Minutes 02-20-2024 - Business Meeting

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4 own MPO called the Sandhills MPO, but until that happens, they will be considered in the transportation plan and given 400 points. She said she looks forward to the Black History Knowledge Bowl and Poetry Slam at McDougle Middle School on Saturday. Finally, she encouraged everyone to take advantage of early voting. Commissioner McKee said he had no announcements. Commissioner Richards said she also attended the Ag Summit the previous day and the discussions were very enlightening on resiliency as well as the session Commissioner Portie- Ascott mentioned. She said she also attended the ABC Board meeting today and received updates from community organizations that are funded through ABC profits. She said she was happy to see organizations across the community are working with youth. She shared that she also read in a fourth-grade classroom today at Carrboro Elementary School. Vice-Chair Greene said that early voting is underway and announced the early voting sites. She said last week she attended the 40'Anniversary Breakfast of Habitat for Humanity and shared that the head of Habitat International is Jonathan Reckford, a local to Orange County. She said she attended the Ag Summit and noticed there were more participants this year as well as more vendors. She said Amy Eckberg, Sustainability Coordinator, gave a presentation on the completed Climate Action Plan and how much of it depends on the resilience and capabilities of the agricultural community. She said the consultants for the Comprehensive Land Use Plan were also there gathering input from the community. Lastly, she mentioned the marker unveiling that took place in Carrboro on Sunday by the Orange County Community Remembrance Coalition. She said this is the first of two markers that will go up sponsored and gifted by the Equal Justice Initiative. She said this marker honors the memory of Manley McCauley,who was lynched in 1898 at 18 years old. She shared some of the context surrounding his death. 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/Special Presentations a. Black History Month Proclamation The Board approved a proclamation declaring February 2024 as Black History Month. BACKGROUND: Carter G. Woodson and three others started Black History Month, proclaimed by every president since 1976. These Black Americans formed the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLF), which started the idea of Black History Month in 1915, at the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of emancipation in Washington, DC. The ASNLF, an organization whose mission was to research and promote the achievements of Black Americans and other people of African descent. The first celebration was during the week in February that encompassed Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas's birthdays. In 1976, President Gerald Ford expanded the celebration to the month of February. President Ford urged Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history." The month of February was selected to commemorate the birthdays of Lincoln and Douglas and to recognize the history of Black Americans and the historical significance they represent in the history of the United States. This year's Black History Month theme is "African Americans and the Arts", which explores the key influence African Americans have had in the fields of "visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music, architecture, culinary and other forms of cultural expression." County activities commemorating Black History Month are detailed on the attached list.