RESOLUTION HONORING ANGALIA BIANCA
WHEREAS, Angalia "Bianca" was raised in Oak Park, Illinois by her father and paternal grandmother; and
WHEREAS, Bianca began using drugs at 9 years old, dropped out of high school, started abusing heroin at the age of 17, and went on to struggle with addiction for 36 years, joined a Chicago gang and eventually became a career criminal ultimately serving more than 12 years in a state prison; and
WHEREAS, When she was released from prison in 2011, she began working for CeaseFire Illinois in the Rogers Park and Uptown areas where her personal experience pushed her to relentlessly help youth and young adults, who are involved in high risk street activity, to make better choices to save their lives and as of October 2013 became a Community Affairs Specialist and Violence Reduction Trainer at the CeaseFire/Cure Violence headquarters at the University of Illinois at Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Today Angalia Bianca is a sober, successful, productive law abiding citizen, has reunited with her family and has dedicated her life to violence prevention and helping youth by traveling internationally to deliver presentations on incarceration, gangs, violence prevention, substance abuse, homelessness and social change at Universities, high schools, Rotary Clubs, state prisons; and
WHEREAS, Bianca has been featured in The Chicago Tribune, Redeye Chicago, DNAInfo Chicago, WBBM Radio, CNN Anderson Cooper 360, the 2014 February issue of Rotary International Magazine, Delaware news online, Internet Media Publications, and was an invited guest at the 2012 inauguration of President Obama when she was featured in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy; and
WHEREAS, In February 2016, Bianca was presented with the 'Global Leadership Award' and Appointed "Ambassador of 'The Golden Rule' Award by Interfaith Peace-Building Initiative Organization, an affiliate of The United Nations and honored with an Honorary Degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in Humanities, presented by United Graduate and Seminary; and
WHEREAS, This past February 2016, Angalia Bianca was driving home and witnessed 3 men with guns firing into a crowd and instead of driving off, and in spite of the gunfire from three gunmen, she parked her car and jumped out and ran to a 15 year old boy who had been shot and applied enough pressure to the bullet wound in his artery to save his life; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this 22nd day of June, 2016, do hereby honor Angalia Bianca for her steadfast commitment to preventing violence and saving lives in the City of Chicago and throughout the world; and
James Cappleman, Alderman, 46th Ward
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Angalia Bianca as a token of our appreciation and esteem.