DUMFRIES, Va. — The Town of Dumfries Mayor/Town Manager Jerry Foreman has reversed his recommendation to cancel the annual Black History Month Celebration.
Multiple sources said the town would move ahead with the event planned for Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017, at Dumfries Elementary School. Foreman earlier this week emailed his fellow elected officials and town staff with a recommendation to cancel the event.
Three of the invited speakers — Rep. Gerry Connolly, Prince William County School Board member Lillie Jessie, and Dumfries Elementary School Principal Marlene Coleman — had not RSVP’d for the event.
A spokesman for Connolly told Potomac Local earlier this week the congressman had not finalized his schedule for the day of the event. Jessie and Coleman did not reply to request for comment.
We’re awaiting official comment from Foreman, and we’ll update this post should it come.
Several area residents called Town Hall to voice their concerns about the possible cancellation of the event following our post on Tuesday, our sources said.
The town will have to organize the event without the help of Community Services Director Brittany Heine (the staffer who has traditionally organized the event, as well as the town’s festivals and Christmas Parade) as we’re told she resigned on Wednesday.
Update from Dumfries Town Mayor/Town Manager Jerry Foreman:
“The Town Staff is working diligently to present all options to the Town Council at the 7 January 2017 Council Meeting.
I can assure you the Town’s Black History Month Celebration will occur in February.
This is a wonderful celebration of achievements, it is a time of remembrance and a pause of things to come.
Please let everyone know, we are doing everything possible to make this event a reality.”
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