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WHEREAS, Mrs. Yvonne F. Brown has dedicated nearly eight decades to serving others, a journey defined by compassion, courage and an unwavering belief that every person deserves to be heard, respected and given an opportunity to thrive; and,
WHEREAS, born on July 20 of 1946 to parents Carrie Wade and Harry Wade, Mrs. Brown spent the first 5 years of her life in Pittsburgh’s historic hill District before moving to Penn Hills, returning to the Hill in her senior year to graduate from Fifth Ave High School in 1965; and,
WHEREAS, Mrs. Brown is the proud mother of children Anthony C. Johnson, born in 1966, Leatrice Johnson, born in 1971, Yvonne O. Brown, born in 1983, and Unique Brown, born in 1984; and,
WHEREAS, Mrs. Brown began her long and storied career working as a receptionist at Neighborhood Legal Services in 1971, while she also attended Duff’s Business Institute at night, and would eventually move to California in 1976 to begin working for the Department of Human Services in Compton, California; and,
WHEREAS, returning to Pittsburgh in 1981, Mrs. Brown began working at the Hill House as a Recreation Aide under the leadership of Jim Henry, whose confidence in her advocacy helped strengthen her commitment to serving those in need; and,
WHEREAS, around 1988, Mrs. Brown began working for the Department of Public Welfare in Pittsburgh before transferring to the LIHEAP program, where she became known for treating every person with kindness and dignity, as she recognized that behind every application was a family facing difficult circumstances; and,
WHEREAS, other accomplishments at the time include attending Carlow College and volunteering at the American Red Cross, where she traveled to elementary schools in Pittsburgh’s low-income neighborhoods to teach children about fire safety and emergency preparedness, and also worked with the Honorable Kathleen Mulligan; and,
WHEREAS, throughout the 1990’s, Mrs. Brown witnessed several school closures in the Hill District, which prompted her to begin attending School Board meetings to speak up and advocate on behalf of Hill District children and families, and inspired the creation of her newsletter, “The Concerned Parent”, to keep families informed on these issues; and,
WHEREAS, following the heartbreaking loss of her son Anthony C. Johnson, Mrs. Brown turned her pain into purpose, as she began to attend City Council and County Council meetings, a dedication and commitment to showing up that has continued to this day for over 20 years; and,
WHEREAS, Yvonne F. Brown’s legacy is not only the work she has done, but the people she has inspired, such as her daughter Unique Brown, who has continued her commitment to attend City and County Council meetings to advocate for justice, equality and the people whose voices are overlooked;
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare July 21, 2026 to be “Yvonne F. Brown Day” in the City of Pittsburgh.