LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Melanie Littlejohn upon the occasion of
her designation as a recipient of the Freedom Award by the Syracuse
Onondaga County NAACP

WHEREAS, Individuals who give of their time and energies and serve the
best interests of their communities are an asset beyond remuneration and
cannot be sufficiently extolled; and
WHEREAS, Melanie Littlejohn has given not only of her time and ener-
gies but also of her competence, intelligence and leadership and conse-
quently has been designated for special honor; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Melanie Litt-
lejohn upon the occasion of her designation as a recipient of the Free-
dom Award by the Syracuse / Onondaga County NAACP, held at its 31st
annual Freedom Awards Banquet, on Wednesday, May 26, 2010, at the Doub-
letree Hotel in DeWitt; and
WHEREAS, Melanie Littlejohn has been called upon to contribute her
time and talents to countless civic and charitable endeavors and has
always given of herself unstintingly; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the entire period of her community service, a
period of constructive involvement, Melanie Littlejohn has stood
constant in dignity, good grace and humor; and
WHEREAS, Melanie Littlejohn is being recognized for her work as a
facilitator for the Community Wide Dialogue to End Racism, a program
aimed at getting people to talk about and address racism in Syracuse;
and
WHEREAS, Melanie Littlejohn's commitment to change has earned her the
2010 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Freedom
Award, the top honor the organization bestows on people who have gone
above and beyond to make a difference in their community; and
WHEREAS, As early as 1992, Melanie Littlejohn launched an HIV program
with the Urban League to educate Syracuse teens; since then, she has
been on the boards of several community organizations; and
WHEREAS, Melanie Littlejohn works for National Grid, as a regional
executive of energy solutions delivery; she hopes to use her career to
support local youth by sharing her experiences with young people and,
hopefully, be an inspiration and let them know what they can do; and
WHEREAS, From helping people talk about racism to managing electricity
for the New York State Fair's Pan-African Village, Melanie Littlejohn
has often lent a helping hand to her community; and
WHEREAS, In receiving her award, Melanie Littlejohn said she hopes to
keep bringing attention to advocacy in the community; she feels most
passionate about lending a voice to the voiceless, and also supports the
positive subjects of advocacy and social justice which are important
attributes in society; and
WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an individ-
ual for the benefit of others which Melanie Littlejohn has displayed
throughout her life; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Melanie Littlejohn upon the occasion of her designation as a
recipient of the Freedom Award by the Syracuse / Onondaga County NAACP;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Melanie Littlejohn.