Rep. Kenyatta honoring ‘Living Legends of the 181st District’ for Black History Month
Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta January 31, 2022 | 3:34 PM
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 31 – Meek Mill, Henry Nicholas, Constance Clayton, Dawn Staley, Mel Wells: State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Phila., is honoring them and others as “Living Legends of the 181st” District,” by publishing a social media graphic each day of Black History Month about each “legend.” 
The 28 honorees -- decided upon by Kenyatta, his staff and a few advisers -- were born in or are current or past residents of the district that Kenyatta represents and have greatly impacted or made notable contributions in the areas of education, sports, entertainment, the arts, science, business, politics, community and more.
“With COVID preventing me from personally hosting a public event to honor some of the greats from our community, we saw this as a socially distant way to celebrate Black History Month and acknowledge some of the people who have made a difference,” Kenyatta said. “History-making figures aren’t always the people we see in books, on coins or on plaques commemorating our ancestors. So many are living, breathing, dynamic people upon whom we can still look upon and honor in life.”
The project kicks off Tuesday, Feb. 1, with a graphic on the Cecil B. Moore Freedom Fighters, a group who fought racial injustice in
Philadelphia and worked with the late attorney, councilman and activist Cecil B. Moore to integrate Girard College. Visitors to Kenyatta’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages will spy famous entertainers like musician/composer Norman Connors, trombonist Jeff Bradshaw, and basketball’s Bo Kimble, as well as some community and government stalwarts like Shirley Kitchen and Terrill “YaFav Trashman” Haigler, religious leader William Moore and business’ Ken Scott, of Beech Companies, and Jake Adams, owner of Barber’s Hall.
Mel Wells said in response to being honored: “Thank you so much, I am honored to have been thought of! Truly humbled.” He is president and CEO of One Day At A Time Inc. (ODAAT), which for nearly 40 years has served low-income homeless men and women and families afflicted by AIDS or addiction. Founded by his father the late Rev. Henry T. Wells in 1982, the group has helped tens of thousands of people and their families.
You can check out the posts on Kenyatta’s Facebook and Twitter.