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Tumwater proclaims February 2025 Black History Month; local museum invites schools
Summary
At its Feb. 4 meeting the Tumwater City Council presented a proclamation naming February 2025 Black History Month, highlighted the 2025 theme “African Americans and labor,” and heard from Dr. Thelma Jackson about a local Black history museum and outreach to school districts.
At its Feb. 4, 2025, meeting, the Tumwater City Council proclaimed February 2025 as Black History Month and presented the proclamation to Dr. Thelma Jackson.
The proclamation, read by Mayor Debbie Sullivan, highlighted local and national milestones cited in the text including George Bush as an early Black settler in the area and Carter G. Woodson’s establishment of Negro History Week, later Black History Month. The document named the 2025 national theme, “African American and labor,” and called on residents to observe the month.
Dr. Thelma Jackson, who accepted the proclamation on behalf of the community, thanked the council and described local efforts to preserve and teach Black history. “We deeply appreciate this proclamation in recognition of Black History Month and what it stands for,” Jackson said. She urged wider recognition of how unpaid and coerced labor shaped the nation’s economy and said the month is an opportunity to reflect on those histories as well as achievements.
Jackson described a Black history exhibit hosted by New Life Baptist Church that is open Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. She said organizers invited all eight Thurston County school districts to bring students for educational field trips; Jackson said the North Thurston School District had participated previously but that she had not heard back from the Tumwater School District about visits this year. “So students in the Tumwater School District won’t have the opportunity to visit the museum and to see what’s going on as other students in the community,” she said.
The proclamation text included a call to celebrate contributions “including civic, economic, professional, medical, scientific, military, and artistic excellence.” Mayor Debbie Sullivan signed the proclamation during the meeting.
The city did not take any formal legislative action on the proclamation beyond its presentation. The exhibit Jackson referenced will be open Saturdays in February; she invited council members, staff and residents to attend.
