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Orange County Board celebrates Black History Month and Lunar New Year with community leaders
Summary
Supervisors led presentations honoring the centennial of Black History Month and local Lunar New Year festivities, inviting community leaders, NAACP and faith leaders to the dais and urging continued civic engagement and protection of civil rights.
On Feb. 9 the Orange County Board of Supervisors opened the day with presentations recognizing both Black History Month and the Lunar New Year, drawing community leaders to the dais and highlighting cultural contributions across the county.
Chair Doug Chaffee opened the day and thanked supervisors for bringing the item forward. Vice Chair Katrina Foley framed the centennial observance of Black History Month, listing historic contributions and noting its national recognition; Deirdre Harris, president of the NAACP Orange County, said, “Black history is American history,” and urged that commemoration be accompanied by actionable protections for civil rights.
Vice Chair Vicente Sarmiento recounted Dorothy Mulkey's fair-housing litigation and called out a recent ugly social-media post targeting the county's first Black president. Rev. Johnny Dunning Jr. and other faith and civic leaders also reflected on the county's diversity and the moral obligations tied to commemoration.
The board then turned to Lunar New Year, with a supervisor from a coastal district describing local Tet traditions and the county's large Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese communities. The speaker noted, "My district ... has the largest Vietnamese American community outside of Vietnam," urging residents to participate in festivals and cultural events. Vice Chair Foley highlighted community festivals at the Great Park, UCI and South Coast Plaza and encouraged public attendance.
The presentations emphasized celebration and a call for vigilance against hate and discrimination; several supervisors urged continued partnership with community groups and the NAACP.
What's next: organizers and supervisors encouraged residents to attend upcoming cultural events and to use county resources for outreach and education.
