Resolution congratulating and honoring the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women on the 30th Anniversary of the Madam CJ Walker Awards Luncheon.

Recognizing and honoring the members of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women on the 30th Anniversary of the Madam CJ Walker Luncheon and for the organization’s commitment to the educational, political and economic empowerment of African American women throughout the City of Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women was founded in 1981 by Sylvia Webster, purposed to serve as a collective voice for progressive women of African descent committed to advocating for meaningful sociopolitical change; and

WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women in 1982 swore in forty-two trailblazing leaders, of varying professional affiliations, including the Honorable Marian B. Tasco, Charisse Lillie-McGill, Audrey R. Johnson-Thornton, the Honorable Augusta A. Clark, Joann Bell, Velma Goode, Leslie Kernodle and Dr. Marschal-Neil E. Young; and

WHEREAS, The organization’s leaders quickly sprung into action, implementing an aggressive campaign to address the educational, economic, political and physical needs of women throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with a keen focus on urban cities and an array of programmatic and legislative remedies; and

WHEREAS, The organization boasts several signature programs that exhibit its unwavering mission, most notably the Educational Mentorship & Scholarship Awards Program, designed to support women and girls pursuing a post-secondary education, and the Madam CJ Walker Awards Luncheon; and

WHEREAS, Named in honor of the nation’s first woman to become a self-made millionaire, the Madam CJ Walker Awards Luncheon celebrates local female entrepreneurs who successfully operate their own companies and demonstrate sound business practices; and

WHEREAS, The Awards Luncheon also provides the Coalition’s leaders with the opportunity to publicly acknowledge girls and women deeply invested in their academic, social, and political advancement as recipients of its annual Scholarship contest; and

WHEREAS, The Madam CJ Walker Awards Luncheon, in its 30th year, is a Coalition staple which continues to be a shining example of the organization’s commitment to female economic empowerment by generating over 200 attendees annually, providing a platform for networking and strengthening an unbreakable bond of female camaraderie; and

WHEREAS, In addition to commemorating this auspicious Luncheon, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women revel in several noteworthy accomplishments including receiving the Susan G. Komen “Women’s Champion Award,” the “Chapter of the Year Award” from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, the rededication of the Iris V. Henderson Cancer Center at Mercy Hospital, in memoriam of a Coalition sister and the leveraging of local resources alongside National Leadership to successfully influence the confirmation of the first African American female U.S. Attorney General, Ms. Loretta Lynch; and

WHEREAS, In honor of Women’s History Month and in the closing of Black History Month, the women of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women continue to be lauded and deservingly so, as local leaders invested in the educational, economic, and political advancement of our local communities; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby honors and recognizes the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women on the 30th Anniversary of the Madam CJ Walker Luncheon and for the organization’s commitment to empowering African American women throughout the City of Philadelphia.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Pennsylvania Chapter, as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

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