My name is Mark McLean.

I'm an elder at Generations Church and I serve as uh Vice Chair of the African American Advisory Committee.

Now I just want to uh just want to make an announcement.

Our MC for tonight would have been the chairperson of the African American Advisory Committee, uh Minister Angela Davis Farris, but uh she had a medical emergency and she could not be with us.

So we ask the community and the family to say a prayer for her.

You know that God will give her a supernatural healing.

Amen.

So we are here to celebrate black history, and as we know, black history is American history, and black history is every day.

And so as customers for our community, we want to acknowledge God first, because we understand as we look back that it was faith that allowed our ancestors to survive the march from the middle of Africa to the coast.

It was faith that allowed our ancestors to survive being packed in bottom of slave ships like sardines and to survive the brutality of the middle passage.

It was faith that allowed our ancestors to preserve the human dignity of our people and race and stand up to the dehumanization of title slavery.

It was faith that allowed our ancestors to fight the terrorism of Jim Crow.

It was faith that caused the Honorable Marcus Garry to say, up you mighty race, you can accomplish what you will.

It was a faith that allowed Rosa Parks to sit down.

And it was faith that allowed Malcolm X to stand up and say by any means necessary.

And it was faith that allowed a southern preacher in the midst of a national nightmare to have a dream of freedom, justice, and equality.

And so, as black people, as we come together to celebrate our history, we want to acknowledge God and our faith as we bow our heads for the opening prayer.

Gracious and eternal God, we thank you for gathering us together on this sacred occasion this evening, as we honor black history, heritage, and hope.

We give you praise for the strength of our ancestors, for the courage of those who paved the way, and for the resilience of people, of a people who trusted you through trials and triumphs alike.

Lord, we thank you for every contribution, every sacrifice, every victory that has helped shape our community and our nation.

As we reflect on the past, help us to learn from it.

As we stand in the presence, empower us to walk in unity, and as we look towards the future, guide us, O Lord, to build a world marked by justice, compassion, and opportunity for all.

Bless this celebration, every speaker, performer, organizer, and bless our honorees and guests.

May your spirit fill this place with peace, joy, and purpose.

Let this gathering inspire us to uplift one another, to honor dignity in every person, and to continue to work, continue the work of love, quality and service.

We commit this moment to you, and we thank you in advance for all that will be accomplished here this evening.

We ask this in the matter's name of your son.

And all God's people said, Amen.

So of the emergency, I've been forced to uh to be the MC tonight, and truly it is a privilege and an honor to be the MC for this esteemed occasion.

We want to welcome you.

Welcome you all.

I'm a lifelong resident of New Rochelle and I love New Rochelle.

And New Rochelle is truly a family.

And as we move in progress, we become more family.

We become more a city of justice and equality.

And so it is my honor to welcome you to the 2026 celebration of Black History Month here in New Rochelle.

Give yourselves a round of applause.

You know, I just want to uh ask the members of the African American Advisory Committee to stand.

Uh the African American Advisory Committee was formed to after the George Floyd uh murder to better uh facilitate community uh communication between our African American community and our city leaders.

And these are the folks that meet several times uh a month to be the voice and the advocate for our community and give them a round of applause.

Thank you for your commitment.

So at this time, we're going to bring up an and uh present to you someone who is truly black history, and that that is our mayor, who's the first person of color to be the mayor of our beloved city News, and it is my honor to bring her up right now, Mayor Yadera Raymond Herbert.

Thank you, Mr.

And before I begin, I just want to quickly acknowledge um a few of my other elected colleagues who are here.

We have Assemblyman Steve Otis, um, Councilman Shane Al Shinloye, Councilman Matt Stern, uh, Councilman David Peters is on the program, but just want to make sure I give him a shout out.

And a lot um our new pastor, newly recently installed pastor of Bethesda Baptist Church, Reverend Horace Sanders and his first lady.

And sitting right behind him, uh, Reverend Dr.

Jordan Lee of Shiloh Baptist Church is in the house as well.

And we have a ton of staff here, our city manager will um introduce our city's our staff here.

But Black History Month is both a celebration and a call to action.

It reminds us of the shoulders we stand on and the responsibility we carry.

In your shell, we honor a legacy of leadership, faith, entrepreneurship, public service, and creative expression.

And we recommit ourselves to building a city where opportunity is real, equity is intentional, and every child sees themselves reflected in possibility.

Tonight, our honorees, Denise Clark and Sylvia Hammer embody that legacy.

Yeah, we can do that.

They reflect the very best of New Rochelle through their leadership, their service, their commitment to community, and the example that you set for the next generation.

Your work reminds us that history is not only something we look back on, it's something that we actively build together.

So we're so honored to have both of you here this evening.

In addition to honoring these two fabulous women, we also have a proclamation, and I won't read it all, but it will be on the wall in the like sort of hallway outside of this room.

A proclamation that says during Black History Month, the City of New Rochelle proudly honors the legacy and accomplishments of African American leaders, educators, entrepreneurs, public servants, artists, advocates, and community members whose dedication, service, and leadership exemplify the strength and resilience and spirit of our city.