 Board of County commissioners. All right. Thank you. If you guys all want to come forward, I'll move the following proclamation All right, I move the proclamation recognizing February as Black History Month in El Paso County, Colorado whereas for generations African Americans have exemplified the American spirit by overcoming struggles breaking down barriers and striving for equality for themselves and others and whereas African-American history plays a significant role in the American story Making this great nation a better place to live work and play for everybody and whereas El Paso County, Colorado And the Pikes Peak region has had among its past and president residents many African-American leaders educators and social justice pioneers with state national and international historical prominence Including Horace Shelby George L. Hackley Erin Bailey Reverend James B. Greg John F. Cooper Shirley Graham Dubois Roosevelt Collins Greta McRae Leon Young William Seymour Fannie Mae Duncan and many others and whereas the strength and determination of men and women like these remind us that our region is made up of people whose contributions Continue to make it stronger and better and whereas since 1976 February has been designated as Black History Month in the United States in which the stories of strong men and women and The events that have shaped the African-American experience in the US Colorado and El Paso County Should be recognized and celebrated Now therefore the board of El Paso County commissioners hereby recognizes February 2019 as Black History Month in El Paso County, Colorado And reminds everyone to use this commemoration of Black History Month to serve as a reminder of the need for meaningful Dialogue and shared commitment to collective action that uplifts and empowers. It's done this 14th day of February 2019 in Colorado Springs, Colorado And it's signed by the board of County commissioners Mark Waller chair, Lojinos Gonzalez, Jr. Vice chair Stan Banderwurff, Holly Williams and Cammy Brimmer members and it's attested to by our clerk and recorder Chuck Broriman second All right Mr. Allen the floor is yours One Mr. Chair by chair members of the County Commission at first I would like to start by Recognizing these three ladies behind me on his ballot time date that came out to my right is My wife who is the chair of the religious affair Dr. Reverend Karen Allen directly behind me is my Chair for the education Ms. Helen Cross ice and to the left of me is my hard blood of the organization my office manager I See Janet every day yesterday we got into a big argument because I wasn't doing anything right, so she had to jack me up anyway To the other members that's located here to a commissioner commissioner Banderwurff who's a member of the organization To Commissioner Gonzalez who has been in civil rights struggle with me since I was the president of the NAACP and has always supported me I I bring you greetings from the Pikes Peak Southern Christian Leadership Conference We come before you to accept this proclamation But two days ago. We also accepted a proclamation from the city and we were very appreciative of that But we left them with the thought of is that we in this county in this city just cannot continue to recognize Black history in February this this this county has a very impressive black history Underrated of people that have the county growth their name is listed in the proclamation We have to move forward and to be a better people to do that We can't just recognize dr. King and the work he has done in January That that that that said that serve there's no person. No, uh, no They serve with no purpose what I asked what I would answer you as county commissioners to look into your heart and your mind and let's Celebrate all people and let's work to make black history American history Let's do away with this once a month in 28 days. Let's have the courage Somewhere in El Paso County the shock the world To shock the world and said that we in Colorado, especially in El Paso County We're going to recognize black history 365 days because you know what black history of the American history And I think you have the courage to do that. I spoke with the chair a couple of weeks ago He bought me a fine lunch downtown and we have some concern. We have the conversation about his concerns Excuse me about African-Americans environment in the community and what he could do and what what I could have what I could do To help him move that forward because we do look as if we are a separate community And that should that should be a concern to all governing bodies It shouldn't be a point where you go to one community and they feel uncomfortable in other community Don't want to be involved. So again, we thank you for this, but we also challenge you as Leaders and I hear someone said that you're gonna be elected again. I'm pretty sure you will I'm pretty sure you'll be here for another six years. So in that time Be courageous step outside the comfort zone go into communities that don't look like you or Haven't met you and shake hands and say what can the El Paso County Commissioners do To make an inclusive but make you feel inclusive to this community because it's not there yet, but we can get there So not the lingo on thank each and every one you for your for your support the organization appreciate it We hope to be around another six years. Thank you very much Thank you Would anybody else like to speak Are you sure? Well, here's what we're gonna do we're gonna bring it up here We're gonna allow the commissioners to have a couple of