May is Older Americans Month

Older Americans Month is celebrated each May to honor and recognize older Americans for the contributions they make to our families, communities and society. This year’s theme of “Never Too Old to Play” encourages older Americans to stay engaged, active, and involved in their own lives and in their communities.

Older Americans Month was established in 1963, when only 17 million Americans had reached their 65th birthdays. About a third of older Americans lived in poverty, and there were few programs to meet their needs. Interest in older Americans and their concerns was growing, however. In April of 1963, President John F. Kennedy’s meeting with the National Council of Senior Citizens served as a prelude to designating May as Senior Citizens Month.

Thanks to President Jimmy Carter’s 1980 designation, what was once
called Senior Citizens Month is now called “Older Americans Month,” and
has been a time to acknowledge the contributions of past and current
older persons to our communities and country, in particular those who
defended our country.

During the month of May The Urban News is
asking our readers to pay tribute in some way to older persons in their
communities. Older Americans Month is celebrated across the country
through ceremonies, events, fairs, and other such activities.