Res No 147-15-14486RESOLUTION NO.147-15-14486
A Resolution of the City of South Miami calling on the Florida Legislature to
inform the United States Congress of its desire toplacea statue of
environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglasor Civil rights leader Mary Mcleod
Bethune,or other appropriate Floridian in the Congressional collection
representing Floridaandtoreplacethestatue of Confederate General Edmund
Kirby Smith,currently one of two statues representing Florida in Statuary Hall
in Washington,DC.
WHEREAS,in1864,in accordance with legislation sponsored by Representative Justin
Morrill,Congressinvitedeachstatetocontributetwostatues of prominentcitizensforpermanent
displayinaroomintheU.S.Capitol,whichwasrenamedNationalStatuaryHall;and
WHEREAS,in 1914,thestate of Floridagaveastatue of JohnGorrie,considered thefather
of air conditioning and refrigeration,tothe National Statuary Hall Collection;and
WHEREAS,in 1922,thestate of Florida gaveastatue of Confederate General Edmund
Kirby to the National Statuary Hall Collection;and
WHEREAS,in 2000,anact of Congress (2U.S.C.§2132),permits statesto provide statue
replacements and repossess the earlier one;and
WHEREAS,as of 2015,sixstates (Kansas,California,Alabama,Iowa,Michigan,and
Arizona)have replaced statues;and
WHEREAS,in 2015,several Florida members of Congress wrote a bipartisan letter tothe
leaders of Florida Legislature requesting thatthestatue of Confederate GeneralSmithberemoved
from Statuary Hall;and
WHEREAS,according tothe Tallahassee Democrat the leaders of the Florida Legislature
expressed a willingness to replace the statue of Confederate General Smith with another prominent
Floridian;and
WHEREAS,Marjory Stoneman Douglas wasan important environmentalist inthe 20th
century whomade improvements in Florida's quality of life;and
WHEREAS,her most influential work wasthe book The Everglades:River of Grass
(1947)",which redefined the popular conception of the Everglades asa treasured riverinstead of a
worthless swamp;and
WHEREAS,in 1993,President Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom,
the highest honor given toa civilian;and
WHEREAS,in 1987 she was named a great Floridian by the state of Florida;and
WHEREAS,Douglas was inducted intothe National Wildlife Federation Hall of Fame in
1999;and
WHEREAS,she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2000;and
Res.No.147-15-14486
WHEREAS,theFloridaDepartmentof Environmental Protectionnamedits headquarters in
Tallahassee after her in 1980;and
WHEREAS,the Conservation Association established the Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Awardin 1986,thathonors individuals whooftenmustgotogreatlengthsto advocate and fight for
the protection of the National ParkSystem;and
WHEREAS,shewas honored witha visit from Queen Elizabeth IIin 1991;and
WHEREAS,instead of giftsand celebrations onherbirthday,Douglas askedthattreesbe
plantedthatresultedinover 100,000 plantedtreesacrossthestate;and
WHEREAS,MarjoryStonemanDouglaswouldbethe10thwomaninNationalStatuary
Hall Collection should the Florida Legislature select herasa statue replacement;and
WHEREAS,Mary McCleod Bethune wasan important civilrights leader and educator in
the20thcenturywho made improvements inthequality of lifeinFlorida;and
WHEREAS,she also served asan advisor to five of the Presidents of the United States.
Calvin Coolidge and Franklin D.Roosevelt appointed herto several government positions;and
WHEREAS,she established the school that would eventually become Bethune-Cookman
University in Daytona Beach;and
WHEREAS,shewasa recognized leaderin promoting equal opportunity andhelped
establish the National Council of Negro Women and United Negro College Fund (UNCF);and
WHEREAS,Bethune was awarded the Spingarn Medal in1935bythe National Association
forthe Advancement of Colored People (NAACP);and
WHEREAS,she played an important roleduringWorldWarIIasthe assistant director of
the Women's Army Corps;and
WHEREAS,Mary McLeod Bethune wastheonly black woman to participate atthe
founding of the United Nations inSan Francisco in 1945;and
WHEREAS,in 1973,Mary McLeod Bethune was inducted into the National Women's Hall
of Fame;and
WHEREAS,in 2002 she was named a great Floridian bythe state of Florida;and
WHEREAS,in1974 approximately 250,000peopleattendedtheunveiling ceremony of a
statue of herin Lincoln Park in Washington DC;and
WHEREAS,in 1985 theUS Postal Service issued a stamp in Bethune's honor;and
WHEREAS,in 1991,the International Astronomical Union named the Bethune Patera on
planet Venus in her honor;and
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Res.No.147-15-14486
WHEREAS,in1994,theNationalParkServiceacquiredBethune'slastresidenceand
designateditastheMaryMcLeodBethuneCouncilHouseNationalHistoricSite;and
WHEREAS,schools have been named inher honor inLos Angeles,Chicago,SanDiego,
Dallas,Palm Beach,Florida,Moreno Valley,California,Minneapolis,Ft.Lauderdale,Atlanta,
Philadelphia,FolkstonandCollegePark,Georgia,NewOrleans,Rochester,NewYork,Cleveland,
South Boston,Virginia,and Jacksonville,Florida;and
WHEREAS,MaryMcleodBethunewouldbecomethefirst African-American inNational
StatuaryHallshouldthe Florida Legislature selectherasastatue replacement;and
WHEREAS,the statue of Confederate General Smith has already had 93 years to represent
Florida andcan now be moved to another appropriate location;and
WHEREAS,in2009 Alabama swapped itsstatue of Confederate soldier JabezCurryforone
of humanitarian Helen Keller.
NOW,THEREFORE,BE RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI,FLORIDA THAT:
Section 1.The Florida Legislature should replace the statue of Confederate General Edmund
Kirby Smith in National Statuary Hall Collection with Marjory Stoneman Douglas or Mary Mcleod
Bethune or another appropriate Floridian.
Section 2.The City Clerk is hereby directed to transmit this resolution tothe Florida
Speaker of the House,the President of the Florida Senate,the Mayor and County Commissioners of
Miami-Dade Countyandall elected municipalofficialsin Miami-Dade County.
Section 3.Severability.If any section clause,sentence,or phrase of this resolution isfor
any reason held invalid or unconstitutional bya court of competent jurisdiction,the holding shallnot
affectthe validity of the remaining portions of thisresolution.
Section 4.Effective Date.This resolution shall become effective immediately upon
adoption byvote of the City Commission.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 1 Stfay of September ,2015.
APPROVED:
ROVED AS TO FORM,
EGALI1
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COMMISSION VOTE:5-0
Mayor Stoddard:yea
Vice Mayor Harris:Yea
Commissioner Edmond:Yea
Commissioner Liebman:Yea
Commissioner Welsh:Yea