User:Dembravesfans/Lela Howard

Lela Howard (born in Monroe, Louisiana), is Founder of The Mary Pearl Willis Foundation, a non-profit corporation.

The Foundation honors her aunt who died in Jonestown, Guyana on November 18, 1978. Howard campaigned for recognition of the victims. In 2008 Mayors Timothy Davlin, Gerald Jennings, James Mayo(Monroe, La, Quachita Parish), Gavin Newsom, Antonio Villaraigosa, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Neil Riser, Leland Yee and Los Angeles City Council Members declared by Proclamations, State Legislatures, and Certificates of Recognition November 18, 2008 "A Day of Remembrance."

Howard believes recognition of the American citizens lost that day will aid in erasing stigma associated with the crime. All survivors and families of victims consider the phrase "drinking the Kool-Aid" a mockery of their loved ones.

In 2008 a memorial listing the names of all 918 identified victims and paying homage to the unidentified buried in a mass grave at Evergreen Cemetery, Oakland, California was unveiled.

The Mary Pearl Willis Foundation provides grave markers for low income families to eradicate unmarked graves and works with several charitable organizations, City and State officials to recognize victims of violent crimes.