Supervisor Mitchell’s Statement on Los Angeles County Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Black History Month

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell’s motion proclaiming the County’s support of the nationwide celebration of Black History Month – which has reached its 100th anniversary this year. Supervisor Mitchell provided the statement below during the Board meeting, to view a video of her full remarks click here.  

“This is perhaps one of the most important Black history months I have celebrated in my entire lifetime. And I’m clear that the whole goal of Carter G. Woodson and others in declaring it, was that we reflect on the pioneering Black leaders whose accomplishments are a part of this country’s history and whose shoulders we all stand on. But I’m also clear that that’s not enough this year.

I think the way in which I’ve celebrated it my whole life and the intention was to really educate some and perhaps convince others that Black excellence just is.  

This year, I’m really not just interested in salutations and platitudes of acknowledgement, or any kind of mere verbal recognition of the role African Americans have played in this country.  

This Black History Month I am singularly interested in action.  

The fact that Black people make up about nine percent of LA County’s population but are overrepresented in our unhoused population living on the streets of LA, then this Black History Month and every day – I believe our policies and investments should ensure that they are seen valued and housed. 

As health disparities and Black maternal morbidity persist at disproportionately high rates, this Black History Month we must take action to address and eliminate those inequalities.  

When Black people continue to be more likely to live in communities that are food deserts and the unemployment rate for Black women remains double that of every other group in the nation, then this Black History Month I hope that we will acknowledge and work to change those realities.  

This Black History Month should be the year that we pledge to remove the cancer of anti-Blackness and of anti-immigrant from our communities, from our country and from our very own county.  

So, as we think about how we will celebrate the next hundred years of Black History Month, and what progress we want to see, then we will not only acknowledge that Black excellence just is, but that we will focus on Black present and Black future in a meaningful way. That we will work to close health disparities. That we will work to close the Black wealth gap in a meaningful and productive way. That’s how I’m choosing to acknowledge this Black History Month, and I hope others will join me as well.”