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Renaming the 1400 block of S. 51st Street “Ida Wilson Way” to honor Mrs. Ida Wilson for her decades of service to the West/Southwest Philadelphia Community.
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WHEREAS, Ida Wilson was born to Edward and Leona King Brown in Bridgeport, Connecticut on April 16th, 1932; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Wilson moved to South Philadelphia as a young child to be closer to her grandmother. After spending a few years in South Philadelphia, she moved to Kingsessing where she has lived for more than 65 years; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Wilson was educated in the Philadelphia public school system, and later the Community College of Philadelphia. After graduating, she began her career as a census taker for the 1950 Census; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Wilson has dedicated her entire adult life to serving her community. In the time since her arrival in Kingsessing in 1958, Mrs. Wilson helped organize her block’s drill team, “Peaches and Cream,” organized a clean blocks campaign, constructed flower boxes, and hosted an annual Labor Day block party; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Wilson’s dedication to service is deeply rooted in her faith Since 1958, she has been a member of the James Varick AME Zion Church, and has served as a class leader, choir member, and missionary president; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Wilson’s dedication to community engagement expands far beyond her block. As a volunteer at the Friends of the Kingsessing Library, she spearheaded the student Black History Month essay contest. Mrs. Wilson also sat on the Kingsessing Recreation Center Advisory board, fighting to keep the building open amid budget cuts, and ran the Southwest Community Center’s after school program; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Wilson sat on the Pennsylvania board of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) for the duration of the organization’s existence. During her tenure, Mrs. Wilson focused on affordable housing and voter registration. She also hosted then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton when he visited Kingsessing; and
WHEREAS, Known affectionately by her neighbors as “Mama Wilson,” Mrs. Wilson’s decades of commitment to her community serves as an example for generations of Philadelphians interested in strengthening their neighborhood’s sense of community; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby reames the 1400 block of S. 51st Street “Ida Wilson Way” to honor Mrs. Ida Wilson for decades of service to her neighbors and overall community.
FURTHER RSOLVED, that an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Mrs. Wilson as a token of the sincere admiration of this legislative body.
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