The Chattanooga City Council has voted to honor the life and legacy of former City Councilman and civil rights activist Leamon Pierce by adding a commemorative street sign designating Cannon Avenue as “Leamon Pierce Avenue.” Pierce passed away on October 11, 2025.
The resolution–#32688–was introduced by Councilwoman Raquetta Dotley and seconded by Councilman Chip Elliott during the Council’s meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The measure passed unanimously.
“Former Councilman Leamon Pierce blazed trails from Selma to City Hall, and leaders like him deserve to have their legacy remembered,” said Councilwoman Dotley. “That’s why it’s so important to memorialize his impact with a commemorative street naming–and it was an honor to support the resolution.”
Pierce, born April 11, 1941, and a lifelong resident of the Park City community, passed away on Oct. 11, 2025, at age 84. He was a pillar of leadership in Chattanooga’s civic and faith circles and a 1960 graduate of Howard High School, where he emerged as an early leader in the local civil rights movement. That same year, he helped organize and lead anti-segregation sit-ins at Chattanooga lunch counters–demonstrations sparked by Howard High School students and inspired by the growing national movement for racial equality.
In 1990, voters in District 8 elected Pierce to Chattanooga’s first modern City Council, where he served with distinction until 2009. During his 19-year tenure, he worked to expand opportunities for residents of underserved neighborhoods, advocate for fair housing, and improve public infrastructure. Colleagues and community members alike remember him as a dedicated, compassionate leader whose integrity and humility guided his public service. Beyond his time in office, Pierce was a business owner, lifelong member of the NAACP, a Howard High Alumni Association supporter, and a mentor to generations of young activists and public servants.