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Residents urge Villa Rica to pair Black History Month proclamation with accountability and correction to language
Summary
During public comment, residents told the council a municipal proclamation should not be framed as establishing Black History Month and urged the mayor and council to follow proclamations with concrete transparency and equity actions; the mayor read a proclamation recognizing February 2026 as Black History Month.
Mayor Leslie McPherson read a Black History Month proclamation at the start of the Feb. 10 meeting declaring February 2026 as Black History Month in Villa Rica and encouraging residents to support Black‑owned businesses and events.
Several public commenters said a proclamation alone is insufficient and asked the city to pair recognition with actions that address transparency, zoning, and infrastructure decisions that have disproportionately affected historically Black neighborhoods. Pamela White urged the mayor and council to correct the proclamation’s language so records do not imply the city “declared” the month nationally: "Black History Month was not created by this city. It was nationally established in 1976 by President Gerald Ford," she said, and asked that the mayor amend or redact language implying the city established the observance.
Other speakers from Ward 1 echoed the call for substantive change, saying Black History Month is "lived history" in their community and urging the council to pursue equitable infrastructure and zoning decisions rather than symbolic recognition alone.
What’s next: The remarks were recorded during public comment; any changes to the proclamation text or council follow‑up would be a separate administrative action and were not scheduled as a vote in this meeting.
