Honoring and celebrating Maurice Mitchell, a community organizer, social movement strategist, and national leader in the Movement for Black Lives, and the National Director of the Working Families Party, on the occasion of his visit to Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, Maurice Mitchell, lovingly known as “Moe,” is a community organizer and social movement strategist who has worked toward racial, social, and economic justice throughout his career. He is a nationally renowned leader in the Movement for Black Lives and serves as National Director of the Working Families Party; and

WHEREAS, Maurice’s life was thrown into chaos when his home in Long Island, New York was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, leaving him to live in hotel rooms for months. A year and a half later, Mike Brown was killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri. Maurice moved to Ferguson to help support community organizing there, and set up strategic support for the people in the Movement for Black Lives across the country; and

WHEREAS, During the Movement for Black Lives Convention in Cleveland in 2015, Maurice played a key role bringing activists from across the country for the first Movement for Black Lives convening in response to ongoing police brutality against Black communities; and

WHEREAS, In 2018, Maurice became the National Director of the Working Families Party, an ascending community organization. The group works across the country and has deep roots in Philadelphia. Maurice’s guidance ensured that growth was steered with equity in mind; and

WHEREAS, Maurice’s analysis of the history and future of social justice movements has strengthened nonprofit and issue advocacy organizations that uplift working class communities across the country. He has recruited and trained countless movement leaders who share his vision of participatory governance and a democracy that works for the many, not the few, and;

WHEREAS, Maurice has championed policies like taxing the rich to fund public services, full funding for public schools, a sustainable community-rooted green economy, and investing in public health infrastructure that prevents violence; and

WHEREAS, Maurice has been instrumental in supporting Black communities in Philadelphia and elevating Black leadership that is responsive to the needs of the multi-racial working class; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Honors and celebrates Maurice Mitchell, a community organizer, activist and national leader in the Movement for Black Lives, and the National Director of the Working Families Party, on the occasion of his visit to Philadelphia.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Maurice Mitchell, as an expression of the admiration and respect of this legislative body.

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