City of Philadelphia - File #: 180854

• File #: 180854
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 9/27/2018
• In control: CITY COUNCIL
• Final action: 9/27/2018
• Title: Congratulating Honorable Nelson Diaz on the release of his new book, entitled, Not from Here, Not from There/No Soy de Aquí ni de Allá: The Autobiography of Nelson Díaz, and recognizing Nelson for his continued contributions to the Philadelphia Community;
• Sponsors: Councilmember Quiñones Sánchez, Councilmember Green, Councilmember Oh, Councilmember Parker, Councilmember Domb, Councilmember Squilla, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Bass, Councilmember Jones, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Gym, Council President Clarke, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Johnson, Councilmember Henon, Councilmember Taubenberger, Councilmember O'Neill

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
9/27/2018	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced and Ordered Placed on This Week's Final Passage Calendar	Pass
9/27/2018	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED

Title
Congratulating Honorable Nelson Diaz on the release of his new book, entitled, Not from Here, Not from There/No Soy de Aquí ni de Allá: The Autobiography of Nelson Díaz, and recognizing Nelson for his continued contributions to the Philadelphia Community;
Body
WHEREAS, Nelson Diaz, was raised in a New York tenement until age ten, grew up to become the first Latino ever admitted to the Bar Association in Pennsylvania, the first Latino ever to serve as judge in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; the first Latino ever to partner in a Philadelphia "Big Law" firm; and the first non-white General Counsel for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the first Philadelphia City Solicitor of Latino heritage; and

WHEREAS, Nelson is a proud Puerto Rican who has dedicated himself to breaking barriers for the Puerto Rican Community through his support of mentorship, entrepreneurship, and social justice. Nelson's service in the Puerto Rican community has been exemplary and deserving of all the honors and praise bestowed on him; and

WHEREAS, Nelson Diaz has been a leading advocate for quality affordable housing since he moved out of his tenement to a newly constructed public housing development in West Harlem and saw the transformative impact that quality housing can have on a family. In Philadelphia, he founded HACE, a community development corporation that has provided safe and healthy homes for hundreds of families. In Washington, he focused HUD on increasing public and mixed-use housing; and

WHEREAS, Nelson Diaz, a proud graduate of the Temple University Beasley School of Law, has spent his career fighting for justice and representation among Latinos in the Philadelphia business and legal community. He developed the Bloque de Oro commercial corridor; he opened the City's procurement processes to minority contractors; he is a member of the Board of Directors of PECO Energy; and he continues to fight for greater Latino repre...