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A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
21-207
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
May 3, 2016
To posthumously recognize and honor Jerry N. Clark as a longtime public servant to the District of Columbia who selflessly committed himself to improving the lives of District residents and tirelessly championed bringing full representation to the District of Columbia through statehood.
WHEREAS, Jerry Clark moved to the Adams Morgan neighborhood in 1973 after earning a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, a law degree from the University of Chicago, and a doctoral degree in Political Science from the University of Minnesota;
WHEREAS, Jerry began his career in the federal government as a legal assistant at the Department of Justice and soon transitioned to the United Mine Workers of America Health and Retirement Funds, where he served as its executive director for the majority of his career;
WHEREAS, Jerry dedicated countless hours outside of work to supporting social justice and political organizations across the District, advocating for LGBTQ rights and gun prevention, and pushing forward District efforts to achieve statehood;
WHEREAS, Jerry was a fierce advocate for ensuring District residents received their full democratic rights and founded the D.C. Statehood Coalition in 2012, acting as chair until 2016;
WHEREAS, Jerry was one of the most active members of D.C. for Democracy, where he was appointed political director, later served as chair, expanded the organization’s commitment to economic justice and good governance, and focused on electoral campaigns, most significantly Senator Barack Obama’s historic presidential run during which he was elected an Obama delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention;
WHEREAS, Jerry was an integral board member of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and passionately fought to keep the District’s gun laws intact and free from congressional interference, linking the necessity for full democratic rights to gun violence prevention;
WHEREAS, Jerry served on the board of directors for the then National Gay and Lesbian Task Force for 13 years, including 4 terms as co-chair of the board of directors, and provided critical leadership through massive changes in the LGBTQ movement, including anti-violence work, the pursuit of non-discrimination laws, and the work for marriage equality;
WHEREAS, Jerry devoted himself to equality for all and was an active member of the Democratic National Committee’s Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council, a member of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, and a 2014 recipient of the D.C. Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance’s Distinguished Service Award;
WHEREAS, Jerry also served as co-chair of the Whitman-Walker Health spring gala, served as a trustee for the Law and Society Association, and was appointed in 2013 to the Mayor’s Committee on the Fiftieth Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington;
WHEREAS, under Jerry’s leadership, the organizations and individuals with whom he worked increased their commitments to economic justice and good governance, being influenced by Jerry’s sophisticated political acumen, relationships with political leaders at the national and local level, and enormous commitments of energy, effort, and time;
WHEREAS, Jerry played a key role in connecting broad and diverse groups of stakeholders in the city and, even in disagreement, was respected by numerous elected officials and community leaders across the District of Columbia; and
WHEREAS, Jerry Clark will be remembered as the quintessential example of a grassroots activist and citizen-advocate—one who was an equal opportunity fundraiser and promoter of justice nationally and in the District of Columbia, with millions of people benefitting from his activism and service.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Jerry N. Clark Recognition Resolution of 2016”.
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes Jerry Clark for his unwavering service to the residents of the District of Columbia and cherishes his legacy.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.
