A Resolution Celebrating Black History Month

Mayor Bert Steinmann and the Township Council of the Township of Ewing recognize the significance of Black History Month as an important time to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of African Americans in the Nation's history with Resolution #21R-37 . 

They encourage the continued celebration of this month to provide an opportunity for all peoples of the United States to learn more about the past and to better understand the experiences that have shaped the Nation.  Ethnic and racial diversity of the United States enriches and strengthens the Nation and encourages all States to include in their year-round education curriculum this history and contributions of African Americans in the United States and around the world. 

Text

Resolution #21R-37 WHEREAS, in 1776, people envisioned the United States as a new nation dedicated to the proposition stated in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness ... "; and

WHEREAS, this year, Black History Month returns to its roots with a new focus on black family ties; and

WHEREAS, the theme for 2021 is "The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity" which explores the wide-ranging diversity of black family life - from single to two-parent households to nuclear, extended and more recently, bi-racial; and

WHEREAS, Africans were first brought involuntarily to the shores of the United States as early as the 17th century; and

WHEREAS, African Americans suffered enslavement and subsequently faced the injustices of lynch mobs, segregation, and denial of the basic and fundamental rights of citizenship; and

WHEREAS, despite slavery, African-Americans in all walks of life have made significant contributions throughout the history of the United States; and

WHEREAS, many black families may pool resources or find job opportunities, or simply find emotional comfort within their own micro-community. In that respect, "brothers" or "aunties" may be good friends or neighbors who simply qualify for the title; and

WHEREAS, throughout American history, the black community has always exhibited an unwavering understanding of the value of family as an incomparable source of comfort, strength and even survival; and

WHEREAS, in the face of injustices, people of good will and of all races in the United States have distinguished themselves with a commitment to the noble ideals on which the United States was founded and have fought courageously for the rights of freedom of African Americans and others; and

WHEREAS, in 2021 the vestiges of those injustices and inequalities remain evident in the society of the United States; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., lived and died to make real these noble ideals; and

WHEREAS, a memorial commemorating the life of ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was placed on the National Mall for all people to observe his leadership in the struggle for freedom and truth; and

WHEREAS, Barack Hussein Obama was elected and reelected the 44th President of the United States, making him the first African-American chief executive and overcoming one of the last great racial challenges in politics in this country; and

WHEREAS, the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass inspired the creation of Negro History Week, the precursor of Black History Month; and

WHEREAS, Negro History Week represented the culmination of Dr. Carter G. Woodson's efforts to enhance knowledge of Black history started through the Journal of Negro History, published by Woodson's Association for the Study of African-American Life and History; and

WHEREAS, the month of February is officially celebrated as Black History Month, which dates back to 1926 when Dr. Carter G. Woodson set aside a special period of time in February to recognize the heritage and achievement of Black Americans; and

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and Township Council of the Township of Ewing, County of Mercer, State of New Jersey do hereby (1) recognize the significance of Black History Month as an important time to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of African-Americans in the Nation's history, and encourages the continued celebration of this month to provide an opportunity for all peoples of the United States to learn more about the past and to better understand the experiences that have shaped the Nation; (2) recognizes that ethnic and racial diversity of the United States enriches and strengthens the Nation; and (3) encourages all States to include in their year-round education curriculum this history and contributions of African Americans in the United States and around the world.

IT IS SO RESOLVED.

Adopted by the Governing Body of the Township of Ewing at a Regularly Scheduled Meeting of the Municipal Council of the Township of Ewing, County of Mercer, State of New Jersey held on the 9th day of February 2021.

Ewing Library Events Celebrating Black History Month

Wednesdays, Feb. 6, 13, 20 & 27, 4:30 - 5:30 p.m., Ewing Branch. Celebrate Black History Month with picture books, nonfiction books and middle grade books. For children ages 6 to 16. Listen to stories. Also, looking for participants to read lines in a brief play.  Light refreshments will be served. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Feb. 20, 7 p.m., Ewing Branch, Three Centuries of African American History in Trenton. Learn about the people and places associated with Trenton's African American community from its founding to the mid-twentieth century. Presented by Jennifer B. Leynes, author of Three Centuries of African American History in Trenton: Significant People and Places, which was published by the Trenton Historical Society with support from the New Jersey Historical Commission. She serves on the Trenton Landmarks Commission and is employed as a Historic Preservation Specialist by the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office. Registration is required. Call 609-882-3148.

TCNJ Alumni Webinars Series

Racist Fictions: African Americans, Mass Incarceration and the Mainstreaming of White Supremacy

Friday, Feb. 19 - 12:00 p.m.

Today, African Americans comprise twelve percent of the United States' total population, yet they represent 40% of the country's incarcerated people. This high incarceration rate reflects a long history of Black people’s disproportionate arrests, convictions, and confinement in the U.S. prison system—a domain of institutional racism. In this webinar, TCNJ Associate Professor Dr. Leigh-Anne Francis will discuss how her personal identity as a queer person of color working in higher education informs her scholarship on African Americans, mass incarceration, and the mainstreaming of white supremacy. You will leave this webinar with an understanding of Dr. Francis' fascinating and relevant research, as well as a greater appreciation of how personal identity anchors scholarship and professional work in meaningful, and often challenging, ways.

Register: https://tcnj.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bW-w7Nk8TniUQXAWbRf39A