LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Sajda Musawwir Ladner upon the occasion
of her designation for special recognition

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
recognize and acknowledge those within our midst who have made signif-
icant contributions to the quality of life therein; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Sajda Musawwir Ladner upon the occasion of her designation for special
recognition; and
WHEREAS, Since the late 1960s, Sajda Musawwir Ladner has been serving
Staten Island's underprivileged communities as a community enrichment
specialist; she handles prevalent issues facing these communities such
as lack of creative enrichment, racial and cultural intolerance, scho-
lastic underperformance, deficiency in housing, lack of basic necessi-
ties, and the insufficiency of black owned businesses present within the
Staten Island community; and
WHEREAS, In 1967 when civil rights and black empowerment was a very
strong social issue, Sajda Musawwir Ladner and a few other artists
incorporated their talents and skills to achieve a common goal of owning
a business; they formed Saadia Fine Art Fashion, a boutique which
featured handcrafted jewelry, clothing and home accessories; and
WHEREAS, Saadia Fine Art Fashion was the first African-American owned
boutique on Staten Island and addressed the important social issue of
African-Americans needing a heightened level of self-awareness and
pride; and
WHEREAS, Currently, Sajda Musawwir Ladner's primary position is that
of the Artistic/Executive Director of Universal Temple of the Arts
(UTA), a non-profit, community based organization founded in the late
1960s by Maurice Phillips; and
WHEREAS, The population that UTA serves is primarily African-Americans
and Hispanics between the ages of six and 21 years who are often from
low to moderate-income level households; with diminishing resources;
Sajda Musawwir Ladner has networked relentlessly with government agen-
cies, private companies and individuals for assistance in keeping UTA's
programs thriving and free of charge for this youth population; and
WHEREAS, Always trying to keep abreast of and meet the ever-changing
needs of Staten Island's grass-roots communities, Sajda Musawwir Ladner
has expanded the focus of UTA to include programs geared towards mini-
mizing the increased level of violence within these communities through
the incorporation of Conflict Resolution and Peer Mediation Through the
Arts; in a nurturing environment, this particular program provides chil-
dren with a positive outlet to express themselves by channeling their
frustrations into creative energy producing artwork capable of making
social statements; and
WHEREAS, In many ways, these classes, are therapeutic for the
students; and
WHEREAS, Universal Temple of the Arts was the first organization on
Staten Island to provide multicultural education; in 1992, Sajda Musaw-
wir Ladner became a certified Cultural Diversity Awareness Trainer;
Sajda was a member of Increase the Peace Corps; and
WHEREAS, Sajda Musawwir Ladner is also a fine art educator for elemen-
tary through junior high school students at the Staten Island Institute
Museum; as an African-American artist, she has always worked to increase
awareness of the great contributions that Black artists have made
throughout history; and

WHEREAS, Affiliated with numerous community organizations, Sajda
Musawwir Ladner has received many awards and accolades, including: the
African-American History Month Award; the New York City Housing Authori-
ty Department of Community Operations' Women In History Award for
Outstanding Service & Commitment to Community and the Enhancement of the
Quality of Life for All People; the New York Urban League, Staten Island
Branch's Community Service Award and The Council on the Arts & Humani-
ties of Staten Island's Lifetime Achievement Award; and
WHEREAS, With her deep community involvement, Sajda Musawwir Ladner
still finds time to nourish her person; she attends dance classes on a
regular basis to maintain the skills that she harnessed as a profes-
sional dancer, and as a dancer, she had the great honor of being asked
to perform for President Nelson Mandela of South Africa when he visited
New York shortly after his release from prison; and
WHEREAS, A member of The National Council of Negro Women, the NAACP
and Peace Action of Staten Island, Sajda Musawwir Ladner's work as a
designer and seamstress has afforded her the opportunity to create
costumes for world-renown dance companies such as: the Alvin Ailey
Repertory Company, the Fred Benjamin Dance Company, Eleo Pomare Dance
Company, the Rod Rodgers Dance Company, Diane McIntyre's Sounds in
Motion, Forces of Nature, the Mary Anthony Dance Theater and the Nanette
Bearden Contemporary Dance Theatre where she was the Resident Costume
Designer and Wardrobe Mistress; in addition, she also served as Wardrobe
Mistress for both the Girls and the Boys Choirs of Harlem; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a
long and sustained commitment to excellence certainly have earned the
recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Sajda Musawwir Ladner upon the occasion of her designation for
special recognition; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Sajda Musawwir Ladner.