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________________________________
Councilmember Vincent B. Orange, Sr.

A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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To recognize and honor the contributions of Marion S. Barry, Jr., whose life is a testament to
public service;

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WHEREAS, Marion S. Barry, Jr. (Mayor Barry) was born March 6, 1936, in Itta Bena,

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Mississippi, the son of a sharecropper and raised by his beloved mother, Mattie Carr, in

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Memphis, Tennessee;

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WHEREAS, Mayor Barry earned a bachelors degree in 1958 from Le Moyne College
and in 1960 received his masters degree in chemistry from Fisk University;

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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);

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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;

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WHEREAS, in 1971, Mayor Barry joined forces with forces with Presidentially-

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appointed Mayor Walter Washington and Rev. Walter Fauntroy to lead the famous Free DC

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Movement for home rule, winning the support of Congress and the President;

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WHEREAS, in 1971, Mayor Barry won a seat on the District of Columbia school board;

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WHEREAS, in 1972, Mayor Barry was unanimously elected as President of the District

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of Columba school board;

WHEREAS, in 1974, Mayor Barry is elected as an at-large member of the Council of the
District of Columbia;
WHEREAS, in 1978, Mayor Barry becomes Washingtons second elected mayor by
winning his first of four mayoral races;
WHEREAS, in 1979, Mayor Barry established the Districts Summer Youth Employment

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Program (SYEP), which celebrated its 35th anniversary this year, and has created jobs for

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hundreds of thousands of District residents;

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WHEREAS, in 1982, Mayor Barry wins his second mayoral race, recording an
overwhelming 82 percent of the vote in the general election;
WHEREAS, in 1986, Mayor Barry is elected to a third consecutive term as Mayor of the
District of Columbia;

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WHEREAS, in 1993, Mayor Barry wins the Ward 8 council seat;

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WHEREAS, in 1994, Mayor Barry is elected to a fourth term as Mayor;

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WHEREAS, in 1995, Mayor Barry is influential in relocating the Washington Bullets

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(now Wizards) to the District of Columbia with the building of the MCI Center (now Verizon

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Center);

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WHEREAS, in 1997, Mayor Barry fought against the closure of the University of the
District of Columbia;
WHERAS, in 1999, Mayor Barry leaves the mayoral post at the culmination of his four
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 Barrys programs helped provide summer jobs for youths, homebuying assistance for working-class residents and food for senior citizens;

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WHEREAS, Mayor Barry helped place African-Americans in thousands of middle- and

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upper-level management positions in the city government that in previous generations they had

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been closed off to;

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WHEREAS, Mayor Barry is rightfully credited with changing the Districts political

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landscape in the final quarter of the 20th century, not only serving four terms as Mayor but also

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serving for 15 years on the D.C. Council;

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WHEREAS, Mayor Barry served as a brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., for 59

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years, remained steadfast in his devotion to the aims of the fraternity; manly deeds, scholarship

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and love for all mankind, and in sweet rest will continue to uphold the light;

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WHEREAS, Mayor Barry, through his compassion, leadership, activism and advocacy

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has made a positive impact on the District of Columbia and its residents, has improved the

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quality of life in the District and leaves a legacy of love that will never be forgotten by the

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residents of the District of Columbia.

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RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that this

resolution be cited as the Marion S. Barry, Jr. Ceremonial Recognition Resolution of 2014.

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Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and honors Marion S. Barry,

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Jr. for his nearly fifty years of outstanding contribution and invaluable service to the District of

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Columbia and his lasting presence on the District of Columbia.

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Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in
the District of Columbia Register.