Olympia City Council promotes Black History Month, Lunar New Year

Olympia’s city council met yesterday Tues. to pass proclamations promoting the Lunar New Year and Black History Month.

“The City of Olympia is dedicated to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” read the proclamation on the Lunar New Year, celebrated by East Asians from China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan.

More specific to current events was the proclamation for Black History Month, February, with the city citing that, “the observance of Black History Month demands our attention to the continued need to battle racism and build a community that lives up to its democratic ideal.”

“African Americans have countless achievements despite these past and present atrocities,” read the proclamation.

“We can find solace in the fact that our community is not going to tolerate this,” remarked councilmember Dontae Payne.

Plans were also mentioned of the city naming one of the parks after local 19th-century black businesswoman and philanthropist Rebecca Howard.

The US Census Bureau reports that Olympia’s black community comprises 2.6% of the population, with Asian-Americans, making up 7.1%.