Title
Co-naming portions of Marshall Avenue as "Debbie Montgomery Avenue."
Body
WHEREAS, Debbie Gilbreath Montgomery was born in the historic Rondo neighborhood of Saint Paul on April 17,1946; and
WHEREAS, Rondo was the heart of Saint Paul's largest African American neighborhood and home to generations of African American families; and
WHEREAS, In 1958, among hundreds of houses in the Rondo neighborhood, Ms. Montgomery's home, 978 St. Anthony Avenue, was under imminent domain for the construction of U.S. Interstate-94; and
WHEREAS, The construction of I-94 displaced generations of African American families, businesses, and community institutions, and
WHEREAS, Ms. Montgomery continued living in the Rondo neighborhood and still resides there today; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Montgomery was a civil rights leader, as President of the Saint Paul National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) youth group with 650 youth members in the late 1950's and worked for Open Housing in the City of Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Montgomery at the age of 17, was the youngest person ever elected to the National Board of Directors of the NAACP, serving 6 years; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Montgomery participated with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963, the March on Washington, D.C. for civil rights laws for Jobs and Freedom; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Montgomery in 1965, she again marched fifty-four miles from Selma to Montgomery, AL with Dr. King Jr. for the Voting Rights Act; and
WHEREAS, In 1964, she graduated from Saint Paul's Central High School with honors; and
WHEREAS, In 1971, she graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Sociology; and
WHEREAS, In 1974 she graduated from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs with a Masters of Arts in Urban Planning and Social Gerontology, and in 1981, she graduated from the College of St. Thomas with a second Master's degree in Police Administration and Police Community Education; and
WHEREAS, In 1975, Ms. Montgomery was the first female Police Officer in Saint Paul's Police Department. During her time with the department, she was promoted to Sergeant, Lieutenant, Commander, and Senior Commander; and
WHEREAS, Between 1991 and 1998, she served as Assistant Commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Montgomery was elected to the City Council in 2004 serving Saint Paul's Ward 1, where she focused on issues of economic development, mixed-income housing, and opportunities for youth and seniors; and
WHEREAS, In 2006, Ms. Montgomery was inducted into the St. Paul Central High School Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, In 2008, Ms. Montgomery became Adjunct Professor at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Montgomery was bestowed with the Heritage Award from the International Association of Women Police in 2013 for substantial and significant contributions to women police world-wide; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Montgomery has been committed to the community and dedicated her life to public service demonstrating courage, confidence, and leadership skills throughout her life; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Marshall Avenue between Lexington Avenue and Western Avenue is hereby co-named Debbie Montgomery Avenue, and that appropriate street signage will be placed by the Department of Public Works at the appropriate corners of Lexington Parkway, Victoria Avenue, Dale Street, and Western Avenue.