MAYOR BOWSER – SPECIAL MENTION

Early in her political career, Mayor Barry recognized Muriel Bowser was a rising political star. Barry saw in her the same commitment to servant leadership and love of the people that he possessed. Muriel Bowser did not disappoint. Only for the second time in the history of Washington DC, Muriel like Marion, became a three-time elected Mayor.

Mayor Bower has been unwavering in her commitment to recognize the contributions of her friend, sage mentor, and transformative political force.

• She re-designated the Mayor's Youth Leadership Institute (MYLI) founded by Marion Barry in 1979 as the “Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute” in his honor.

• On the occasion of what would have been his 79th Birthday (March 6, 2015), she announced the DC Commission to Commemorate and Recognize the Honorable Marion S. Barry, Jr. and tasked the group with identifying and approving ways for the District to honor the legacy of the late Mayor Marion S. Barry Jr.

• Mayor Bowser supported and dedicated the historic eight-foot bronze statue which honors Mayor Barry’s life of public service to District residents in front of the City’s seat of government, the John A. Wilson Building.

• In 2019, the Marion S. Barry Building Designation Act of 2019 was jointly introduced by all Members of the Council and was passed unanimously. Mayor Bowser signed the bill on April 27, 2020. On November 12, 2020, she formally dedicated the building at 441 4th Street (One Judiciary Square) as the Marion S. Barry Jr. Building. It”s significance lies in the fact that beginning in 1995 when Mayor Marion Barry was elected for a fourth term, his offices were housed at the old One Judiciary Square as the Wilson Building was undergoing renovations. At the end of his term in 1999, Mayor Barry was the last mayor to hold office in that location.

• The Bowser Administration in invested in amplifying the historical significance of the Marion S. Barry Building through the installation of legacy mural and exhibits which chronicle the people, places, and programs that transformed the City during the Barry era.