City of Philadelphia - File #: 180190

• File #: 180190
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 3/1/2018
• In control: CITY COUNCIL
• Final action: 3/1/2018
• Title: Honoring the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on the 50th Anniversary of his death.
• Sponsors: Councilmember Johnson, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Domb, Councilmember Green, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Gym, Councilmember Bass, Councilmember Parker, Councilmember Oh, Councilmember Taubenberger, Council President Clarke, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Squilla, Councilmember Henon, Councilmember Quiñones Sánchez, Councilmember Jones, Councilmember O'Neill

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
3/1/2018	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced and Ordered Placed on This Week's Final Passage Calendar	Pass
3/1/2018	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED

Title
Honoring the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on the 50th Anniversary of his death.

Body
WHEREAS, Five decades after his assassination, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King's words and actions resonate as a continuous reminder to "live out the true meaning of the creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal," and his legacy is a mighty monument in the annals of our history; and

WHEREAS, Dr. King developed close ties to Philadelphia while he attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, from 1948-1951. While there, he began to develop his philosophy of nonviolent protest as a means of social change, inspired by the example of Mohandas Gandhi. He also demonstrated his budding excellence as an intellectual and leader, serving as class president and valedictorian. While at Crozer, he met his mentor Reverend J. Pius Barbour at Calvary Baptist Church. During this time, he also audited classes at the University of Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, At 26 years old, Dr. King officially began his career as an activist when he led the historic Montgomery bus boycott, which was initiated in 1955 and led to the successful integration of the city's public busses; and

WHEREAS, Dr. King founded and led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, an organization that spearheaded nonviolent protests against the injustices of segregated America. Additionally, SCLC trained community members in nonviolent civil resistance tactics in order to give voice and support to those most affected by segregationist policies; and

WHEREAS, Under King's leadership in early 1963, the SCLC initiated the Birmingham Campaign which focused on desegregating public and private facilities. Participants engaged in lunch counter sit-ins, marches, and boycotts. The non-violent actions were met with high-pressure fire hoses, police dogs, and the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing. President John F. Kennedy ack...