Senate Resolution No. 1592

BY: Senator GRIFFO

HONORING the Utica Oneida County Branch of the
NAACP upon the occasion of hosting its 40th Annual
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute March on January
15, 2024

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and
pay tribute to those enduring organizations which devote their
purposeful energies to improving the quality and dignity of life of
those they serve, to preserving their heritage, and to fostering pride
among them; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
the Utica Oneida Branch of the NAACP upon the occasion of hosting its
40th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute March on Monday, January
15, 2024, at St. Paul's Baptist Church, Utica, New York; and

WHEREAS, This annual observance is a time to celebrate, commemorate
and honor the life, legacy and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; the
event gives citizens of the community the unique opportunity to learn
and unite in celebration of Dr. King's groundbreaking work; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, as we witness nations around the world
continue to struggle under the weight of violence, hate and poverty,
todays, social, political, and economic landscape reveals the urgent
necessity of Dr. King's philosophy and methodology of non-violence, as
a sustainable solution to injustice and violence in our world; and

WHEREAS, The oldest and largest civil rights organization, the NAACP
was founded in 1909, in New York City by a group of black and white
citizens committed to improving the quality of life for
African-Americans; and

WHEREAS, In 1962, after observing that the political and social
mores in Oneida County did not support the needs of the minority
population, Ed Bass began working tirelessly to organize a local NAACP
branch to assist minority groups in obtaining equal rights; and

WHEREAS, Over the years, the Utica Oneida County Branch's effective
utilization of the NAACP committee system has kept an eye out for
minority participation in all areas of the community, and has sent
leadership delegations to State conventions in Buffalo, New York City,
Syracuse, Rochester, Geneva, Westchester, and Albany, as well as to
National Conventions in Indianapolis, Baltimore, and New York City; and

WHEREAS, Since its inception, the Utica Oneida County NAACP has
hosted countless initiatives and events, including Black History Month,
Soul Day, Juneteenth, and Kwanzaa celebrations, as well as Dr. Martin
Luther King Tributes, Freedom Fund Dinners, Diversity Affairs, Poverty
Symposiums, League of Women Political Debates, and Voter Registration
Drives; and

WHEREAS, Additionally, this vital organization has worked to address
environmental issues through organized cleanups and tree plantings, and
established a direct link to the Chief of Police to keep communication
lines open between the community and local law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, Today, the Utica Oneida County Branch of the NAACP
continues to fulfill its mission to ensure the political, educational,
social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate
racial hatred and racial discrimination; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when
organizations of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our
attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens
of the great State of New York; and

WHEREAS, It is with great pleasure that this Legislative Body
commends the Utica Oneida County Branch of the NAACP for its excellence
and for its commitment and contributions to the community it so ably
serves; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor the Utica Oneida County Branch of the NAACP upon the occasion of
hosting its 40th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute March on
January 15, 2024; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the Utica Oneida County Branch of the NAACP.