Title
Honoring the Beloved Melvin “Mr. Bubbles” Giles.
Body
Whereas, Melvin Giles was born December 3, 1958, in Chicago, IL to Reverend Robert and Georgia Giles; and
Whereas, Melvin, the son of a Baptist minister, moved to Mason City, Iowa at an early age so his father could preach at St. John’s Baptist Church a historic Black church. When Melvin was five, Reverend Giles moved his family to St. Paul, Minnesota so he could continue his ministry; and
Whereas, Melvin was a student in the St. Paul Public Schools, graduating from St. Paul Central High School in 1977; and
Whereas, Melvin was the first recipient of the David Winfield Award in 1977. This Award was created by Central High School alumni Steve Winfield, Rondo activist and U of M star athlete, and Dave Winfield, Major League Baseball player and Hall of Famer, honoring students who excelled in academics, athletics, and community involvement; and
Whereas, Melvin attended Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia, an Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and Augustana University, South Dakota. While in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, he became a certified massage and reflexology therapist and published a community newspaper called Everyday People; and
Whereas, Melvin in the late 1980s, returned to St. Paul and solidified his life as a peacemaker as the Director of the Catholic Charities Frogtown Center. There he founded programs centered on engaging, healing, and empowering people with dignity and peace. A couple programs he started were the Pluralism Circle through which organizations made transformational changes to honor the diversity of their clients, and the Peaceful Love Warriors, creating peaceful spaces in neighborhoods; and
Whereas, Melvin joined the World Peace Prayer Society and became a Peace Representative supporting peace poles as symbols of world peace-unity. He and his partner Mary Salter planted hundreds of peace poles around Minnesota and the country; and
Whereas, Melvin b...
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