To: Dale K. Weighill, Governmental Operations Committee Chairperson
From: Jerome Threlkeld, Organizational Development Coordinator
title
RE: Recognition of April 2025 as Arab American Heritage Month
recommendation
BOARD ACTION REQUESTED:
Approval of a resolution recognizing April 2025 as Arab American Heritage Month
BACKGROUND:
At the request of the Genesee County Board of Commissioners, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission will bring forth resolutions honoring communities within Genesee County. This resolution was co-authored with the Arab American Heritage Council and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission to recognize April 2025 as Arab American Heritage Month.
DISCUSSION:
IMPACT ON HUMAN RESOURCES:
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
IMPACT ON FACILITIES:
IMPACT ON TECHNOLOGY:
CONFORMITY TO COUNTY PRIORITIES:
Inclusive/Collaborative Culture - Bring diverse people and groups to the table, Embrace diversity, equity and inclusion
resolution
TO THE HONORABLE CHAIRPERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE GENESEE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, GENESEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
WHEREAS, states across the nation, including Michigan, have recognized April as Arab American Heritage month, declaring that for over a century Arab Americans have been making valuable contributions to virtually every aspect of American society including medicine, law, business, education, technology, government, military service and culture, and since migrating to America, people of Arab descent have shared their rich culture and traditions with neighbors and friends; and
WHEREAS, Arab Americans in Genesee County have played a vital role in growing the economy, such as the entrepreneurial spirit of the Hamady and Khouri families, which together with other Arab American families operated many of the grocery stores in Flint through the 1980s; and
WHEREAS, Arab Americans such as local attorney Muna Jondy have long been at the forefront of advocacy, not just for their own community but for broader social justice struggles to ensure a community free of discrimination and bigotry and with language access so that voices are heard, valued, and included in all spaces, and philanthropists such as Ghassan and Manal Saab have championed humanitarian, educational, and cultural initiatives in Genesee County and around the world; and
WHEREAS, physicians from the Arab American community have enriched the lives of Genesee County residents not only through their medical expertise but their commitment to the public good, ranging from Dr. Bara Zuahili, a vascular surgeon who provides life-saving care to residents of Genesee County and also to civilians in Gaza and elsewhere who have been injured through violence, to Dr. Mona Hanna, the pediatrician who played a pivotal role in exposing the Flint water crisis and has gone on to pioneer the Rx Kids initiative to help babies thrive in the first year of life; and
WHEREAS, the Arab American Heritage Council has worked since 1980 to highlight and preserve the rich cultural heritage of Arab Americans in the Greater Flint community, provide essential services for Arab American families, working to identify and eliminate disparities, and use the power of storytelling to build bridges across cultures.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that this Board of County Commissioners of Genesee County, Michigan, hereby recognizes the month of April 2025 as Arab American Heritage Month in Genesee County and encourage all county departments to engage in celebratory activities and appropriate recognitions, such participation in community events, sharing stories, and learning about Arab Americans and the contributions they have made to our county and nation.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Genesee County Clerk/Register is directed to provide one copy of this Resolution to each city, village, and township within Genesee County and to each County Clerk in the State of Michigan.