...Title:
Proclamations honoring August Wilson and Reverend Dr. LeRoy Patrick for their lifelong contributions to our region and for posthumously receiving 2014 Spirit of King awards.
...Body:
WHEREAS, as a 2014 recipient of a Spirit of King Award, presented by the Port Authority of Allegheny County, the Kingsley Association, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New Pittsburgh Courier, the late August Wilson (1945-2005) is being honored and remembered as the nation's greatest African American playwright; and
WHEREAS, on April 27, 1945, August Wilson was born Frederick August Kittel, Jr. in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, the fourth of six children; Wilson's mother, Daisy, raised the children alone in a small apartment located at 1727 Bedford Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, Wilson was the only African American student at Central Catholic High School in 1959 where he was soon driven away by threats and abuse; he transferred to Connelly Trade School, and later to Gladstone High School; he departed Gladstone in the 10th grade after his teacher accused him of plagiarizing a paper he wrote; when he was 15 years old, Wilson pursued an independent education at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, where he would earn his high school diploma; and
WHEREAS, August Wilson is the author of Jitney, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Fences, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Running, Seven Guitars, King Hedley II, Gem of the Ocean and Radio Golf. Collectively, the plays would become known as the Pittsburgh Cycle, exploring the heritage and experience of African Americans, decade-by-decade, over the course of the twentieth century; and
WHEREAS, Wilson's awards include two Pulitzer Prizes, a Tony Award, Britain's Olivier Award, seven NY Drama Critics Circle Awards, and an Emmy nomination; and
WHEREAS, in 2006, the August Wilson Center for African American Culture was opened in Pittsburgh's Cultural District as a tribute to his lifetime of literary achievements; in 2013, Wilson's childhood home at 1727 Bedford Avenue was added to the National Register of Historic Places;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Allegheny County Council does hereby recognize and honor the late August Wilson for his unique, inspired and insightful voice which illuminated the African American experience by creating some of the country's most compelling drama. We acknowledge August Wilson for his enormous contribution to American theater and culture, and his legacy will live on forever.
WHEREAS, as a 2014 recipient of a Spirit of King Award, presented by the Port Authority of Allegheny County, the Kingsley Association, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New Pittsburgh Courier, the late Reverend Dr. LeRoy Patrick (1915-2006) is being honored and remembered as a torchbearer for spiritual and social justice; and
WHEREAS, the youngest of three sons, Dr. Patrick was born in Charleston, South Carolina and moved with his family to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the mid-1920s; Dr. Patrick graduated from Lincoln University in 1939 and earned master's degrees in divinity and sacred theology from Union Theological Seminary in 1942 and 1946 respectively; he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Lincoln University in 1964; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Patrick served as pastor of Bethesda Presbyterian Church in the City of Pittsburgh's Homewood neighborhood for thirty-five years, and he led the now defunct Bethesda Center, which provided social services to the people of Homewood, for more than thirty years; and
WHEREAS, in 1951, Dr. Patrick led a campaign to integrate Pittsburgh's "traditionally white" swimming pools and through his tireless efforts Highland Park became the first public pool to integrate; Dr. Patrick was a part of virtually every demonstration, sit-in, and picket line during the civil rights era as he pressed for employment, housing, and educational opportunities for African Americans; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Patrick's profile as a civil rights champion rose to new heights by the late 1950s when he chaired the Allegheny County Council on Civil Rights and the Allegheny County Committee for Fair Housing Practices; Dr. Patrick advocated for racial integration, quality education and racially balanced history and social studies lessons and was appointed President of the Pittsburgh School Board in 1976; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Patrick served on the Pittsburgh NAACP Board and was appointed as a commissioner of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission; during his 24 year tenure as a commissioner, he helped to promote the history of Black Pennsylvanians throughout the Commonwealth;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Allegheny County Council does hereby recognize and honor the late Reverend Dr. LeRoy Patrick for his leadership and immeasurable contributions to the cause of social justice and equal rights. Dr. Patrick is an inspiration to us all and, while we cannot hope to replace him, we can honor his memory by commending and emulating the spirit of his dedication.