Title
Dept/ Agency: Offices of Municipal Council/City Clerk
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Ceremonial Street Designation
Honoree: Sakia Gunn
Date(s): To Be Determined
Official Street Name(s): Intersection of Academy Street and Halsey Street
Ceremonial Intersection Name: “Sakia Gunn Way”
Sponsor: Council President, LaMonica R. McIver
Additional Information:
The Ceremonial Street Dedication will be held on a date and time to be determined.
body
WHEREAS, Ordinance 6PSF-f, adopted on May 20, 2015, authorizes the designation of an intersection, etc., for honorary and ceremonial purposes; and
WHEREAS, Sakia Gunn, who was born May 26, 1987, in Newark, New Jersey, lived a short, but impactful life, that galvanized the LGBTQ community for positive actions and their demands for equality; and
WHEREAS, her untimely death on the fateful evening of May 11, 2003, defending her right as an individual to be gay and lesbian, was the catalyst that spurred numerous outpourings of support, and led to the establishment of the influential Newark Pride Alliance, an LGBTQ advocacy group, in addition to, the first chapter of the Parents and Families of Lesbians and Gays (PLAG) organization and several scholarships opportunities for LGBTQ youths; and
WHEREAS, Sakia Gunn will always be remembered for her pride, self-awareness and providing a legacy and reminder of the road to equality and civil rights for the gay community.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Municipal Council does hereby authorize the honorary and ceremonial renaming of Academy Street and Halsey Street as “Sakia Gunn Way.”
2. The official name of the said streets shall remain Academy Street and Halsey Street in their entirety.
STATEMENT
This Resolution authorizes the naming of the intersection of Academy Street and Halsey Street as “Sakia Gunn Way”, for honorary and ceremonial purposes.