Does Hanover County value its African American communities? HDC Chair Rachel Levy recently sent this letter to the Hanover County Board of Supervisors over the snub.
March 4, 2024
Dear Chairwoman Dibble and Hanover Supervisors,
Black History Month has come and gone, and, sadly, there has been no official proclamation or recognition from the Hanover County Board of Supervisors in its honor. This is very disappointing, especially because it represents a break with practice in recent years, of the Hanover County Board of Supervisors issuing such proclamations.
Not only is this disappointing, but so is the fact that only one of Hanover’s seven Supervisors addressed this matter publicly at all. Ms. Faye Prichard (Ashland) issued an apology at the February 28th Board of Supervisors meeting for the lack of Black History Month recognition, stating that she values Hanover’s Black citizens. Notably, Ms. Prichard is the only Democrat on the Board of Supervisors. However, it shouldn’t be this way; the imperative to honor our Black citizens and communities should not be a partisan one.
According to Black members of the Hanover Democratic Committee, Black people celebrate Black history every day; hence, honoring Black History Month in some way with such a proclamation is of significance and importance to our entire community. It’s a basic gesture, especially in light of the deep roots many African American families and communities have in Hanover. It’s a sad time when after what seemed like progress, the majority of our representatives on the Board of Supervisors, in fact, appear to think so little of the contributions of Black Hanover citizens in building this county, which was done in the beginning, in bondage, against their will, and later in the face of de jure and then de facto discrimination.
This failure and lack of common courtesy communicates that the majority of the members of the Hanover Board of Supervisors don’t value African American community members. Is that what this body wishes to communicate? Further, it shows pettiness, a lack of political and culturally competent acumen, and poor leadership and governance. Is this how you all want the priorities of this newly elected Board and of the newly elected Chair and Vice Chair to be reflected and implemented? If not, I urge you to issue an apology for the oversight and to make a comparable gesture in the coming weeks to repair the harm you have caused.
Sincerely,
Rachel Levy, Chair
Hanover County Democratic Committee
