SUBJECT: General Business
Title
Black History Month Proclamation
Body
DEPARTMENT: Legislation
PRESENTER: Christiaan van Woudenberg, Trustee
Justin Brooks, Trustee
Sandy Abendroth, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Board Chair
TIME ESTIMATE: 5 minutes
only required for non-consent items
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed; We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963)
“…the foremost purpose of Black History Month is to make all Americans aware of this struggle for freedom and equal opportunity.”
-Ronald Reagan, Presidential Proclamation 5443 (1986)
Fifty years after the abolition of slavery, Carter G. Woodson and Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). In 1926 this organization sponsored a national Negro History Week, the second week in February was selected to commemorate the birthdays of Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. Four decades later, emboldened by the civil rights movement, Negro History Week transcended into Black History Month across many academic institutions and municipalities. More information about can be found on the Britannica <https://www.britannica.com/story/why-is-black-history-month-celebrated-in-february.> and History.com <https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month> websites
In 1976, President Gerald Ford made the first official recognition of Black History Month, asking Americans to recognize and honor the often-neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in all facets of society throughout history. A 2021 article <https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/02/black-history-month-what-is-it-and-why-do-we-need-it/> by the World Economic Forum contains additional information on the matter.
Every year, ASALH celebrates different “Black History Themes” during Black History Month. The goal is not to limit or dictate the focus for the Black experience, but rather bring attention to the importance of how “people of African descent in the United States have viewed themselves, the influence of social movements on racial ideologies, and the aspirations of the black community.” The theme for 2022 is Black Health and Wellness, which focuses on recognizing the legacy of Black scholars and medical workers in Western medicine along with non-Western practices throughout the African Diaspora. The theme explores practices, traditions, and knowledge that Black communities have done to foster their well-being. A complete collection of all themes and the full history of Black History Month can be accessed in the ASALH website. <https://asalh.org/black-history-themes/>
Board Priority(s) Addressed:
ü Engaged and Diverse Community
ü Effective Governance
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Proclamation