On March 1st, GCNAACP leadership (President Devin Barroga, Vice President Shawnna Stringfellow, and Secretary Janet Tupper) were invited as guests to the March meeting of the Garrett County Municipality Association. At the top of the agenda, GCNAACP were introduced to the attendees and discussed the anti-hate vendor resolution. Mayors were presented with a draft of the resolution to be adopted by each Garrett County municipality. Kitzmiller Mayor Robert Reckart shared a strong affirmation, saying that “[the anti-hate vendor resolution] should have be done a long time ago.” We then discussed moving forward, including finalizing the language for a Vendor’s Agreement (which will include detailed definitions of hate symbols and so on) that mayors will present to their respective town councils. By April, it is our hope that there is unanimous approval of the resolution and vendor’s agreement.
We’d like to thank the mayors for inviting us and taking a proactive stance on moving forward with the resolution. This is a monumental step in ensuring that all residents and visitors to Garrett County enjoy a safe, welcoming & inclusive experience at Garrett County events.
We also encourage our members to show their support for the anti-hate vendor resolution. One suggestion is writing to your mayor or council member showing appreciation and possibly sharing anecdotes about feeling uncomfortable at past events (either personally and/or from others you may know). You can also email GCNAACP directly (contact@gcnaacp.org) with any stories, thoughts, and so on.
