WHEREAS, The
Philadelphia Sunday SUN
is a weekly newspaper dedicated to covering local and national stories that impact the African-American Community in Philadelphia. Since its founding in 1992, the
SUN
has grown into a nationally respected news outlet while staying true to its mission of “Connecting Philadelphia’s African-American Community”; and
WHEREAS, The
SUN
was the brainchild of Jerry Mondesire, who owned and played an active role in the paper’s publication until his death in 2015. Trained as a journalist at the City College of New York, Mr. Mondesire joined in the historic 1969 campus takeover that sought, successfully, to increase diversity in the college’s enrollment. After college, Mr. Mondesire began his professional journalism career with the
Baltimore Sun
, where the quality of his work garnered increasing national attention and earned the young journalist a position with the
Philadelphia Inquirer.
After his arrival in Philadelphia, Mondesire became a leading voice for diversity within the City’s newsrooms, helping to co-found the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists in 1973; and
WHEREAS, After several years covering local politics and rising to the rank of Assistant Editor on the
Inquirer’s
city desk, Mr. Mondesire accepted a position with Congressman William H. Gray, III. Eventually serving as the Congressman’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Mondesire became involved with a variety of political and social causes, notably working to craft the bill that levied sanctions against South Africa’s Apartheid Regime; and
WHEREAS, After Congressman Gray’s retirement in 1991, Jerry Mondesire began again to channel his passion for community activism through his work in journalism. In 1992, Mondesire founded found the
Philadelphia Sunday SUN
as an outlet for news and opinions that impacted the City’s African-American Community; and
WHEREAS, As the City of Philadelphia joins the
SUN
in celebrating its 25th Anniversary, the Paper continues to build upon the legacy of its founder, Jerry Mondesire. Today the
Philadelphia Sunday SUN
remains one of the most impactful news outlets in the City of Philadelphia and serves as a model for African-American owned and operated newspapers across the country; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby honors and recognizes the
Philadelphia Sunday SUN
and its founder, Jerome “Jerry” Mondesire, on the occasion of the
SUN
’s
25th Anniversary.
End