Title
Honoring and recognizing the work and contributions of community activist Jamal Johnson for his tireless advocacy against gun violence in the City of Philadelphia, and across the nation.
Body
WHEREAS, Jamal Johnson was born on March 10, 1957 and raised in North Philadelphia. He is a product of Philadelphia public schools, and a graduate of Edison High School; and
WHEREAS, As a teenager, Johnson lived at the House of Umoja, a place that changed his life and instilled in him a sense of responsibility to his community, and provided him with conflict mediation skills that he would use throughout his decades of activism; and
WHEREAS, Johnson began his long career of anti-violence activism at the House of Umoja, acting as a conflict mediator and facilitating peace agreements between rival gangs in hopes to decrease homicides in the community; and
WHEREAS, In 1975, Johnson joined the United States Marine Corps, a decision which he credited with giving him a sense of determination that allowed to truly commit to the causes he believed in, regardless of what was going on around him; and
WHEREAS, Johnson has continued to demonstrate this tireless commitment to anti-violence causes for decades. On January 18, 2021, Johnson began a one-man hunger strike outside of City Hall, demanding that City leaders begin to address gun violence in the City as a public health emergency; and
WHEREAS, Johnson's hunger strike would last for 26 days, during which Johnson demanded that Mayor James Kenney respond to Resolution 200447, which was adopted in City Council September 2020. The resolution urged Mayor Jim Kenney to declare gun violence a public health crisis, which would result in a multi-agency approach that drew on additional government resources, similar to the Mayor's response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, Johnson was able to meet with Mayor Kenney during the hunger strike, and the Mayor committed to responding to the resolution, and acting to reduce incr...
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