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Orange County supervisors mark Black History Month with labor, legal and community tributes
Summary
At its Feb. 11 meeting, the Orange County Board of Supervisors proclaimed February as Black History Month, with remarks from Vice Chair Katrina Foley, Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento and community leaders highlighting labor’s role in civil rights and a local fair-housing case that reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
Doug Chaffee, chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, opened Tuesday’s meeting by announcing a proclamation recognizing Black History Month and thanking supervisors for sponsoring the day-long observance.
Vice Chair Katrina Foley (5th District) and Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento (2nd District) led the board in remarks that tied this year’s theme — African Americans and labor — to local civic leaders and historic legal milestones. Foley described the month as an opportunity “to remember the often untold stories of Black Americans in their quest for equity, inclusion, and prosperity.”
Sarmiento traced labor’s ties to civil-rights progress, noting the 2025 centennial of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and welcoming community guests to the dais. Among those introduced were Kenny Williams, president of the Orange County Labor Federation; Duane Shipp of the Orange County Heritage Council; Dorothy Mulkey, a longtime Santa Ana resident whose housing case, Reitman v. Mulkey, reached the U.S. Supreme Court; and leaders from the NAACP and local arts organizations.
Kenny Williams, the labor federation president, recalled union leaders and civil-rights pioneers and emphasized the shared goals of fair wages and working conditions. “The labor movement and civil-rights movement, we are one movement,” he said.
Deirdre Harris, president of NAACP Orange County, underscored intergenerational organizing and urged collective action to address persistent inequities in health and other systems.
The board recessed from the ceremonial portion of the meeting and proceeded with the day’s business, noting the proclamation and the community leaders’ remarks as part of its public record.
