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To designate the corner of West 12th Street and Hull Street in honor of the late August Moon. (6th District)
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WHEREAS, upon information and belief of the Council, August Moon was born Alexander Randolph in the Blackwell neighborhood of the city of Richmond on August 7, 1937, and died on July 12, 2023, after residing in the city of Richmond nearly all of his life, leaving at one time for service in the United States Navy; and
WHEREAS, upon information and belief of the Council, August Moon enjoyed success as an entrepreneur and entertainer, including writing, recording, and producing songs and albums to include “Seven Minutes of Funk,” co-produced with Tyrone Thomas, which became a seminal influence for rap and hip-hop pieces by several national artists; and
WHEREAS, upon information and belief of the Council, August Moon remained committed to his Blackwell neighborhood community, not only by establishing several businesses, such as Soul on Ice, Taste of Home, and Mr. Wiggles’ restaurant, but also by community activism that earned him the affectionate title of the “Mayor of Hull Street;” and
WHEREAS, upon information and belief of the Council, August Moon understood the importance of service and mentorship to change and restore the lives of others, which he exhibited in many activities including serving as Sergeant-at-Arms for the Richmond Crusade for Voters, as a member of the Hull Street merchants’ association, the Reverend Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition, his own United Struggle Movement and Stop the Violence campaign, as a regular speaker at Council meetings, and on his “Tell It Like It Is” public access cable television program, which program ran for eight years; and
WHEREAS, upon information and belief of the Council, August Moon left a legacy of advocacy through his wife of 44 years, Dr. Michon Johnson Moon, children, and grandchildren, and especially through his daughters Enjoli Jaudon Moon and Dr. Sesha Joi Moon, who have co-founded the JXN Project, a non-profit, research-based reparative historic preservation organization to promote Jackson Ward as the nation’s first historically-registered Black urban neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to memorialize the life of August Moon for his contributions to the civic life of the city of Richmond by designating the corner of West 12th Street and Hull Street as August Moon Way in his honor; and
WHEREAS, because this designation is honorary only, the provisions of sections 8-7 through 8-10 of the Code of the City of Richmond (2020), as amended, do not apply to the designation made hereby or to any signs erected pursuant to this ordinance;
NOW, THEREFORE,
THE CITY OF RICHMOND HEREBY ORDAINS:
§ 1. Designation of Street Block for Honorary Name. The corner of West 12th Street and Hull Street shall be designated August Moon Way in honor of August Moon, pursuant to this ordinance.
§ 2. Effect of Designation. The designation of the portion of the street made pursuant to this ordinance shall be honorary only, shall not replace the existing name of the street, and shall have no effect on the address of any property with an address on the designated street block. The sole effect of designation pursuant to this ordinance shall be to authorize the placement of commemorative signs in accordance with this ordinance memorializing the designation in honor of the named person.
§ 3. Administration of Ordinance. The Department of Public Works shall implement this ordinance by installing, as soon as practicable after the adoption of this ordinance, and maintaining commemorative signs in accordance with this section. The commemorative signs shall be clearly distinct from the street signs used to identify the portion of the street in question such that a reasonable person could not conclude that the commemorative signs reflect the actual name of the street. The commemorative signs (i) shall be affixed to a sign pole installed at the portion of the street designated in section 1 of this ordinance for the purpose of fulfilling the requirements of this section or to any existing sign identifying the portion of the street designated in section 1 of this ordinance located at the portion of the street designated in section 1 of this ordinance and (ii) shall bear the name of the person as set forth in section 1 of this ordinance.
§ 4. Effective Date. This ordinance shall be in force and effect upon adoption.