Governor Proclaims Black History Month 2024

WHEREAS, Black History Month reminds us of our responsibility to honor the contributions and achievements of African Americans and their pivotal role in shaping our state and nation; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, first launched “Negro History Week” in 1926, and is widely regarded as the father of Black History; and

WHEREAS, African Americans, in the face of systemic discrimination and racial terror, have long embraced education as a conduit to freedom and success, with African American educators advancing academic excellence, fostering inclusivity, overcoming systemic barriers, and shaping diverse and inclusive learning environments within North Carolina public schools to uplift communities; and

WHEREAS, North Carolina has been home to a numerous Black educators who paved the way for all students – regardless of their race, gender or socioeconomic status – to receive a high quality education, including Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown, who founded the Palmer Memorial Institute, one of the first rural schools for African Americans in North Carolina; Dr. Dudley Flood, who played a pivotal role in integrating North Carolina’s public schools; and Dr. Robert “Bob” Bridges, the first African-American superintendent of Wake County, now North Carolina’s largest school district; and

WHEREAS, North Carolina is home to the largest number of four-year, degree-granting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the nation; our HBCUs have a rich heritage of teacher education steeped in activism, service, and innovation dating back to the foundation of Shaw University in 1865; and

WHEREAS, in 2019, Governor Cooper took a significant step towards fostering diversity and inclusivity in education by establishing the Developing a Representative and Inclusive Vision for Education (DRIVE) Task Force through Executive Order 113, which has diligently crafted a comprehensive set of recommendations and actionable steps aimed at enhancing the racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity within North Carolina's educator workforce; and

WHEREAS, the quest for scholarship and achievement continues today as African Americans, equipped with education and determination, take leadership roles in government, business, science, academics, and the arts; and

WHEREAS, Governor Cooper has proclaimed 2024 the “Year of Public Schools” and the State of North Carolina has designated February 2024 as Black History Month; Amplifying African American Voices and Education; we commend educators, past and present, who have tirelessly contributed to public education and the intellectual advancement of countless generations;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim February, 2024, as “BLACK HISTORY MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.