PRINTER'S NO. 946
No. 69 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY KITCHEN, MELLOW, CONTI, TARTAGLIONE, STACK, HUGHES, KUKOVICH, FUMO AND WILLIAMS, APRIL 30, 2001
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, APRIL 30, 2001
A RESOLUTION 1 Honoring the memory of Leon Howard Sullivan, pastor, community 2 activist, humanitarian and international leader. 3 WHEREAS, The Reverend Leon Howard Sullivan, known as the Lion 4 of Zion for his zeal and dedication, died on April 24, 2001, at 5 the age of 78; and 6 WHEREAS, Reverend Sullivan served as an associate pastor of 7 the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem; and 8 WHEREAS, Reverend Sullivan came to Philadelphia and served as 9 pastor of the Zion Baptist Church from 1950 until retiring from 10 the position in 1988; and 11 WHEREAS, During his service at the Zion Baptist Church, 12 Reverend Sullivan advocated self-help economic strategies and 13 community empowerment, such as job training and economic 14 boycotts, to change the policies of segregation; and 15 WHEREAS, Reverend Sullivan founded a savings cooperative, 16 Progressive Investment Associates, whose members contributed on 17 a monthly basis to form seed money which was used to construct
1 the first and largest shopping center owned by African-Americans 2 in a major urban area; and 3 WHEREAS, In 1964 Reverend Sullivan founded the Opportunities 4 Industrialization Centers (OIC), the nation's first 5 nongovernment, community-based job training program, which 6 helped more than 1.5 million individuals in 100 cities and 19 7 countries find productive employment; and 8 WHEREAS, While serving on the board of directors of the 9 General Motors Corporation, Reverend Sullivan urged the 10 corporation to stop business dealings and to withdraw from South 11 Africa until the country ended its segregationist policies of 12 apartheid; and 13 WHEREAS, In 1977 Reverend Sullivan created a list of demands, 14 known as the "Sullivan Principles," which urged American 15 multinational corporations to withdraw all business from South 16 Africa until the country dedicated itself to desegregation, 17 equal pay and employment, training programs, job promotions and 18 better living conditions for minorities; and 19 WHEREAS, Thirteen multinational corporations immediately 20 agreed to the document and by 1984 an additional 100 companies 21 joined the boycott in opposition to the continuation of 22 apartheid policies in South Africa; and 23 WHEREAS, Reverend Sullivan urged that South Africa release 24 Nelson Mandela, the country's imprisoned human rights activist, 25 abolish apartheid laws and permit all South Africans to vote; 26 and 27 WHEREAS, After retiring as pastor of Zion Baptist Church in 28 1988, Reverend Sullivan moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to direct the 29 International Foundation for Education and Self-Help, which he 30 founded in 1981; and 20010S0069R0946 - 2 -
1 WHEREAS, Reverend Sullivan was a devoted family man; 2 therefore be it 3 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 4 note with great sadness the passing of Reverend Leon Howard 5 Sullivan, a pastor, community activist, humanitarian, 6 international leader, devoted father and husband, whose 7 considerable humanitarian and human-rights contributions extend 8 from Philadelphia and Phoenix, Arizona, across the nation and 9 into numerous foreign countries; and be it further 10 RESOLVED, That the Senate extend its heartfelt condolences to 11 his wife, Grace, daughters, Hope and Julie, son, Howard, and 12 grandchildren; and be it further 13 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 14 the family of the Reverend Leon Howard Sullivan. D30L82SFL/20010S0069R0946 - 3 -