International Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide (1).pdf
WHEREAS, North Carolina is home to people from all over the world who maintain connections to their cultural, linguistic, and religious heritage, including the Armenian American community; and
WHEREAS, although historically undercounted, data estimates that there are approximately 1.5 to 2 million Armenian Americans living in the United States, including in North Carolina; and
WHEREAS, it is beneficial to the rich cultural fabric of our state to recognize such groups and honor their struggles during pivotal moments in their collective history; and
WHEREAS, in Constantinople, on April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Empire began a campaign of extermination against the Armenian people, a minority group that had long suffered persecution; this brutal campaign resulted in the deaths of approximately one and a half million Armenian people, a genocide that Armenians refer to as Meds Yeghern, or Great Crime; and
WHEREAS, victims who survived the Armenian Genocide were forced to leave their homeland and find new homes and livelihoods all around the globe, including in the United States; in a demonstration of remarkable strength and resilience, Armenian immigrants overcame this great tragedy and to this day continue to flourish as a people; and
WHEREAS, on this day, let us remember tragedies like the Armenian Genocide, and let us strive every day to forge a world community free from the evils of bigotry and intolerance, where human rights are respected, and where all people can pursue their lives in dignity and security;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim April 24, 2023, as “INTERNATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.