Governor Proclaims Women's History Month 2023

WHEREAS, North Carolina is proud to be home to a diverse population of dedicated women who comprise more than 51 percent of our population and serve as storytellers and story keepers in our communities, continuing to break through one-sided conversations while moving toward equality; and

WHEREAS, 2023 marks the 60^th anniversary of the North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement, an agency charged with advancing and protecting the rights of women, providing a voice of influence on issues impacting women, and celebrating women’s achievements and leadership throughout the state; and

WHEREAS, today the Council continues to provide guidance on many issues facing women, including health and wellness, violence against women, education and employment, and youth development; and

WHEREAS, the 2023 national theme for Women’s History Month is Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories, recognizing women in every community who have devoted their lives and talents to producing art and news, pursuing truth, and reflecting our society through the decades; and

WHEREAS, we honor and pay tribute to the many women, past and present, who have shaped North Carolina through all forms of media and storytelling, including print, radio, TV, stage, screen, blogs, podcasts, news, and social media, such as Jaki Shelton Green, the first African American and third woman to be appointed as the North Carolina Poet Laureate; Pam Grier, considered cinema’s first female action star; Kellie Pickler, award-winning country music songwriter and vocalist; Beverly McIver, who examines racial, gender, and social identities through the lens of her own experiences as an African American female artist; and Dana Hedgpeth, a reporter covering news in our nation’s capital for more than 10 years and a member of North Carolina’s Haliwa-Saponi tribe; and

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina joins in honoring the legacy of women of every race, class, and ethnic background who changed the world by contributing to the economic, cultural, and social development of our state in countless recorded and unrecorded ways;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim March, 2023, as “WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.