Title
Dept/ Agency: Offices of Municipal Council/City Clerk
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Ceremonial Street Designation
Honoree: Blonnie R. Watson
Date(s): Friday, October 31, 2025
Official Street Name(s): Spruce Street and Quitman Streett
Ceremonial Intersection Name: Blonnie R. Watson Plaza
Sponsor: Council President C. Lawrence Crump
Additional Information:
It is requested the signage be place on the southeast corner.
body
WHEREAS, The Honorable Blonnie R. Watson, a longtime political icon and housing advocate, was born and educated in Savannah, Georgia during segregation, where as an African-American woman she experienced firsthand the unfairness and ugliness of racism, this motivated her throughout her lifetime to promote a positive change; and
WHEREAS, as a teenager she became heavily involved in the growing civil rights movement and participated in voter registration efforts in the 1950's before marrying and moving to Newark in the early 60's with her late husband Lewis, and their daughters, Deborah and Charon; and
WHEREAS, in 1966 the family moved into the High Park Gardens Housing Cooperative, one of the nation's first and foremost housing cooperative complexes, and where she began a lifelong advocacy for cooperative and affordable housing issues. Her initial involvement with the High Park Gardens management revealed the discovery of a potential $42,000.00 loan default and other mismanagement issues. She initiated a door-to-door campaign to raise the necessary funds and within 48 hours raised the necessary funds to cure the default. She overwhelmingly earned the trust of the residents and serve on the Board of Directors and then President of the housing complex for many years; and
WHEREAS, her impassioned advocacy propelled her into national prominence as she rose through the ranks serving on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Housing Cooper...
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