Race Amity Day returns to Somers

SOMERS, N.Y. - “E pluribus unum," Latin for "Out of many, one," is not only the motto of the United States, it’s a phrase that guides folks dedicated to the promotion of racial harmony and understanding.

While not – yet – a federal holiday, Race Amity Day is observed on the second Sunday of each June by local communities and organizations.

Race Amity of Northern Westchester & Putnam hosted one such celebration recently.

Held at Reis Park in Somers on June 8, it featured a potluck picnic, speeches, friendship exercises, and a rousing performance by the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus.

A moment of silence was observed in honor of late civil rights pioneer Dr. William H. “Smitty” Smith, founding executive director of the National Center for Race Amity.

The town, the neighboring community of Yorktown, the county, and the state all recognized the day in writing.

Presented by town Councilman Tony Cirieco, Somers’s proclamation expounded on the theme of overcoming racial prejudice and encouraging "respect, kindness, and amity as community-shared ideals across the United States.” The document officially declared Sunday, June 8, as Race Amity Day in Somers.

Putnam County Black History Coordinator Linda Paris, the keynote speaker, had a pointed message for Americans.

“We the people must come out of complacency, raise our voices, and act to protect the rights given to us by the Constitution,” she said. “We are finally beginning to see that we are one and the defense cannot fail.”

“No more can people retreat into their cocoons, duck and hide, or play it safe,” Paris warned, urging folks to “stay woke.”

“We’re especially grateful to be celebrate Race Amity Day at this time when our nation is so divided. It’s important for us to recognize that we’re all part of the same human family,” said Susan Cody, a member of the RANWP’s steering committee, adding: “This is the reality in which we need to live.”