LAKE COUNTY — On Tuesday the Lake County Board of Supervisors presented proclamations designating the month of February as Black History Month in Lake County and celebrating Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”s birthday.
Lake County NAACP President, Rick Mayo said, “Our community is very diverse and this (proclamation) means we”re starting to move toward acceptance of all people. It demonstrates that the County of Lake is moving into the 21st century, accepting people from all walks of life and encouraging everyone to work together.”
Lake County NAACP serves both Lake and Mendocino counties.
The NAACP was founded in New York in 1909. It was not until 1976 that the NAACP welcomed its first black CEO/President, Julian Bond.
“It doesn”t matter whether you came to America in the bowels of a ship or on the decks of a ship; we”re all in the same boat now,” Mayo said. The proclamation presented reads as follows: Whereas, On Feb. 1, 2011, in Lake County, California, the Lake County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will celebrate a combination of Black History Month and Martin Luther King”s Birthday, and it is appropriate at this time to acknowledge its many achievements and to underscore the positive impact this organization has made in our local community; and
Whereas, the NAACP history is one of dedication and struggle to maintain equality and justice for all United States Citizens; and
Whereas, the local branch, like other NAACP branches throughout the state and country diligently works on social programs aimed toward the elimination of racial hatred, bigotry and poverty; and
Whereas, the Lake County Branch of the NAACP is led by Rick Mayo, President and 1982 founder of the Lake County Branch; Jim Swatts, First Vice President; Robert Harrison; Second Vice-President and Bessie Bell, Treasurer.
Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that February 2011 is designated Black History Month in Lake County, and the Lake County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is commended on the vital role it has played in improving the quality of life in our local community, and that the Branch be extended best wishes and continued success.
Mandy Feder can be reached at mandyfeder@yahoo.com or call 263-5636 ext. 32.
