Proclaim February 2022 Black History Month
Whereas, the City of Portland takes pride in joining Americans throughout the country in recognizing February 2022 as Black History Month; and
Whereas, Black History Month recognizes and pays tribute to the contributions that African Americans have made to American history in their struggles for freedom and equality and deepens our understanding of our shared history; as well as remembering important and influential people and events in the history of the African diaspora; and
Whereas, the theme for 2022, “Black health and wellness,” acknowledges the historical and modern-day challenges of people of African descents limited subpar access to adequate healthcare and resources that promote holistic wellness. Acknowledging systems that have created and perpetuated anti-black multi-generational oppressive practices within the healthcare industry, promoting the experience of marginalization, despair, trauma, illness, and ultimately death; and
Whereas, any genuine and complete description of health needs to include all aspects of a person including physical, mental, emotional, financial, relational, and spiritual health. And any genuine and complete measure of wellness needs to reflect the level of these areas to the extent that individuals can successfully fulfill that innate essence of existence which leads to connection, growth, new life, and heritage; and
Whereas, local and national laws, policies, and practices related to healthcare and insurance have profoundly shaped, defined, and constrained the wellness of Blacks for centuries. Racial inequities have deep roots in the foundations of systems that continue to operate in a way that disseminates racist rhetoric that leads to inaccessible, inadequate, and inequitable treatment that continues to plague the Black narrative of holistic wellness; and
Whereas, the Black community still experiences the trauma from a healthcare system that was developed on the idea that the Negro, is less human than the White man. That mental health concerns in the Black community were something to either be hidden or accepted. That emotional fatigue is communicated as weakness in relation to the idea of the strong Black man and Resilient Black woman, and that the pursuit of spiritual health has been characterized as cartoonish, outdated and irrelevant; and
Whereas, to this day millions of African Americans across the country are experiencing health disparities that result in disease, shorter life span, mental health disabilities, violence, adverse socioeconomic circumstances, strained interpersonal relationships, spiritual stagnation, and many other dynamics that limit or hinder the potential to experience and achieve optimal health; and
Whereas, generations of African American individuals, families, and communities, have played a significant role in protesting and advocating for the necessity for Black individuals and families to be viewed and valued as human beings, respected, dignified, and worthy of receiving education, services, treatment, and resources to access services that enable centering wellness; and
Whereas, it is imperative for the survival, long-term growth, and benefit of the Black community in this country to address, and finally remove the roots of indirect and unconscious harm that have been done, and continue to be perpetuated by mixed messages of our current personal and community’s condition, by pursing a holistic approach to health and wellness; and
Whereas, championing holistic wellness is an indispensable factor in assuring that Black people can live a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life by promoting spiritual and emotional introspection while deterring illness and disease. Being afforded the same opportunities as dominant culture to pursue and achieve holistic health in the Black community significantly alters the narrative to one of: improved habits and lifestyle changes; A fortified body that can withstand the onset of disease more easily; An improvement of the natural healing abilities of the body; The prevention of various diseases and disorders; and Reduced stress and anxiety levels; and
Whereas, once the Black community can start to focus on our health and wellness, individually as well as corporately, we will see greater pride within ourselves, stronger connections in our families, healing in our communities, elevation of our values, and deeper and healthier roots of culture and heritage from which a future of love, honor, respect, appreciation, achievement, and celebration will unarguably be the fruit; and
Whereas, we commend the many achievements, successes, and contributions of African Americans who have contributed to the narrative of endorsing Black health and wellness in various movements as there has been a significant rise of black representation and diversity locally and nationally in many contexts; and
Whereas, creating Black spaces within wellness for us, by us, is vital to creating space for Blacks to finally feel validated, understood, and valuable. Addressing these nuances fosters an experience—where we find safety, comfort, power, and community. Through our representation, we are providing inspiration for those who want to start to build spaces where Black people can feel safe to explore their own wellness journeys; and
Whereas, inequality and injustice of Blacks continue to plague our health and wellness systems across cities, states, and the country, and it is the responsibility of citizens to advocate for the oppressed and work to dismantle systems that contradict advancement of the American notion of life, liberty, happiness and the pursuit of good health and wellbeing for all without excluding Blacks.
Now, therefore, on behalf of City Council, I, Ted Wheeler, Mayor of the City of Portland, Oregon, the “City of Roses,” do hereby proclaim February 2022 Black History Month In Portland and encourage all residents to observe this month.