WHEREAS, Samuel L. Evans is a Philadelphia institution, born in the deep south of a freed slave and raised in Philadelphia from his late teens; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Evans has achieved many remarkable accomplishments including managing the Philadelphia Orchestra and forming the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra Society; and
WHEREAS, He founded the American Foundation for Negro Affairs (AFNA) to encourage and support disadvantaged students pursuing college education and careers in the learned professions; and
WHEREAS, On October 29, 2007, Mr. Evans announced his push for the
Extension of Public Education
,
designed to promote the principles of equality and justice through support for public education; and
WHEREAS, His long career included holding many positions from, coordinator of the U.S. Division of Physical Fitness to aid the war effort during the Franklin Roosevelt Administration, to appointment as Czar of the War on Poverty under President Lyndon Johnson; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Evans is credited with helping to establish Philadelphia’s
Get Set
and
Head Start
programs and Community Legal Services; and
WHEREAS, He organized the country’s largest contingent of participants for Dr. Martin Luther King’s historic March on Washington consisting of more than 42,000 citizens from Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Samuel L. Evans has been an advocate for democracy and equal justice for over seventy-five years, and an advocate for fair labor laws and unions and continues to strive to make the world a better place for all; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia City Council adopted resolutions honoring and congratulating Mr. Evans on his 100th , 103rd and 104th birthdays; and
WHEREAS, Council is pleased to honor Mr. Evans on his 105th birthday and will continue to honor him every year that we are blessed to have him with us; now therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby honor and congratulate Mr. Samuel L. Evans on the occasion of his 105th birthday.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Mr. Samuel L. Evans as evidence of the sincere respect and deep admiration of this legislative body.
End