Honoring the life and legacy of the Reverend Gus Roman, a faithful servant of both the gospel and the people, for his legacy of uplifting Philadelphians, and for his unwavering commitment to civil rights locally and abroad.

Honoring the life and legacy of the Reverend Gus Roman, a faithful servant of both the gospel and the people, for his legacy of uplifting Philadelphians, and for his unwavering commitment to civil rights locally and abroad. WHEREAS, Born on December 20th, 1932, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Reverend Roman served in the United States Army and earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at Virginia Union University and Howard University, respectively; and WHEREAS, After serving as a Chaplain in the military, a community organization specialist at Howard University, and the Pastor of First Baptist Church in Baltimore, Reverend Roman moved to Cheltenham Township and became the leader of Canaan Baptist Church in Germantown in 1967; and WHEREAS, Canaan Baptist flourished under Reverend Roman’s leadership, with membership growing from 150 to 850. He oversaw Canaan Baptist’s expansion and relocation to its current location in 1972; and WHEREAS, Reverend Roman quickly became a leader in the local civil rights movement and a close confidant of another local luminary, Reverend Dr. Leon H. Sullivan; and WHEREAS, Reverend Roman was instrumental in helping Reverend Dr. Sullivan develop the National Economic Development Training Program and expand the Opportunities Industrial Center (OIC), a vocational, educational, and life skills training program designed to help young people find and thrive in full-time careers. He served in various roles including as National Director for Community Mobilizat…