minutes now and then what I was gonna do since we Don't have anything left on our calendars Maybe just get through the rest of our calendar and then we'll do a picture After we adjourn that way we can visit and we don't have to go back on the record. How about that? All right So well hang on a second here. I'm gonna bring it up here. Let's who wants to kick it off Mr. Vanderwerf Thank You mr. Chair as always Just wonderful, and I'm proud to be a paying member of the Southern Christian leadership conference That's right hasn't we can work on that might just might be there who knows One other thing I'd like to thank you personally for and thank SCLC for Was when I went with you guys and we did that prayer walk You know that was really actually that was inspiring So for whatever it's worth. Just don't know why just maybe You know no opportunity or whatever. I'd never done a prayer walk through a neighborhood before so that was my And it was uplifting, you know, I really enjoyed it So I have you all to thank for getting me out there to do a prayer walk and I thought I thought it was awesome so I'm looking forward to do another one sometime soon and I just want to thank everything that you guys are doing for the community because you're helping us to Do everything that we need to do to make our community as whole as it possibly is and we do already have a great community But we are working on filling in those little holes that are in the corners and the spaces So that we are just absolutely rock solid wherever you go And I think we are most of the way there, but there's more to do So I look forward to working with you all on that and thank you very much again for what you guys do in SCLC I love the organization and I loved the prayer walk. Thanks, and it was a blessing having you there. Thank you, sir Commissioner Gonzalez. Yeah, thank you as a chair Henry. I just want to thank you for all the great work that you all do It's been my pleasure being and working with you for the last several years on different issues I was impressed by the fact you got a free lunch out of Commissioner Waller I've been trying to get a free lunch from him for two years and it still evades me sometimes There are no free lunches with me. He had to listen to me for a couple hours, so he paid for it for sure But but you guys do great work You know MLK, you know famously said, you know injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere And I've seen several occasions where issues that have come up in the city You have jumped on to make sure that the issue has been addressed for those people who were not treated fairly Whether it's a government entity or a school entity that they got their voice and you were the voice for them And and I appreciate all that great work that you guys do for the community. Thank you. I appreciate you for all your years as a poet Commissioner Williams, I just we just I just appreciate all that you do for the community. Thank you Mr. Brimmer I've heard the word community a lot and you spoke of of Coming together and realizing that we're we are one community We also talked a lot about You know local local leaders and state leaders and and American history being a part of it But one of the quotes from a famous African That stands out to me is that my humanity is bound up in yours for we can only be human together That's from Desmond Tutu Who fought a fight? Much much too late across the world But I I think I think you're right. It's also part of part of part of world history. We are humans together We can learn to celebrate and cry and work together for the future I look forward to that And thank you very much. Thank you Thank You commissioner. Well said You know One of the things I appreciate most about you Henry is the ability to have that frank discussion I thoroughly enjoyed sitting down for lunch with you And I think it's something that we should do on a regular basis in fact We could invite commissioner Gonzales and he could pay for a change because he doesn't do that very often either So but but it's it's so important I think especially in today's world to be able to have the open honest communication as we try to move Move our country in a way that is necessary in order for it to be successful because I truly believe in Order for us to be successful. We all have to have the opportunity to be successful It can't just be one group or another. It's something that's so Important and I think in in today's world, you know, we we kind of lose out a little bit on On how connected We all are or we all should be And I think that makes it harder to advance the Conversation and move it forward and so I I appreciate so much your Willingness to do that and the way you embrace it and I I too have one of my favorite Poems is from my angelo and it's a poem about We are we are all more alike Than we are unalike and I think that's one of the Best messages that I've heard in in pro's form that way And I think it's it's a message that we would all Benefit from reminding ourselves of on a day-to-day basis because you're right This shouldn't be one month where we come together. It shouldn't be around Dr. King's birthday that we talk about these things We should talk about it all year long and we should remember That we are all more alike than we are unalike. So with that I'll call the roll Commissioner Bremmer. Hi Commissioner van der worf. Hi commissioner williams. Hi Commissioner gonzalez and the chair votes. Hi that passes unanimously All right. Thank you. Thank you. All right. So just hang out for one more second. I think we're going to finish