TCC signs proclamation designating February as Black History Month

The Toccoa City Commission met Monday for its regular scheduled meeting; during which, the Commission signed a proclamation designating February as Black History Month in the City of Toccoa.

The Proclamation was requested during a recent Toccoa City Commission meeting by citizen Marie Cochran.

“I shared an email with all of the City Commissioners—I don’t know if you check your email all that often, but I am blessed as a member of the Apalachian Regional Commission Leadership Institute to be recognized during Black History Month of all of those 13 states as a homegrown girl in arts and culture. I would like to propose that the city consider having Black History Month celebrated under resolution, if not this year in future years,” she said.

During Monday’s meeting, Toccoa Mayor Jeanette Jamieson read the proclamation.

“Whereas, in 1926 Dr. Carter G. Woodson initiated the celebration of ‘Negro History Week’ during the week that corresponds with the birthdays of Black Abolitionist Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln to provide Black teachers in segregated colored schools with the resources to celebrate their cultural heritage and uplift their students. Whereas, in 1976, in recognition of the nation’s bicentennial year, the celebration was expanded from ‘Negro History Week’ to become Black History Month including the entire month of February. Whereas, each year since 1976 the Black History Month celebration has garnered support throughout the nation as U.S. Presidents annually issue a White House proclamation and people of all ethnic and social backgrounds study and learn more about the African American experience and contributions,” Jamieson said. “Whereas, the observance of Black History Month calls our attention to the continued need to build a society that lives up to its democratic ideals.”

A motion approving the proclamation was made by Vice Mayor David Austin with Commissioner Terry Carter seconding the motion.

The motion was approved unanimously.

After the proclamation was approved, Cochran thanked the Commission.

“First of all, I’m glad to know that the City has accepted the resolution for the proclamation honoring Black History Month, so, we should all be very proud of that. On the last day of February, and in the spirit of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, his goal was to make it go beyond the week that he started to a full month and then into a full year of a celebration. I wanted to take this time at the microphone to honor people who are not in this room. I wanted to honor Anna Canady, Wilhelmina Woodruff, and Willie Mae Keels who recently passed away. They are the people who deserve the honor today,” she said.

The Proclamation designating February as Black History Month will now be signed annually by the Toccoa City Commission.