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Pierce County Council issues proclamations honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and designating January 2025 as Whole Child Month
Summary
The council read two proclamations recognizing the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and designating January 2025 as Whole Child Month; local community leaders and school officials accepted the recognitions and spoke about ongoing equity and youth-support efforts.
The Pierce County Council on Jan. 14 read and adopted proclamations honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and designating January 2025 as Whole Child Month in Pierce County, Washington. Community leaders and school-district officials accepted the proclamations and spoke about continuing civil-rights and youth-support work.
Council member Paul Herrera read the proclamation honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., citing King’s leadership in the civil rights movement and listing federal milestones such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Recipients at the podium included representatives from the Tacoma Black Collective and the National Association for Black Veterans. Speakers at the podium reflected on King’s legacy and called for continued collaboration on equity and inclusion efforts.
Council member Rosie Ayala presented the proclamation designating January 2025 as Whole Child Month, which the proclamation described as supporting children's physical, social, emotional and academic development. Laura Allen, director of Whole Child for Tacoma Public Schools, spoke about program goals and cited improvement in on-time graduation rates within Tacoma Public Schools—she gave a district rate of approximately 91.7%—and emphasized cross-sector collaboration to support students countywide.
Why it matters: Both proclamations are ceremonial but signal council support for continued attention to equity, community partnerships, and children’s services. Speakers urged follow-through beyond proclamations: council members and community leaders encouraged continued meetings, shared programs, and collaboration across school districts, parks and nonprofits to support youth development countywide.
Closing Council members thanked the groups and invited recipients for photographs. No binding policy changes were made; council members urged ongoing engagement between the county and local groups on equity and youth programming.
