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WHEREAS, Civil Rights activist Katie Everette Johnson was born on February 5, 1923 and has been working with the Civil Rights movement in Pittsburgh since the 1940's; and,
WHEREAS, Katie Johnson's role in fighting for Civil Rights can be traced to when she worked with the Urban League of Pittsburgh. She then became their office manager and in that role, she was the principal organizer in the League's 1954 National Conference, the first time it was held in Pittsburgh; and,
WHEREAS, Katie Johnson has worked closely with the Urban League and the NAACP Pittsburgh Branch to fight for fairness and equality in the workplace, where she successfully kept membership support high to ensure "strength in numbers"; and,
WHEREAS, Mrs. Johnson worked with other great women from the Civil Rights movement in Pittsburgh such as Catherine Irvis, Wilhelmina Byrd Brown, and Alma Speed Fox; and,
WHEREAS, Katie Johnson has continually worked for her local community and her church, the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church; and,
WHEREAS, she currently serves as board secretary for the Small Seeds Development Inc, a non-profit created by AME Presiding Elder Rev. Dr. James McLemore, to support, strengthen, and sustain families to build strong and safe communities; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Pittsburgh celebrates Mrs. Johnson's 90th birthday and recognizes her contributions and committed work in the Civil Rights movement and beyond;
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare February 3, 2013 to be "Katie E. Johnson Day" in the City of Pittsburgh.