-
A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
20-302
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
December 2, 2014
To posthumously recognize and honor the contributions of Marion S. Barry, Jr., whose life is a testament to public service.
WHEREAS, Marion S. Barry, Jr. (“Mayor Barry”) was born March 6, 1936, in Itta Bena, Mississippi, the son of a sharecropper, and raised by his beloved mother, Mattie Carr, in Memphis, Tennessee;
WHEREAS, Mayor Barry earned a bachelor’s degree in 1958 from Le Moyne College and in 1960 received his master’s degree in chemistry from Fisk University;
WHEREAS, in 1960, at the age of 24, Mayor Barry became the first chairman of the nationally recognized civil-rights group Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (“SNCC”);
WHEREAS, in 1965, Mayor Barry relocated to Washington, D.C., to open a SNCC office;
WHEREAS, in 1967, Mayor Barry and Mary Treadwell co-founded Pride, Inc., a federally funded job training program for unemployed black men;
WHEREAS, in 1971, Mayor Barry joined forces with forces with presidentially appointed Mayor Walter Washington and Rev. Walter Fauntroy to lead the famous “Free DC Movement” for home rule, winning the support of Congress and the President;
WHEREAS, in 1971, Mayor Barry won a seat on the District of Columbia school board;
WHEREAS, in 1972, Mayor Barry was unanimously elected as President of the District of Columba school board;
WHEREAS, in 1974, Mayor Barry was elected as an at-large member of the Council of the District of Columbia;
WHEREAS, in 1978, Mayor Barry became Washington’s second elected mayor by winning his first of 4 mayoral races;
WHEREAS, in 1979, Mayor Barry established the District’s Summer Youth Employment Program (“SYEP”), which celebrated its 35th anniversary this year, and has created jobs for hundreds of thousands of District residents;
WHEREAS, in 1982, Mayor Barry won his second mayoral race, recording an overwhelming 82 percent of the vote in the general election;
WHEREAS, in 1986, Mayor Barry was elected to a third consecutive term as Mayor of the District of Columbia;
WHEREAS, in 1993, Mayor Barry won the Ward 8 council seat;
WHEREAS, in 1994, Mayor Barry was elected to a fourth term as Mayor;
WHEREAS, in 1995, Mayor Barry was influential in relocating the Washington Bullets (now Wizards) to the District of Columbia with the building of the MCI Center (now Verizon Center);
WHEREAS, in 1997, Mayor Barry fought against the closure of the University of the District of Columbia;
WHERAS, in 1999, Mayor Barry left the mayoral post at the culmination of his 4-year term;
WHEREAS, Mayor Barry was elected as Ward 8 Councilman in 2004, and dutifully served in that position until his untimely death;
WHEREAS, unfortunately, on November 23, 2014, at the age of 78, Mayor Barry died and is survived by his wife, Cora Masters Barry, and his son, Marion Christopher Barry;
WHEREAS, Mayor Barry’s programs helped provide summer jobs for youth, home-buying assistance for working-class residents, and food for senior citizens;
WHEREAS, Mayor Barry helped place African-Americans in thousands of middle- and upper-level management positions in the city government that in previous generations they had been closed off to;
WHEREAS, Mayor Barry is rightfully credited with changing the District’s political landscape in the final quarter of the 20th century, not only serving 4 terms as Mayor but also serving for 15 years on the Council;
WHEREAS, Mayor Barry served as a brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., for 59 years, remained steadfast in his devotion to the aims of the fraternity--manly deeds, scholarship, and love for all mankind—and in sweet rest will continue to uphold the light; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Barry, through his compassion, leadership, activism, and advocacy has made a positive impact on the District of Columbia and its residents, has improved the quality of life in the District, and leaves a legacy of love that will never be forgotten by the residents of the District of Columbia.
IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that the Council of the District of Columbia posthumously recognizes and honors Marion S. Barry, Jr. for his nearly 50 years of outstanding contribution and invaluable service to the District of Columbia and his lasting presence on the District of Columbia.
Sec. 2. This resolution maybe cited as the “Marion S. Barry, Jr., Posthumous Recognition Resolution of 2014”.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.
