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2004 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 266
On the death of James Mott.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 23, 2004
Agreed to by the Senate, January 29, 2004

WHEREAS, James Mott of Fairfax County, well-known and widely respected in the community for his civic activism in support of equal opportunity and the founder of a neighborhood community center, died on December 23, 2003; and

WHEREAS, a native of Arkansas, James Mott earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Howard University following service in the United States Army during World War II; and

WHEREAS, in 1965 after being turned away from Lake Fairfax Park, James Mott and his wife, Marguerite, sued the county in United States District Court in Alexandria and won equal access to county facilities for African Americans; and

WHEREAS, despite threatening phone calls and other attempts at intimidation, James Mott persevered and earned widespread respect for his strength and effectiveness as a civic activist and organizer; and

WHEREAS, after organizing the residents of several neighborhoods into racially integrated citizens associations, James Mott successfully lobbied local officials for services such as sewer lines, street lights, and paved roads; and

WHEREAS, a Navy Department lawyer, James Mott worked with his wife to establish the Braddock Community Center in 1969 and watched it grow into a center for activities ranging from after-school programs to senior citizens activities; and

WHEREAS, the center moved to a larger facility in 1995 that was named the James and Marguerite Mott Center in honor of their contributions; and

WHEREAS, James Mott's activism and well-earned reputation as an ethical and effective community leader won him the respect and affection of local government leaders and the residents of the communities he served; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of an exceptional citizen of Fairfax County, James Mott; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of James Mott as an expression of the respect in which his memory is held by the members of the General Assembly.