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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: February 2, 2021 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 4-c <br /> SUBJECT: Black History Month Proclamation <br /> DEPARTMENT: Human Rights and Relations <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Proclamation BOCC Chair Renee Price, (919) 245- <br /> 2130 <br /> Annette M. Moore, (919) 245-2317 <br /> PURPOSE: To proclaim the month of February as Black History Month. <br /> BACKGROUND: Carter G. Woodson and three others started black History Month, proclaimed <br /> by every president since 1976. These Black Americans formed the Association for the Study of <br /> Negro Life and History (ASNLF), which started the idea of Black History Month in 1915, at the <br /> celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of emancipation in Washington, DC. The ASNLF, an <br /> organization whose mission was to research and promote the achievements of Black Americans <br /> and other people of African descent. The first celebration was during the week in February that <br /> encompassed Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas's birthdays. In 1976, President Gerald <br /> Ford expanded the celebration to the month of February. President Ford urged Americans to <br /> "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in <br /> every area of endeavor throughout our history." The month of February was selected to <br /> commemorate the birthdays of Lincoln and Douglas and to recognize the history of Black <br /> Americans and the historical significance they represent in the history of the United States. <br /> This year's Black History Month theme is "The Black family: Representation, Identity, and <br /> Diversity." ASNLF describes the Black family as "the foundation of Black American life and <br /> history," which offers a "rich tapestry of images for exploring the African American past and <br /> present." <br /> Upcoming activities commemorating Black History Month include: <br /> • February 1, 6 — 8 pm. Commemoration of George Henry White. <br /> Register: <br /> https://townofcarrboro.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN -Iorm6uDSauaS23HIFNzvQ (If <br /> registration is full, you can view the program via YouTube. For more information, contact <br /> Carrboro Recreation at 919.918.7364 or via email at recparks(a_townofcarrboro.org.) <br />