February 20, 2016 3:40 p.m.
WHEREAS, diversity contributes positively to the development of society and 1s a matter of pride and celebration; and
WHEREAS, Americans of African descent have made valuable and lasting contributions to our country, state, and city, achieving exceptional success in all aspects of society including business, education, politics, science, and the arts; and
WHEREAS, in 1976, Black History Month was adopted to honor and affirm the importance of the history of African-Americans and to focus on the stories and teachings of those who helped build our nation, advance the cause of civil rights, and strengthen families and communities; and
WHEREAS, Fernandina Beach has a rich and significant African-American history, including a very important story regarding education; and
WHEREAS, the history of formal African-American education in Fernandina Beach dates back to 1863 with the establishment of a Freedmen’s Bureau school run by Chloe Merrick Reed; and
WHEREAS, in 1880, a group of men led by H.B. Delaney led a petition for a permanent “Negro School” and the original “Colored School No. 1” opened on N. 11th Street in 1884 and served the community until 1927, when a new facility opened on S. 10th Street and assumed the “Colored School No. 1” designation; and
WHEREAS, Colored School No. 1 was named Peck High School after William H. Peck, long-time principal and great champion of African-American education in Fernandina Beach; and
WHEREAS, Peck High was built in part with money from the Rosenwald Fund, a philanthropic program funded by Julius Rosenwald of Sears Roebuck that built 5,300 schools for African-American students in the South during the early part of the 20th century; and
WHEREAS, very few Rosenwald Schools remain in Florida, and few others in the country are built in the style and size of Peck High; and
WHEREAS, Peck High served not only as a school, but as a community center offering meeting space and adult education for the African-American community of Fernandina Beach; and
WHEREAS, today Peck High is known as the Peck Center, and continues to be an important cornerstone of the City; and
WHEREAS, the City is partnering with the Amelia Island Museum of History, the Nassau County Public Library-Fernandina Beach Branch, the Friends of the Fernandina Beach Library, and the National Center for Jewish Film to host a series of events in February 2016 regarding Peck High and the Rosenwald Fund; and
WHEREAS, the City of Fernandina Beach continues to build an inclusive community that lives up to the American ideal of educational, social, and economic opportunity for all of our citizens.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED, by the City of Fernandina Beach, Florida, that February 2016 be celebrated as
African-American History Month and a Celebration of Peck High and Rosenwald Schools
And we encourage all citizens to learn more about our community’s African-American heritage.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I, John A. Miller, hereunto set my hand and cause the Official Seal of the City of Fernandina Beach, Florida, to be affixed this 2nd day of February, 2016.
CITY OF FERNANDINA BEACH
JOHN A. MILLER
Mayor – Commissioner
Feb 22, 6pm – Rosenwald Film at Fernandina Beach Branch Library