WHEREAS, Alphonso Deal was born on April 15, 1923 in Watertown, Columbia County, Florida to Robert and Sammie Alexander, and moved to East Mt. Airy in Northwest Philadelphia in 1983; and
WHEREAS, Deal attended the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania before joining the United States Army and achieving the rank of Sergeant during World War II; and
WHEREAS, Deal joined the Philadelphia Police Department in 1954 and was a police officer for nearly 25 years; and
WHEREAS, In 1956, Deal founded the Guardian Civic League, a chapter of the National Black Police Association, to bring together members of the Philadelphia Police Department with civic minded citizens to create close cooperation between the police and the communities in which they served; and
WHEREAS, Deal was known for challenging racial issues citywide, especially the accusations of police brutality associated with then-Mayor Frank L. Rizzo, with his “Action Branch” based in Northern Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Deal was elected as a Democrat to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 1981 term and served 3 consecutive terms thereafter; and
WHEREAS, Deal was appointed to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the Select Committee to Investigate the Pennsylvania State Police; and
WHEREAS, Deal is credited as one of the key individuals who saved Philadelphia’s NAACP chapter; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the 1500 block of Girard Avenue shall be also named as “Alphonso Deal Way.”
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this Resolution be presented to the Guardian Civic League as evidence of the true and sincere admiration and respect of this legislative body.
End