practices that reflect the experiences of Black African Americans, ensure greater access and opportunity and honor history, heritage, and contributions.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Mayor Rusty Knox and the Board of Commissioners of the Town of Davidson, do hereby proclaim the Month of February 2021 as Black History Month in the Town of Davidson and encourage all residents to honor Black history and culture.

Proclaimed this 11th day of February 2021.

Rusty Knox Mayor