Rochelle Yates-Whittington, mother of Marcus J. Yates, the 5-year old child who was gunned down inside a candy store in Southwest Philadelphia on July 18, 1988. She is the wife and the assistant to Pastor Bryan Whittington of Crist Covenant Family Worship Center, in Delaware. She is a mother of seven; Anthony, Malcolm, Marcus, Tanisha, Myleka, Shanice, and Renee, adopted mother of two, step-mother of one, grandmother of 12, and foster mother/Godmother to countless others.
Product of Overbook High School in West Philadelphia, Rochelle then graduated from Community College and Eastern University with her Bachelor’s in Organizational Management and AA Early Childhood Education. She was employed by the Children Hospital of Philadelphia as an Infant Toddler Specialist. For many years she worked with at-risk children and families, helping to provide a better life for those in her community. In addition to being fully employed, Rochelle marched, protested against gun violence, and spoke to students at numerous elementary, middle, high schools and colleges in Philadelphia about the importance of making good choices.
Rochelle travelled to Harrisburg, PA and Washington, DC to stand with the Governor and Legislators, as an activist seeking federal support of common sense gun laws to stop the violence that plagues the city which she loves.
Rochelle received numerous awards for her work in fighting against violence in the city of Philadelphia. Rochelle has been recognized by President G.W. Bush, Governor Bob Casey, Governor Tom Ridge, Congressman Lucien Blackwell, U.S. Senator Harris Wofford, State Senator Anthony Hardy Williams, Mayor Wilson Goode, Mayor Ed Rendell and Mayor Michael Nutter. Continuing the movement, Rochelle was a guest on nationally syndicated television shows such as; the Montel Williams Show, Joan Rivers Show, and the Geraldo Rivera Show.
Rochelle, has been the recipient of the WCAU Channel 10 Spirit of Philadelphia Award, Liberty Bell Award presented by Mayor Goode, Rich Montgomery Hero of Peace Award, and recently the WDAS Philadelphia Women of Excellence Award for her work in bringing attention to the violence that has caused so many innocent lived to be lost. City Council woman Janine Blackwell dedicated a “tree of life” a Memorial of Marcus J. Yates, at Lewis C. Cassidy Elementary School, the school he once attended. The tree of life dedication and revealing where the keynote address and ceremonial planting was performed by former Mayor Michael Nutter. In 2018, 30 years after his death, Councilman Johnson introduced a proclamation to City Council to rename the street where Marcus was killed from 60th and Springfield Ave to Marcus J. Yates Way, which passed posthumously.