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Also naming South 13th Street, between Fitzwater and Catherine Streets, “Louise Hanible Way” in recognition of the positive impact that Ms. Hanible had on her neighborhood and the City of Philadelphia.
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WHEREAS, Louise Hanible was born in 1940, the third of thirteen children raised by Raleigh and Lillie Mae Hanible. Though the Hanibles lived in Bishopville, South Carolina, before moving North, Louise came to Philadelphia at a young age and settled with her family on South 13th Street, and she would call it home for the rest of her life; and
WHEREAS, The first fifteen years of Louise’s life were spent with her mother and tight-knit family, helping her mother to raise and care for her ten younger siblings. At the age of sixteen, Louise moved out of her mother’s house to start her own life and career, though she would remain on her beloved South 13th Street; and
WHEREAS, Beginning her working life in a variety of jobs, including as a hostess, a hotel attendant, a nursing assistant, a factory worker, and a cashier, Louise soon realized that her true calling lay in service to others. In the 1970s, Louise Hanible began working with Philadelphia Citizens In Action, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating on behalf of the disenfranchised and downtrodden. Through Citizens In Action, Louise met State Senator Roxanne Jones, with whom she developed a lifelong friendship; and
WHEREAS, Working in conjunction with state and local leaders, Louise Hanible was instrumental in advocating that the Pennsylvania Housing Authority rename its four-tower development in Hawthorne “MLK Plaza,” in honor of the civil rights hero who spoke in the neighborhood on his Freedom Now Tour in 1965. In 2012, Ms. Hanible successfully advocated for a historical marker to be placed at the location of Dr. King’s speech. Recalling the energy and enthusiasm on the 1000 block of South 13th Street, where King delivered his remarks, Louise noted that “there were so many people here, you couldn’t even see, but you could hear his message”; and
WHEREAS, Louise Hanible remained dedicated in service to her community until her final days, with many relatives recalling that some of her final words were “I can’t leave now because there is still work to do.” During the 2016 Democratic National Convention, through which she maintained her passion for activism in spite of her age, Louise sought to remind others of the importance of ongoing involvement in the political process: “Don’t come up with an excuse that you can’t get on the bus. Get on the bus! I’m 76 years old, and I will continue to get on the bus until the day God calls me home.” While the large, loving family and the thriving community that she has left behind will miss her presence dearly, they will continue her work of uplifting others so that all can achieve their true potential; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Also names South 13th Street, between Fitzwater and Catherine Streets, “Louise Hanible Way” in recognition of the positive impact that Ms. Hanible had on her neighborhood and the City of Philadelphia.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That and Engrossed copy be presented to Ms. Hanible’s family as an expression of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.
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