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The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved a proclamation recognizing February as Black History Month across the county during their biweekly meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 15.
“Black History Month is not just this month, but every month, every day, every hour in America,” said Bobby Bivens after accepting the proclamation recognition, president of the NAACP Stockton Chapter.
“It is important that as we recognize this (Black History Month), and we don’t just recognize it with a proclamation, but recognizing with hiring people, with providing contracts to Black-owned business,” taking action on health issues and lack of healthcare the community faces, Bivens said.
“When you talk about Black History, we prefer that you are serious of (about) Black History and that you make history with Black people, the people who built America,” he said.
It was the first time since 2005 that Black History Month was recognized countywide.
Black History Month 2022: Where to celebrate in Stockton
Recognition for Black babies, mothers proclaimed
Supervisors also recognized the third week of the month as Black Infant Health Week.
The county’s proclamation recognizes:
- Black babies have higher rates of infant mortality, low birth weight, and premature births than any other ethnic group.
- Black infants are more than twice as likely as White infants to die before their first birthday.
- Black women, at all income levels and social statuses experience worse birth outcomes than other ethnic groups.
Doreatia Hart thanked the board for recognizing Black mother and babies, “for showing them they are valuable,” she said. “We are grateful, we are honored, and we are humble.”
Hart is a senior public health nurse and program coordinator for the county’s Black Infant Health program (BIH). The program has worked in the county and across the state for more than 30 years, she said.
When budget cuts decimated the BIH program, she founded the Mommy and Me program in 2009 to continue helping the community, serving 250 women with information about prenatal care by 2012.
From the archives: 10 questions with Doreatia Hart
San Joaquin County Public Health Services launched the Rally Around Our Sisters prenatal equity initiative in April 2021.
“Black and African American women and infants are dying at a much higher rate than other racial groups,” public health officer Dr. Maggie Park said then. “Many of these deaths are preventable and it has to stop.”
District 5 Supervisor Robert Rickman thanked Hart for her work and supported the proclamation, “to make sure that people are aware and educated, to make sure that our kids are healthy,” he said. “Our children are our future.”
“By what you do on a daily basis, allowing these children who might not make it otherwise without your help — or the mothers — you are providing the opportunity of a lifetime for the children to make a difference in our community,” District 4 Supervisor and board Chair Chuck Winn told Hart.
Record reporter Laura Diaz covers social justice and societal issues. She can be reached at ldiaz@recordnet.com or on Twitter @laurasdiaz_. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
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