WHEREAS, on March 23, 1775, during the second Virginia Convention, delegates were persuaded by Patrick Henry’s powerful argument in his “Give me liberty, or give me death” speech to start the journey towards America’s independence; and

WHEREAS, in 2026, Virginia will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of our nation’s fight for independence, sparked in part by the striving of Virginia-born nation-builders to form a more perfect union; and

WHEREAS, articulate expression and civil debate have a pivotal role in sustaining a functioning democracy and ensuring individual success; and

WHEREAS, speech and debate activities prepare students for the challenges of the future by mastering the 5 Cs of creative thinking, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and citizenship  as outlined in the Virginia Department of Education’s Profile of a Virginia Graduate; and

WHEREAS, the Richmond Forum launched the Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative in 2018 to implement, expand, and support speech and debate programs in all public middle and high schools within the Richmond region; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia is committed to offering speech and debate programs to all interested public middle and high schools in the state; and

WHEREAS, to further enrich the speech and debate culture in the Commonwealth, Richmond will host the National Speech and Debate Tournament, drawing 7,000 students and 3,000 coaches and judges from 47 states, June 14-19, 2026; and

WHEREAS, the ability to freely express one's opinions in an open and productive manner is essential to educate Virginians, including our students, about our history, our founding ideals, and our system of government and engage every community and all regions in events that tell a complete story; and

WHEREAS, civil debate is about listening and learning together, seeking shared understanding, truth, and collective governing in the pursuit of improving our Commonwealth and our world;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize March 23, 2025, as VIRGINIA SPEECH & DEBATE AWARENESS DAY in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all of our citizens.