CITY OF RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA
P R O C L A M A T I O N
Declaring February 17, 2022 as California State PTA Day
WHEREAS, in 1897, Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst founded the National Congress of Parents and Teachers to better the lives of children in education, health, and safety, and in 1926, Selena Sloan Butler founded the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers to advocate for children, especially African American s, in segregated communities, and in 1970, the two merged to create the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA); and
WHEREAS, the founders of the National PTA, Alice, Phoebe, and Selena, were women of imagination and courage who understood the power of individual action, worked beyond the accepted barriers of their day, and took action to literally change the world; and
WHEREAS, the National PTA is the country’s largest volunteer-led child-advocacy association and has been instrumental in creating programs and services that improve children’s lives, including school nutrition programs, child labor laws, public health services, the juvenile justice system, kindergarten, the advancement of family engagement, and the growth of arts in education; and
WHEREAS, today, the California State PTA has local PTAs throughout the state and its members represent the ethnic diversity of the nation and come from the ranks of all families who, together, continue to serve as the conscience of the country for children and youth; and
WHEREAS, the Thirty-Second District PTA , which includes six councils and 125 units in Contra Costa Country, empowers and support its councils and units as it promotes the mission, purposes, and benefits of the National and California State PTAs, fosters membership, develops leadership, and leads advocacy efforts on behalf of all children and families.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED , that the Richmond City Counc il do es hereby declare February 17, 2022 as California State PTA Day in the City of Richmond and encourages community members to celebrate the National PTA’s 125th anniversary and get involved with their local PTA.
___________________________
Mayor Tom Butt
City of Richmond, California
March 1, 2022