WHEREAS, throughout human history, the spoken word has been translated into text for posterity; to accomplish this task, our society has relied on the skills and expertise of scribes, who have served as impartial witnesses and preservers of our past; and
WHEREAS, scribes were present when our nation's founding fathers drafted the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, and President Abraham Lincoln later entrusted scribes to record the Emancipation Proclamation; and
WHEREAS, in our courts, scribes have been known as court reporters and have played a permanent and invaluable role in courtrooms across our country and particularly in our state; and
WHEREAS, among their many roles, court reporters are present in the United States Congress, preserving words and actions for posterity; and
WHEREAS, court reporters and captioners are responsible for the closed captioning often seen scrolling across television screens, at sporting stadiums, and in other community and educational settings, delivering information to millions of deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans every day; and
WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina recognizes court reporters and captioners for their important work translating spoken word into text, helping to preserve our nation's history and making information more accessible to all;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim February 3 – 10, 2024, as “COURT REPORTING AND CAPTIONING WEEK” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.