August 25, 2008 is Henrietta Vinton Davis Day. Below is the proclamation from the Mayor of Washington, DC.

Henrietta Vinton Davis Day
August 25, 2008
A proclamation by the Mayor of the District of Columbia.


WHEREAS, Henrietta Vinton Davis was born on August 25, 1860 in Baltimore, Maryland, but later moved to Washington, DC where she received her education and became the first African American to work at the DC Recorder of Deeds; and


WHEREAS, in her lifetime she worked with the abolitionist movement of Frederick Douglas and the African Redemption Movement of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL) with Marcus Garvey; and


WHEREAS, Henrietta Vinton Davis' residence which is located at 1219 Linden Place, NE has been placed on the Cultural Tourism DC's African American Heritage Trail and today a marker will be unveiled at her grave site:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, THE MAYOR OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, do hereby proclaim August 25, 2008 as "HENRIETTA VINTON DAVIS DAY" in Washington, DC, and call upon all the residents of this great city to join me in remembering this distinguished individual for her contributions.


Adrian M. Fenty
Mayor, District of Columbia