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WHEREAS, The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776; and
WHEREAS, July 4th is celebrated annually as a tribute to American ideals of liberty and freedom; and
WHEREAS, the nation will celebrate its 250th Anniversary on July 4, 2026; and
WHEREAS, July 5th marks the anniversary of Frederick Douglass's historic 1852 address, "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" - a powerful call to confront the gap between America's founding ideals and its lived reality; and
WHEREAS, throughout American history, courageous individuals have lost their lives in the pursuit of equality, justice, and human rights for all people; and
WHEREAS, from Crispus Attucks, the first martyr of the American Revolution, to 21st-century advocates who lost their lives protesting injustice, these martyrs represent the continuing American revolution; and
WHEREAS, members of our community have lost their lives in the struggle for human dignity and equal justice under law, and
WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that we honor their memory and recommit ourselves to the principles for which they made the ultimate sacrifice;
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare the 5th day of July 2026, to be “Martyrs Day” in the City of Pittsburgh. A day of remembrance, reflection, and renewed commitment to social justice and human rights for all.