TCC will meet this evening for regular scheduled meeting

The Toccoa City Commission will meet this evening for its regular scheduled meeting in the City Commission/Court Room at Toccoa City Hall.

The meeting will begin promptly at 5:00 p.m.

Up for consideration is a public hearing and initial zoning request for annexation from Dennis Smith for the property located at 198 Rose Lane, a consideration of resolution for South Arts Presentation Grant for Ritz Programming, and a Proclamation recognizing February as Black History Month.

As WNEG News previously reported, Toccoa resident Marie Cochran came before the commission earlier this month asking the commission to consider an official proclamation recognizing Black History Month.

“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.

Cochran explained that Black History Month originally started as “Negro History Week” in 1926 and in 1976 it was expanded to celebrate the entire month of February.

“This is a day of celebration, we talked about it being Valentine’s Day, we have Arbor Day. In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson initiated the celebration Negro History Week during this actual week, which includes Valentine’s Day, to correspond with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln, noted individuals associated with the abolition of slavery in the United States. The celebration was widely embraced by the segregated colored schools which used the time as a moment of reflection and uplift for their students. By 1976, in recognition of the nation’s bicentennial year, the celebration was expanded to include the entire month of February and slowly Black History Month garnered popularity throughout the mainstream of society,” she said.

Following Cochran’s presentation, Toccoa Vice Mayor David Austin told her that the Commission would need to talk to City Attorney John Dickerson prior to making a decision.

“Thank you, Marie. We need to see how we handle that with the City Attorney,” Austin said.

The City of Toccoa signs proclamation throughout the year for things like Arbor Day, the Heart of the City Proclamation which honors the Christmas Decorating Committee, and a Proclamation for Retired Educators just to name a few.

If approved, the Proclamation recognizing February as Black History Month will be signed annually by the City Commission.

Again, the Toccoa City Commission is scheduled to meet this evening at 5:00 p.m. in the City Commission/Court Room at Toccoa City Hall.

For questions regarding today’s meeting, contact City Staff by calling 706-886-8451.