IN MEMORIUM
Res. No. 1022
Title
Resolution celebrating the life and mourning the death of Council Member James E. Davis.
Body
By the Entire New York City Council
Whereas, Council Member James E. Davis dedicated his life to stopping violence in urban America, particularly violence in urban communities in New York City; and
Whereas, Council Member James E. Davis was born in 1962, graduated from Samuel Tilden High School in 1980 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pace University in 1989; and
Whereas, Upon graduation, Council Member James E. Davis joined the New York City Corrections Department, serving for two years at Riker's Island before joining the New York City Transit Department as a police officer; and
Whereas, In 1993 Council Member James E. Davis transferred to the New York City Police Department and upon graduation was assigned to the 73rd Precinct in his home borough of Brooklyn, later teaching social science as a certified New York State instructor at the New York City Police Academy and a Youth Officer at the 69th Precinct in Canarsie, Brooklyn; and
Whereas, Prior to elected office, Council Member James E. Davis made many strides to combat negative influences on children in his community including his successful crusade against the largest toy manufacturer, Toys R Us, where he persuaded the company to stop selling toy guns that appeared real or could be modified to look like a real weapon; and campaigned against MTV's daytime and evening music format, calling on the cable music station to stop showing videos during the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. that glorify violence. Since his campaign, MTV has publicly announced that they have made positive changes regarding the broadcast of music videos; and
Whereas, Because he was so committed to making a difference in the lives of urban youth, Council Member James E. Davis founded a voluntary, not-for-profit organization called "Love Yourself" Stop the Violence, dedicated to instilling the message of self-love, self-respect, respect for our communities and partnership between communities and police departments across America; and
Whereas, The Stop the Violence events are attended by thousands of community residents and feature prominent and notable guests including three-time heavyweight boxing champion of the world, Evander Holyfield; recording superstars Salt-N-Pepa and many more; and
Whereas, Council Member James E. Davis sought political office to put himself in a position to allocate resources to benefit the community; and
Whereas, In recognition of his hard work and dedication, Council Member James E. Davis was featured in several local and national newspapers including The New York Daily News, The New York Post, The New York Times and The Washington Post; as well as national cable network programs such as USA Live, The Maury Povich Show, Leeza and The Montell Williams Show, and offered his insightful wisdom on law enforcement and its effects on the relationship between communities and police departments on such programs as CNBC, CNN, BET and MSNBC; and
Whereas, In 1995 Council Member James E. Davis was honored as one of today's heroes who exemplify the spirit and dedication of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by CBS television; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That The Council of the City of New York celebrate the extraordinary life and leadership of Council Member James E. Davis and his pursuit of ridding the streets of New York City and the country of violence through peaceful mediation and reconciliation; and, be it further
Resolved, That The Council of the City of New York mourn the untimely passing of our warm friend, colleague and proud representative of the 35th Councilmanic District in Brooklyn and pledges to rededicate itself to continuing the legacy of Council Member James E. Davis; and, be it further
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York does hereby adjourn in memory of Council Member James E. Davis.