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A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
20-306
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
December 17, 2014
To posthumously honor the life of Algernon Johnson "Jay" Cooper III for his exceptional commitment and service to the District of Columbia.
WHEREAS, Jay Cooper was born in Washington, D.C., on August 17, 1980;
WHEREAS, Jay Cooper educated young people on public health issues by serving as a dedicated member of Teens Against the Spread of AIDS;
WHEREAS, Jay Cooper hosted the nationally televised Black Entertainment Television show “Teen Summit” – winner of 5 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Image Awards;
WHEREAS, Jay Cooper was featured twice in Teen People Magazine as one of “20 Teens Who Will Change the World”;
WHEREAS, Jay Cooper was awarded the key to the city of Birmingham, Alabama, for his extensive community service;
WHEREAS, Jay Cooper attended District of Columbia Public Schools and received his high school diploma from Theodore Roosevelt Senior High School in 1998;
WHEREAS, Jay Cooper attended classes at Morehouse College and Howard University, and graduated from the University of Maryland in 2009, studying art and history;
WHEREAS, Jay Cooper graduated from the Marine Corps’ Officer Candidate School and served the United States of America honorably;
WHEREAS, Jay Cooper served as Policy Director for the District of Columbia Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy from 2008 until his passing and successfully advocated for programs to reduce teen pregnancy and increase low-income women’s access to birth control;
WHEREAS, Jay Cooper ran for the At-Large seat on the Council of the District of Columbia in 2012 and finished with over 25,000 votes;
WHEREAS, Jay Cooper became a leading advocate for urban farming in the District of Columbia and established the commercial aquaponic business “Freedom Farms” which provides chemical and pesticide-free food to the Washington, D.C., metro area; and
WHEREAS, Jay Cooper became engaged to marry Ryan Palmer on November 25, 2014.
IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that the Council of the District of Columbia recognizes, honors, and celebrates the life of Jay Cooper for his distinguished service and extensive contributions to the District of Columbia.
Sec. 2. This resolution may be cited as the “Algernon Johnson ‘Jay’ Cooper III 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.
