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3 ________________________________ _____________________________
4 Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. Councilmember Zachary Parker
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8 A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
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12 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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17 To recognize, honor, and celebrate the life, contributions, and accomplishments of visionary
18 leader and advocate Antonio Cornelius Baker.
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20 WHEREAS, Antonio Cornelius Baker was born and raised in New York, where he
21 obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Eisenhower
22 College.
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24 WHEREAS, Antonio Cornelius Baker displayed a steadfast commitment to advocacy for
25 Black gay men’s health, rights, and needs, and provided needed leadership in the national and
26 local HIV/AIDS landscapes throughout his career.
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28 WHEREAS, Antonio Cornelius Baker received numerous accolades for his work,
29 including the Diego Lopez Award in 1998 from the National Lesbian and Gay Health
30 Association, the DC Community Hero award in 2005, and the Rainbow History Project
31 Community Pioneer honor in 2007.
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33 WHEREAS, Antonio Cornelius Baker displayed leadership in his roles as Executive
34 Director for both the Whitman-Walker Clinic from 2000 to 2004, and the National Association
35 of People With AIDS, and served as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of the U.S. Global
36 AIDS Coordinator.
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38 WHEREAS, Antonio Cornelius Baker served as a Strategic Advisor for the National
39 Black Gay Men’s Advocacy Coalition since 2006.
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41 WHEREAS, Antonio Cornelius Baker was appointed in 2009 to the President’s Advisory
42 Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA).
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44 WHEREAS, Antonio Cornelius Baker joined the Board of Directors in 2010 and was
45 later elected Chair of the Board at Us Helping Us, a nonprofit organization that works to achieve
46 health equity for underserved and marginalized populations in the greater Washington, DC area.
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48 WHEREAS, Antonio Cornelius Baker initially focused on increasing Us Helping Us’
49 fundraising efforts, and guided the organization in their growth in both size and impact, with the
50 organization’s budget increasing from $1.6 million in 2017 to a projected $10 million in 2024.
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52 WHEREAS, Antonio Cornelius Baker worked alongside Dr. DeMarc Hickson, the
53 Executive Director of Us Helping Us, to help expand the organization’s services, including HIV
54 specialty care, PrEP/PEP, drug harm reduction programs, and more.
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56 WHEREAS, Antonio Cornelius Baker assisted Us Helping Us in becoming a full
57 member of the DC Center for AIDS Research - a distinction held by only a few community-
58 based, non-profit organizations in the nation.
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60 WHEREAS, Antonio Cornelius Baker was instrumental in the creation of the Innovation
61 Fund at Us Helping Us, which was designed to drive forward new initiatives and ensure that Us
62 Helping Us remained on the cutting edge of HIV prevention care, research and advocacy.
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64 WHEREAS, Antonio Cornelius Baker, with all of his worthy pursuits, maintained a deep
65 passion for the arts, including theatre and art itself - possessing an impressive collection that
66 filled his home.
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68 WHEREAS, Antonio Cornelius Baker passed on Friday, November 8, 2024, and leaves
69 behind a tremendous legacy.
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71 WHEREAS, Antonio Cornelius Baker had a vision for a world where everyone -
72 regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation - had access to quality healthcare and the support
73 they needed to thrive, and this vision will continue to guide the work of Us Helping Us and many
74 other organizations for years to come.
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76 RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that this
77 resolution may be cited as the “Antonio Cornelius Baker Posthumous Recognition Resolution of
78 2024”.
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80 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and celebrates Antonio
81 Cornelius Baker for his unwavering dedication and leadership in the Black and LGBTQ+
82 communities.
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84 Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in
85 the District of Columbia Register.
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