Washington County proclaims February 2026 Black History Month

The Washington County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a proclamation declaring February 1 through Feb. 28, 2026, as Black History Month.

Tyrone Henry, supplier engagement lead with the Office of Access and Opportunity, introduced the proclamation and said Washington County’s cultural heritage programming is an "important starting point for our collective organizational engagement and learning about the community we serve." He emphasized that "the Black and African American community, like all cultures, are not monolithic," and thanked the planning committee for its work.

County staff members Grace Zarpak and Natasha Posadas read the proclamation, which traces the observance’s history and references the founding of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in 1915, President Gerald R. Ford’s 1976 message recognizing Black History Month, and Congress’s 1986 Public Law 99-244 designating February as Black History Month.

The proclamation text also noted that "systemic racism persists in the United States, generating continued calls for lasting institutional and societal change," language read aloud by staff and highlighted by presenters as a call to action for the county.

A commissioner moved to adopt the proclamation; the chair noted there was a second (the second was not named in the transcript). Commissioners voted by voice and show of hands, and the motion carried unanimously, 5 to 0. After the vote, the chair invited staff and commissioners to join a commemorative photograph on the dais.

Why it matters: The proclamation frames county-level recognition of Black History Month as both educational and a civic commitment, linking local programming and outreach to national observances and an explicit statement about ongoing racial inequities. The board’s unanimous vote formalizes the county’s invitation to residents and agencies to observe the month with programs, activities, and reflections.