Senate Resolution No. 2568 BY: Senator RAMOS COMMEMORATING Dorothy Bolden's 100th Birthday on October 13, 2024 WHEREAS, From time to time, this Legislative Body takes note of certain individuals whom it wishes to recognize for their valued contributions and to publicly acknowledge their endeavors which have enhanced the basic humanity among us all; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate Dorothy Bolden's 100th Birthday on October 13, 2024; and WHEREAS, Born on October 13, 1924, Dorothy Bolden began working as a domestic worker at the age of nine and continued for 50 years; in the early 1960s, she started educating and advocating for the rights of domestic workers such as nannies, caregivers of the elderly, and house cleaners; and WHEREAS, In 1968, on the advice and encouragement of her neighbor, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Bolden founded the National Domestic Workers Union of America (NDWUA); the group's name was aspirational, in the sense that it was neither national nor a union, but for several decades, it worked to improve working conditions for domestic workers in Atlanta, Georgia; and WHEREAS, The NDWUA eventually represented more than 30,000 domestic workers across 10 cities and was the longest-surviving union of domestic workers in U.S. cities; a true trailblazer, she helped legitimize and organize domestic workers on a scale the country had never seen before and as a result, deserves the highest praise and recognition for her unrelenting and admirable efforts; and WHEREAS, In April 1972, then-Governor Jimmy Carter, in collaboration with Dorothy Bolden and the NDWUA, declared Maids' Honor Day an official holiday in the state of Georgia; through her work with the NDWUA, Dorothy Bolden was able to register thousands of Georgians to vote; and WHEREAS, Dorothy Bolden, who led the NDWUA for 28 years, continued to fight for domestic workers rights until she died in July of 2005; because of her advocacy, the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) was born in 2007, at the first United States Social Forum in Atlanta; and WHEREAS, Each year, the National Domestic Workers Alliance and We Dream in Black celebrate Dorothy Bolden's birthday and the legacy she left for domestic workers; and WHEREAS, In 2010, New York became the first state to win a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, a benefit that undoubtedly was able to come to fruition as a result of the lifelong efforts of Dorothy Bolden and other pioneers alike; and WHEREAS, The National Domestic Workers Alliance's New York chapter members stand in the strong and proud legacy of Dorothy Bolden's work and resistance; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individuals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate Dorothy Bolden's 100th Birthday on October 13, 2024; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the National Domestic Workers Alliance.