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To recognize and celebrate the month of February 2017 as African American History Month.
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WHEREAS, February 1 through February 28 has been declared as African American History Month in celebration of achievements by African Americans, and a time for recognizing the central role of African Americans in U.S. history and the fabric of the City of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, African Americans in the City of Columbus make up a significant portion of the labor force, working as elected officials, CEOs, teachers, police officers, technicians, physicians, entrepreneurs and all other professions. Today we specifically highlight African Americans in our community who have leveraged the restaurant industry as a platform for pursuing their vision of the American dream; and
WHEREAS, African American restaurateurs exemplify our local entrepreneurs and employers, undergoing great risk and sacrifice to pursue their passion for the culinary arts, meanwhile opening doors of opportunity for a team to succeed alongside them, and
WHEREAS, African American managers and operators are the backbone of the City of Columbus’ thriving hospitality industry, ensuring our city’s cultural core is running smoothly for all citizens to enjoy; and
WHEREAS, African American restaurant employees - the chefs, hosts, dishwashers, bartenders, and wait staff - are the heart of City of Columbus’ unwavering character, using their jobs as a springboard to a meaningful career in hospitality, a way to fund a college education, or a skill base for any professional pursuit; and
WHEREAS, nationally, four in 10 restaurant businesses are majority-owned by minority business owners, and the number of African American-owned restaurants increased by 49 percent between 2007 and 2012; and
WHEREAS, in 2014, 56 percent of first-line supervisors and managers of food preparation and service workers were African-American and restaurants employ more minority managers than any other industry, demonstrating the success of African Americans in our hospitality industry; and
WHEREAS, when African Americans succeed, in any industry, our nation, our state, our region and our city succeeds; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council does hereby proclaim February 1 - February 28, 2017 as “African American History Month” in the City of Columbus, to recognize the many accomplishments and contributions made by African Americans and African American in the restaurant industry, and encourage all residents to celebrate their instrumental role in our community.