Title
Dept/ Agency: Offices of Municipal Council/City Clerk
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Resolution of Support
Purpose: Support for a Rainbow Mural
Sponsor(s): Council Member, Carlos M. Gonzalez
Additional Information:
Rainbow Mural to be placed near the intersection of Academy Street and Halsey Street.
The Rainbow Mural will be commemorative of Sakia Gunn, a Newark native whose life and legacy continue to inspire advocacy for rights and visibility of the LGBTQ+ community.
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WHEREAS, the City of Newark, New Jersey wishes to pay homage to Sakia Gunn, a Newark native whose life and legacy continue to inspire advocacy for the rights and visibility of the LGBTQ+ community; and
WHEREAS, on August 8, 2023, the Municipal Council adopted a Ceremonial Street Designation Resolution authorizing a street dedication for Sakia Gunn at the intersection of Academy and Halsey Streets; and
WHEREAS, on October 28, 2023, the Municipal Council organized a Street Dedication Ceremony to honor Sakia Gunn's memory on the twenty-year (20) Anniversary of her tragic passing. The Event was attended by friends, family members and members of the local, regional and statewide LGBTQ+ community; and
WHEREAS, on May 18, 2024, the "All Black Lives Matter" ground mural on Halsey Street, located between New Street and Bleeker Street was revitalized. The street was repaved using municipal aid grant funding, which is subject to reimbursement by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. The mural was initially painted in 2020 on the same street. The City's Department of Engineering stated that creating a public art mural to honor the late Sakia Gunn, with an LGBTQ+ pride theme, could jeopardize potential reimbursements to the City of Newark for Municipal Aid grant funding issued by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. The "All Black Lives Matter" ground...
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