ENROLLED ORIGINAL
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A CEREMONAL RESOLUTION
25-180
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
February 6, 2024
To recognize and honor the life and accomplishments of Dr. Alice Murray -Jamison.
WHEREAS, D r. Alicy Murray-Jamison was born to Josephine Bryant and Henry Nelson;
WHEREAS, Dr. Alice Murray-Jamison graduated from Austin High School in Knoxville,
Tennessee, a segregated school designated for Black students ;
WHEREAS, Dr. Alice Murray -Jamison graduated from Union College in Lincoln,
Nebraska;
WHEREAS, D r. Alice Murray-Jamison attended The University of Tennessee at
Knoxville where she worked with former District of Columbia Mayor Marion Barry as part of
the Student’s Nonviolence Coordinating Committee and graduated with a Master’s degree in
guidance and counseling;
WHEREAS, Dr. Alice Murray-Jamison attended the University of Maryland where she
graduated with a PhD in Counseling and Personnel Services and was recruited to the Intensive
Educational Development program that helped disadvantaged youth enter and successfully
complete college;
WHEREAS, Dr. Alice Murray-Jamison prepared for student protests and raised funds for
students participating as Freedom Riders during summer breaks;
WHEREAS, Dr. Alice Murray-Jamison married Dr. Winston C. Murray -Jamison, and
after they moved to the District of Columbia she started teaching at Banneker High School;
WHEREAS, Dr. Alice Murray -Jamison worked as a counselor for the United Planning
Organization’s Neighborhood Youth Corps, then began work as a developmental advisor at the
Washington Technical Institute (WTI) where she collaborated with Dr. Cleveland Dennard to
develop and incorporate WTI into the University of the District of Columbia;
WHEREAS, Dr. Alice Murray-Jamison served the Chief of Counseling, Associate
Director of the Personal Development Unit and Acting Director of the Intensive Educational
Development program; ENROLLED ORIGINAL
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WHEREAS, Dr. Alice Murray-Jamison met and married Dr. Lawrence Jamison, Esq. and
both worked on supporting Black faculty and staff members at the University of Maryland, each
separately serving as President of the University of Maryland’s Black Faculty and Staff
Association;
WHEREAS, Dr. Alice Murray-Jamison worked as a professor at Howard University’s
School of Medicine and earned a post doctorate master’s degree in public health;
WHEREAS, Dr. Alice Murray-Jamison served as Director of the Baltimore City Health
Department where she broke new ground on the city’s drug programs and created new
counseling programs to combat addiction;
WHEREAS, Dr. Alice Murray-Jamison worked to economically and mentally empower
people living in subsidized housing in the Kenilworth- Parkside neighborhood in the District and
assisted the Kenilworth-Parkside Residents Management Corporation (KPRMC) in working with
the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to return ownership Kenilworth -
Parkside's public housing to its tenants;
WHEREAS, through the KPRMC Dr. Alice Murray -Jamison created and developed a
substance abuse program that hosted Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous programs; provided
free personal counseling to residents, assisted formerly incarcerated persons with re-entry efforts,
created child development programs, and managed after school tutoring;
WHEREAS, Dr. Alice Murray-Jamison taught the newly formed National Association of
Resident Management Corporations her model for wide-ranging substance abuse programs, and
it was replicated across major U.S. cities;
WHEREAS, Dr. Alice Murray -Jamison embarked on a partnership called AlRag to
publish books centered around and for Black children;
WHEREAS, Dr. Alice Murray -Jamison was a vibrant member of the Pan-Africanist
community in the 1970s, and worked with artists who premiered in different concentrations such
as writing, poetry, music, muralist painting, graphic designers, and mixed media artists;
WHEREAS, Dr. Alice Murray-Jamison was initiated into the Washington DC Alumnae
Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Fall 1990 where she served as co -Chair of the
Scholarship Committee, as the chapter’s Sargeant-at-Arms, and committees on physical and
mental health, and planning programs affecting voters and civil rights;
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WHEREAS, following retirement Dr. Alice Murray -Jamison opened a neighborhood,
alcohol-free jazz club. It was alcohol free due to her background in providing counseling on
substance abuse, and she wanted to provide a safe space for those in recovery to enjoy music and
an outing without temptation ;
WHEREAS, a non- profit haven for artists at 2813 12th Street NE in Brookland in Ward 5
was born and named, Alice’s Jazz and Cultural Society, colloquially known as “JACS”;
WHEREAS, through a grant award from Humanities DC, JACS showcased collaborative
educational and performance efforts between the DC and Cuban jazz communities;
WHEREAS, JACS’ space hosted community discussions, Ward 5 ANC and City Council
community meetings, and shows during the city’s Jazz Fest;
WHEREAS, even though the COVID -19 pandemic affected business, JACS was able to
reopen for limited runs from Summer 2020 to early 2023;
WHEREAS, Dr. Alice Murray -Jamison passed on November 26, 2023 and leaves a
legacy that will live on for generations to come.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “Dr. Alice Murray -Jamison Posthumous Recognition Resolution
of 2024”.
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia honors D r. Alice Murray-Jamison for her
years of dedication to her community, family, and friends where she was a leader and pillar of the
community.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.