By the Governor of Alabama
WHEREAS, Dr. Reverend Richard Boone was a beloved husband, father, friend, and counselor who served his community and fought against injustice and racial discrimination until his passing on October 10, 2013; and
WHEREAS, beginning on the campus of Alabama State University, Rev. Boone gravitated towards young activists who were visiting Montgomery to organize the Student Non- Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) which Rev. Boone joined in the early 1960s; and
WHEREAS, Rev. Boone would then go on to learn from Reverends Jim Bevel, Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph David Abernathy, and organizations such as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) where he became a field director. Through this he would challenge discrimination throughout the State of Alabama; and
WHEREAS, he then worked in Selma with Mrs. Amelia Boynton before, during, and after the Selma to Montgomery March which today still stands as a monumental point in our nation’s history; and
WHEREAS, Rev. Boone was a part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This prompted the SCLC leadership to assign Rev. Boone to head up more civil rights campaigns in New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago. From there he moved on to Washington, D.C. to work on housing issues and economic development initiatives; and
WHEREAS, when the SCLC decided to shift their focus away from Montgomery, Rev. Boone organized the Alabama Action Committee (AAC). Here he took on the issues of discrimination towards black employees who were not allowed in managerial positions; and
WHEREAS, later, Rev. Boone and the AAC received approval to start the Food Stamp Program. During this stint, he received the nickname of “Food Stamp” because of his passion and determination to set up a nationwide program. The Board of Revenue finally gave approval for the program on August 27, 1967; and
WHEREAS, like many civil rights activists, Rev. Boone strived to pursue fairness and justice for all through the elective office gaining the support of registered voters. Rev. Boone continued his service as a minister until returning home with his wife, Mary Gambles Boone; and
WHEREAS, during the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March in 2015, a proclamation was signed by then Governor Bentley that designated part of West Fairview Blvd. as Rev. Richard Boone Blvd. signifying the significance Rev. Boone had in this State as well as this Country:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kay Ivey, Governor of Alabama, I hereby proclaim the day of July 7, 2017 as
Dr. Rev. Richard Boone Day
in the State of Alabama.
Given Under My Hand and the Great Seal of the Office of the Governor at the State Capitol in the City of Montgomery on the 28th day of June 2017.
Provided by the Office of the Governor of Alabama | governor.alabama.gov