HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 02072006 - PR.3 INTHE MATTER OF DECLARING RESOLUTION NO. 2006/44
FEBRUARY 2006 AS BLACK HISTORY MONTH
IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
TO HONOR THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS
OF AFRICAN AMERICANS TO OUR LOCAL AND
NATIONAL HISTORY
WHEREAS, since 1926 the month of February has been recognized nationally as Black History Month, to
honor the accomplishments, contributions and cultural heritage of African Americans; and
WHEREAS, Contra Costa County proudly joins the nation in honoring February as Black History Month
in the county; and
WHEREAS,African Americans-shape our nad6ivandkcounty with their courage, intelligence, dreams,
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values and love, creating a legacy for future generattons, and ,
WHEREAS, coming from the;disdalnful shame of slavery .an_d`segxegationSAfrican Americans have had
to struggleMiightlly to be_xecogntzed as equal ctttzens;and.
WHEREAS, against this-backdrop of segregation, the accomplishments and'stgnficant events of Black
Americans were largely.,absent from history book—unttl Harvard=educated Dr iCarter G. Woodson,
the son of former slaves, dedicated' his lifeto ensur>ng their uclusion; founding research
organizationsand journals and--
WHERE S,
nd WHEREAS, Drf Woodson is credited with launching Black History Month ui 1926, which was initially
called Negro History Week duruig the.second week of February, and
to :: x; 1
WHEREAS, Dr Woodson chose the second week of-February because it marksi the birthdays of
Frederick`Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, two men who'had lsemendouVinflueri`cc on the lives of
Black Americans and
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WHEREAS, Febxuary"has significance for African Americans m numerous ways uicludtng: Feb. 23, 1868;
the birth,ofdate civil rights leader WEB,>":u Bois; Feb 3, 1870, passage of�th`e 15`h Amendment
granting blacks the right to vI. n Feb. 25, 1870--4.1 ih,R'-' eels, tl�e fitst black senator was sworn
into office; Feb 12, "19.09, The:National Assoctatlon for �theAAdv�ancement of Colored People
(NAACP) was launched in New York City; Feb 1, 1960 'Blackscolle#e students staged a milestone
sit-in at a segregatednc
luh counter at a Greensboro SC`Woolworth's Feb. 21, 1965, Malcolm X,
the militant promoter of`BlackNatlonahsm was sho todeath bythre Black Muslims;
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NOW, THEREFORE, BEIT RESOLVED�tl at-this, 6 nry�"o`CContra Costa Board of Supervisors
declares February 2006 as -B `in Contra Costa County, honoring the
tremendously significant and meaningful history of African-American people, and their enormous
contributions to our nation's history;
PASSED by a unanimous vote of the Board of Supervisors members present this 7`h day of February,
2006.
JOHN GIOIA
Chair
District I Supervisor
/ AYLE B.UI PIEPHO
District II Supervisor strict III Supervi
MARK DeSAULNIER �, g r _ EDERAL D. GLOVER
District IV Supervisor District V Supervisor
I hereby certify that this is a tine and correct copy of an action taken
and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date
shown:
i t + ATTESTED: FEBRUARY 7,2006"
;,, i•, ta' SOI IN SWEETEN, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and County
F " Administrator d
By �t.i ct,( .,Deputy
Introduced by Supervisors Gioia, District I;and DeSaulnier, District IV