NEW CASTLE, Del. – New Castle County’s schedule of public programs and events celebrating Black History Month is scheduled to feature a Proclamation Signing Ceremony and Program on Saturday, February 14, 2015.
County Executive Thomas P. Gordon and County Council President Dr. Christopher A. Bullock will dedicate February as Black History Month in New Castle County at 10:30 a.m. at the Walnut Street YMCA, 1000 North Walnut Street, Wilmington, Delaware.
“We must seize this opportunity to pay tribute to the generations of African Americans who have so contributed to our history and culture as a nation,” County Executive Gordon said.
The County Executive’s Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Samuel L. Guy, Esquire, also plans to attend the event. Mr. Guy is former Chairman and President of the Delaware State Conference of the NAACP. “Ceremonies such as this serve to encapsulate the magnitude and context of something like Black History Month,” Deputy CAO Guy said. “In essence, the Executive and Council President will help give meaning to what we celebrate every February with this formal ceremony.”
The Proclamation Signing Ceremony and Program is presented by New Castle County’s Department of Community Services in conjunction with the African American Heritage Center, Afro-American Historical Center of Delaware, Delaware NAACP, and the YMCA Black Achievers Program. The month-long celebration honors the immeasurable contributions of African Americans to the nation’s collective culture and history. Program coordinators, General Manager Sophia Hanson and Harmon Carey, Executive Director of the Afro-American Historical Center of Delaware, invite citizens to participate in this and other celebratory events honoring African Americans during Black History Month.
The Walnut Street YMCA was constructed in 1939 and has been serving the African American community ever since. The Black Achievers Program was established in 1989 to provide college readiness and career awareness to African American teens. In keeping with the spirit of Black History Month, the Proclamation Signing Ceremony and Program date of February 14 was selected to honor the birth date of the founder of the AME Church, Richard Allen.
For information on all upcoming events throughout the month, visit nccde.org/specialevents.
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