Title
Honoring and recognizing Dr. Arlene Bennett, Reverend Frank Crangle, Oliver Adams, Nate “Mister” Miller, Bishop Leonard Goins, and Reverend Joseph Williams on their legacies of leadership and achievement in medicine, sports, the arts, and community service in the City of Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, In 1964, Dr. Arlene Bennett became the first African-American female to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Bennett considers herself fortunate to have grown up surrounded by accomplished and supportive women and never felt restricted by the gender and racial biases of the time. After graduating, she completed her internship at Pennsylvania Presbyterian Medical Center followed by a residency in Psychology at Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute. She has been an active staff psychiatrist at Pennsylvania Hospital since 1980, a Clinical Associate at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania since 1977, and continues her work in private practice; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Frank Crangle joined the Philadelphia Police Department in 1982 and later the Philadelphia Police Chaplains after accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
He rose through the ranks and now serves as President of the 14th Police Chaplains where they hold prayer walks, visit the sick and infirm, and encourage officers, local ministries, and community groups with words from the Bible. Reverend Crangle praises God for continuing to bless his ministry and also for those He has put in his life, including his pastor, fellow police chaplains, Police Commissioner Richard Ross, and other City leaders. He stands willing to help without hesitation whenever called upon and trusts God to always lead and guide him in all things; and
WHEREAS, Several decades ago Oliver Adams, who owned a successful bakery in Northwest Philadelphia for over 30 years, came up with the idea of a national symbol which recognizes the diaspora of Black Americans. He believed that the term "Afro Americans" more accurately reflected the many nationalities that encompass African heritage, including, to name a few, Jamaicans, Haitians, Canadians, Ugandans, Somalians, and Liberians. In 1987, Mr. Adams copyrighted his logo "Thank God I'm Afro American." A copy of the logo hangs in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library Atlanta. He continues to market his logo nationwide and hopes it will become a national symbol for Afro Americans in the United States and around the world; and
WHEREAS, The boxing legacy of Nate “Mister” Miller began in Germantown where a troubled kid off the streets grew up to look at the world in a different way. Mr. Miller started turning his life around when he began training as a teenager at Happy Hollow Recreation Center where he eventually became a Golden Gloves Champion. His first title came from the North American Boxing Federation in 1989 on a seventh-round knockout of Bert Cooper. In 1995, when he was 31 years old, Mr. Miller won his first world title, knocking out Orlin Norris in the eighth round to take the WBA cruiserweight crown, and defending his title four times before retiring in 2001 after accumulating a record of 31-9 with 27 knockouts; and
WHEREAS, In 1982, Bishop Leonard Goins founded Chestnut Hill Church of God in Christ, which begain as a storefront church at 22 East Mt. Airy Avenue and is now the headquarters for the Lion of Judah Pentacostal Churches International. Bishop Goins came to the Lord at a very early age, and his love, devotion, and desire to spread God’s Holy Word culminated with his ordination in 1971. Bishop Goins served as the State Evangelist for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Churches of God and Christ, President of the Philadelphia Law Enforcement Clergy Support Unit, and Founder of the Pentacostal Clergy Political Advisory Council of Philadelphia where he continues to provide a voice for Pentacostal Churches among the City’s political, social and economic institutions; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Joseph Williams serves as Pastor of the Mount Airy United Fellowship Church and has experienced a memorable journey from music to ministry as the youngest living member of the legendary group the Dixie Hummingbirds, a pioneering force behind the modern gospel quartet whose imaginative arrangements, progressive harmonies and all-around versatility made them one of the most successful groups of their era. Reverend Williams starting singing when he was five-years old and would eventually travel the world as a professional singer, joining a number of popular groups of the time, including the Gospel Stirrers and Sons of the Birds. He later recorded with the original Dixie Hummingbirds before being called to the ministry; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Honors and recognizes Dr. Arlene Bennett, Reverend Frank Crangle, Oliver Adams, Nate “Mister” Miller, Bishop Leonard Goins, and Reverend Joseph Williams on their legacies of leadership and achievement in medicine, sports, the arts, and community service in the City of Philadelphia.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to each honoree as evidence of the sincere respect and admiration of this legislative body.
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