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File #: 080388    Version: 0 Name:
Type: Resolution Status: ADOPTED
File created: 4/10/2008 In control: CITY COUNCIL
On agenda: Final action: 4/10/2008
Title: Recognizing and Honoring Author Paula J. Giddings.
Sponsors: Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Jones, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Miller, Councilmember Green, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember O'Neill, Councilmember Krajewski, Councilmember DiCicco, Councilmember Clarke, Councilmember Kelly, Councilmember Sanchez, Councilmember Rizzo
Attachments: 1. Resolution No. 08038800.pdf
Title
Recognizing and Honoring Author Paula J. Giddings.
Body
WHEREAS, Paula J. Giddings was born on November 16, 1947 in Yonkers, New York and is the daughter of Curtis G. Giddings, a guidance counselor and teacher, and Virginia Giddings, a guidance counselor; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Giddings made her name and reputation by carrying out a needed and formidable task, recovering the lost voices of silent generations of African American women and her two most noted and renowned works in restoring and understanding the perspective of African American women are When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America and In Search of Sisterhood: Delta Sigma Theta and the Challenge of the Black Sorority Movement; and

WHEREAS, Her latest book is entitled IDA: A Sword Among Lions, which is the long-awaited and meticulously researched biography of Ida B. Wells-Barnett, a former slave who became an outspoken journalist, anti-lynching crusader, and pivotal leader in the women's suffrage movement in America; and

WHEREAS, This book has been heralded by the Wall Street Journal, O Magazine, and Essence Magazine and various authors including Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison have praised this work by stating "A Sword Among Lions is more than brilliant; it is necessary. I can't think of a biography that throws more light on the history of gender, race, and class discord in the United States. Six decades of Ida B. Wells' life constitute a riveting, definitive narrative on a dark and bruising history. In Paula Giddings, this vibrant woman has found a biographer equal to her prowess"; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Giddings, a graduate of Howard University and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated and various distinguished professional organizations, is the Elizabeth A. Woodson Professor in Afro-American Studies at Smith College and has received numerous awards including the Ford Foundati...

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