RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Members of this Chamber wish to congratulate High School student Raven Smith for her "STRAIGHT FROM THE GO" campaign to emphasize the positive aspects of the City of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Raven Smith, 17, is a senior Honor Roll student at Morgan Park High School and resides on the south side of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, A number of teenagers in Chicago refer to the City by the nickname "The Go";
and
WHEREAS, Disappointed by the negative publicity her home town of Chicago has received around the Nation due to the violence occurring in some neighborhoods, in the winter of 2015, Raven Smith developed the slogan STRAIGHT FROM THE GO. The goal of STRAIGHT FROM THE GO is to foster the image that Chicago is home to many who believe in doing good deeds for others, who want to help their neighbors, who work hard and who are making a difference in the world and reside in a magnificent city; and
WHEREAS, Her slogan succinctly sums up the fact that Chicago should be defined not by its violence but rather by its positive aspects, which include: one of the most beautiful skylines in the world; world-class educational institutions such as The University of Chicago and Northwestern University; its renowned culinary scene; the magnificent Museum Campus including the Field Museum of Natural History, the Adler Planetarium, and the Shedd Aquarium; the future home of the Obama Presidential Center and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art; Navy Pier; Lake Michigan with its outstanding beaches and bike trail; the Creative Arts Foundation; the Hyde Park Jazz Festival; iconic sports venues like Soldier Field and Wrigley Field; Millennium Park and "The Bean"; Maggie Daley Park and its ice-skating ribbon; The Museum of Science and Industry; the DuSable Museum of African-American History; the Gene Siskel Film Center; The Randolph Street Theater District; McCormick Place, one of the largest convention centers in the world; the Chicago Art Institute; the Chicago Riverwalk; nationally recognized comedy schools such as The Second City and IO, where legendary comics such as Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler studied; The Oriental Institute; The Magnificent Mile shopping district; world-renowned architecture; the Black Ensemble Theater; the Lincoln Park Zoo; annual music festivals such as Lollapalooza, Blues Fest, Jazz Fest, Gospel Fest and annual events such as Taste of Chicago, the Air and Boat Show, Bike-the-Drive, and the NFL draft; and
WHEREAS, On December 26, 2015 at the Proviso West Holiday Basketball tournament, Raven Smith began selling shirts with her slogan STRAIGHT FROM THE GO; and
WHEREAS, On January 5, 2016, one of Raven Smith's friends, Sakinah Reed, was murdered at the age of 17. This further inspired Raven Smith to continue her campaign; and
WHEREAS, Her campaign has been featured on Windy City Live, CBS Channel 2, and WVON-AM 690. She has set up a website and several stores carry her merchandise. To date, she has sold well over 1,000 shirts and hats and hopes to put her slogan on other items in the future such as coffee mugs and cell phone cases; and
WHEREAS, Raven Smith has donated $250 to her alma mater, Roseland's Poe Elementary school, to help its budgetary problems. She plans on using future proceeds for other worthy causes; and
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WHEREAS, Since the age of 13, Raven Smith has modeled, appearing in advertisements for companies including Kohl's, Nike and Meijer; and
WHEREAS, After high school, Raven Smith plans to enroll at Millikin University in Decatur to study Athletic Training; and
WHEREAS, All of Chicago is proud of Raven Smith for her work to rebrand Chicago as a magnificent city. Her loving parents Joshua and Eraina (who worked for CPS for 20 years) have supported her in these positive efforts; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this thirteenth day of April, 2016, do hereby congratulate Raven Smith for her positive campaign about the City of Chicago that she calls: STRAIGHT FROM THE GO; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Raven Smith as a token of our admiration and esteem.