City of Philadelphia - File #: 180276

• File #: 180276
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 3/22/2018
• In control: CITY COUNCIL
• Final action: 3/22/2018
• Title: Honoring the life and activism of Rio de Janeiro City Councillor Marielle Franco, and expressing solidarity with public officials and advocates across the globe who bravely speak out for human rights.
• Sponsors: Councilmember Gym, Councilmember Domb, Councilmember Green, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Squilla, Councilmember Parker, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Quiñones Sánchez

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
3/22/2018	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced and Ordered Placed on This Week's Final Passage Calendar	Pass
3/22/2018	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED BY STANDING VOTE	Pass	17:0

Title
Honoring the life and activism of Rio de Janeiro City Councillor Marielle Franco, and expressing solidarity with public officials and advocates across the globe who bravely speak out for human rights.

Body
WHEREAS, Marielle Franco was a prominent Brazilian human rights activist, leader of the Brazilian Black rights movement, and Rio de Janeiro City Councillor, who was a fearless advocate for the demilitarization of Brazilian police and for defending the rights and social service needs of under-resourced and overpoliced Brazilian low-income settlements, or favelas; and

WHEREAS, Franco was a Black, lesbian, single mother who came out of one of Rio's most impoverished favelas, the Maré, and used her experience of childhood poverty as motivation for a career in political activism. Her advocacy and legislative work, like her lived experience, was deeply intersectional and was rooted in bringing justice to favela dwellers, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of color; and

WHEREAS, Throughout her career, Franco fought tirelessly for the human rights of historically marginalized Brazilians. A former kindergarten teacher in the Maré, Franco was responsible for creating the Brazilian state legislature's Committee for the Defense of Human Rights and Citizenship, and also worked for the Brazil Foundation and the Maré Center for Solidarity Studies and Action on social justice campaigns. Franco was elected to the Rio City Council in 2016, collecting the fifth highest vote total in a field of over 1,500 candidates and running on a platform of defending poor, Black women and those living in favelas; and

WHEREAS, Franco was the only Black female Councillor on Rio's 51-member City Council and once elected, she remained a staunch advocate for reproductive justice, increased resources for favelas, and an end to gender-based violence. She chaired the Women's Commission, formed a committee that monitored federal interference in Rio de Janeiro governmental op...