April 24th is the day we honor the 1.5 million Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, and others who were killed in the #ArmenianGenocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. This photo is from last year's commemoration. This year, we're observing it while practicing social distancing. 1/

Today, during our session, I was able to introduce a resolution, but did not give a floor speech.

This year's resolution includes the following language:

"Today, Michigan is honored to be home to a vibrant Armenian-American population of more than 17,000 Michiganders. 2/

This thriving community is a proud reminder of survival and perseverance in the face of extreme injustice; and
Whereas, the state of Michigan and its citizens played a vital role in relief efforts to assist those persecuted by the Ottoman Empire. 3/ #ArmenianGenocide

As staunch supporters of the Near East Relief campaign, Michiganders from all walks of life donated 100 tons of relief supplies to Armenian refugees, collected on “Bundle Day” in 1923. 4/ #ArmenianGenocide

Michigan women also established collection drives for foodstuffs packages through the “Say It with Flour” campaign; and... 5/ #ArmenianGenocide

...Michigan Armenian churches and community organizations have organized numerous charity and community drives across the state, including, but not limited to, providing college scholarships for deserving students and serving Armenian refugee communities across the state." 6/

I felt it was incredibly important to highlight the contributions that everyday Michiganders made during such a challenging time for families like mine. When times are tough, and when folks need our help, no matter what, Michiganders step up. 7/