For Immediate Release: Monday, February 25, 2019
On Tuesday, Feb. 26 special program focuses on
honoring black history and empowering racial equity
ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 25, 2019—The Montgomery County Council will hold a special program on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 9:40 a.m. to commemorate Black History Month. The Council will discuss the importance of preserving and honoring the County’s African American history and its connection to fostering racial equity. The Black History Month commemoration will be held at the Council Office Building (100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, Md.) in the third floor Council Hearing Room.
“Black History Month is a time for all of us to reflect on our shared history and to honor the legacy of our African American residents,” said Council President Nancy Navarro. “We must recognize the unconscionable lessons of our County’s history, as well as the outstanding contributions of our African American residents, if we are to make real progress.
“It’s my hope that this year’s Black History Month commemoration will provide valuable insights into interventions that can help foster equity, as we continue our work on a Racial Equity and Social Justice Policy to help eliminate systemic disparities in government. With strategic interventions, the lessons learned from our history help to put us on a path toward a more equitable future for all.”
The Council’s Black History Month commemoration will include a video segment and a panel discussion. The video segment focuses on the African American Historic Sites Project and the formation of the Remembrance and Reconciliation Commission. The video features members of the African American Historic Sites Project including: Christine Clarke (chair); Charlotte Coffield, Warren Fleming, Anita Neal Powell, Patricia Tyson and Office of Human Rights Director James Stowe.
The panel discussion will focus on how we connect African American history with our efforts to eliminate systemic racial inequality in Montgomery County. Panelists include: Shebra Evans, president of the Montgomery County Board of Education; Carolyn Lowery, Wheaton network builder for Impact Silver Spring; Dr. DeRionne Pollard, president of Montgomery College; C. Marie Taylor, president and CEO of Leadership Montgomery; Nate Tinbite, student at Montgomery County Public Schools; Elijah Wheeler, deputy director and social justice director, Montgomery County Collaboration Council; and Rashani Ward-Williamson, student at Montgomery College.
In previous Black History Month commemorations, the Council has heard from African American residents who traced their family histories in the County back for generations. This year’s program will focus on the importance and urgency of preserving this history and its connection to the County’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative, which was spearheaded by Council President Nancy Navarro in 2018 with a resolution to develop a Racial Equity Policy for county government.
The Black History Month commemoration will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM), which can be viewed on Cable Channels 996 (high definition) and 6 (standard definition) on Comcast; Channels 1056 (HD) and 6 (SD) on RCN; and Channel 30 on Verizon. It also will be available live via streaming through the Council web site at http://tinyurl.com/z9982v8 and Facebook Live.
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Release ID: 19-066