Public
awareness of “Irish-American Heritage Month” remains obscure. Forty-four million Americans proudly share
their Irish ancestry, especially in celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with parades,
family gatherings, Masses, dances, etc.
The American Foundation for Irish Heritage wants to have the same
national recognition as other ethnic cultural celebrations, such as; National
African American History/Black History Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month,
Asia/Pacific American Heritage Month.
This same national celebration and recognition can and will only happen
with all Irish Americans taking action to succeed in that goal by appropriately
commemorating our heritage, history and culture. Irish Americans have done so much to shape and form virtually all
areas of life in the United States throughout our country’s great history. We must act now and speak up in order to be
heard.
Below are
recommendations and actions you and/or your organizations can take in
individual states and local communities.
When asking any
jurisdictions, organizations and institutions to designate March as “Irish-American
Heritage Month”, give them a copy of the Presidential Proclamation posted
on this website. This will provide the
bedrock foundation upon which you can build your actions.
Ask your state
senator(s), delegate(s), city mayor, county executives, etc. to support your
request to designate March annually as “Irish-American Heritage Month”. Request them to write and call taxpayer
supported organizations or institutions, e.g., public library systems, public
television and public radio stations, etc., to get these public funded
organizations and institutions to commemorate “Irish-American Heritage
Month”. It will be highly
advantageous to the success of your actions if you develop this network for
support. Stress the idea of March as “Irish-American
Heritage Month” as an extremely important part of celebrating America’s
history and your community’s diversity.
Diplomacy, persistence and especially patience will be greatly needed in
order to achieve success.
PUBLIC
TELEVISION: Television is an extremely powerful
media which can be used to educate and celebrate diversity. The United States Congress appropriates
money to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The CPB in turn distributes money to many
local Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) television stations. Some local PBS stations also receive funding
from their state and local governments.
(See www.cpb.org for more
information). Irish Americans are taxpayers too, so contact your local PBS
station(s) and ask if it receives funding from CPB, state and/or local
governments. If your PBS station
receives money from any of these tax-based sources, request your station to
annually take the following actions in celebrating March as “Irish-American
Heritage Month”:
* Develop and air annually throughout the
month of March short commemorative inter-program statements, including local
Irish-Americans
*
Air throughout March Irish and Irish-American programs, such as movies, travel,
etc.
*
Insert commemorative narratives and pictures in their March monthly program
guide regarding airing of Irish-American and Irish programs, etc.
*
Develop during March a webpage link on their PBS station’s homepage to describe
how they are commemorating “Irish-American Heritage Month”.
PUBLIC RADIO: Many
local National Public Radio (NPR) stations also receive some of their funding
from CPB. As with your local PBS
television station, contact your local NPR radio station to ask if they receive
funding from CPB. If your local NPR
station receives this funding ask them do appropriate programs to celebrated
March as “Irish-American Heritage Month”.
GOVERNOR’S
PROCLAMATION: Write and ask the Governor of your state
to sign a proclamation annually designating March as “Irish-American
Heritage Month”.
Governor Parris
Glendening (Maryland) has signed his annual Proclamation designating March 2002
as “Irish-American Heritage Month”. This is the fourth year Governor Glendening has issued his
Proclamation at the request of John Schell from Baltimore, MD. Mr. Schell is a tireless activist and
undaunted volunteer in the Irish American community both in Baltimore and
nationally.
In years past
this Foundation has had as many as 38 states and United States territories
designated March “Irish-American Heritage Month”. This is not as easy to do now, as each state
and territory requires a resident to ask their respective governor or state
legislature for these proclamations.
Public Library
Systems:
Public library systems are usually taxpayer supported, too. Contact your local library and ask them to
prepare a special display table in each branch during March to exhibit books
and video tapes relating to Irish and Irish-American topics and subjects. Local library branches often have lecture
series, programs events, etc. throughout the calendar year. Ask them to invite a local personality to be
a guest lecturer on Irish American history, poetry readings, excerpts from many
fine Irish plays, etc., this is especially interesting and enjoyed by both
young and old.
Irish
and Irish American Organizations:
Contact each and every Irish and Irish American historical societies,
dance school, parade committee, AOH, fraternal groups, local churches and
parishes with Irish names, etc., and ask them to celebrate “Irish-American
Heritage Month” with displays and individual presentations. Ask all the Irish and Irish American groups,
clubs, societies, etc., simply to let their membership know March is designated
as “Irish-American Heritage Month”. Grassroots
still remain one of the best ways of ‘getting the word out’.
Please share
your ideas, recommendations, successful accomplishments, etc. with this
Foundation. Each display, every mention
in print, heard on the TV, Radio, seen in print etc., is great news in
celebrating March as “Irish-American Heritage Month”. Please e-mail the Foundation at this
website.