A CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION Recognizing the Significance
of Black History Month
WHEREAS, It has been the long-established custom of the Chicago City Council, this august Le;gi.slatjye body, to honor the legacy of those distinguished individuals and groups whose life, work and civic endeavor serve to enhance the quality of life for Chicagoans; and
Whereas the month of February is officially celebrated as Black History Month, which ;dates back to 1926 when Dr. Carter jG. Woodson, a Chicago historian set aside a sgecial period of time in February to recognize the heritage and achievement of sBiaTcte Americans; and
Whereas;^ Lincein and Frederick Douglass inspired the
creatlojn of Negro History Week, the forerunner tp Black History Month;
Whereas Negro History Week represented the culmination of Dr. Carter G. Woodson's efforts to erihanceimowledge of Black history at the legendary Wabash YMCA; and
Whereas, the first Africans were brought involuntarily to the shores of the Americas as slaves* early as the. 17th century; and
Whereais todays Africans inyAmerica and their-descendants are now known as Black Americans and
V^ereas, AfrjcajiTAj^ suffered ienSlavgment and^uJ^seQuently faced the injustices of lynch mobs, segregation, and denial of basic, fundamental rights; and
Whereas, despite slavery, African-Americans in all walks of life have made
significant contributions throughout the history of the United States,
including the Black man of Haitian descent, Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, who first
settledjfn and ifgurraed^the^City b:f^Ch1jcago; and
^ertfasi tiftday we honor prominent African.Americah Illinois legislators such as John Wf E. Thomas of Chicago, the first^frLcan American Illinois legislator, who was elected to W$b IHihpjS House '0f^epi0^ents^Ws in 1B76- and the flrstAfrican American elected tp the illlinois Senate was Adelbert H. Roberts in £924.
Farther, |^s^ 1915cmade history, becoming the first
OTcaj^Ah^^^^ DePriestewas aj§p the first African-
American ejected to ^ North, representing the 1st Gbngrejssionai
SlgtrjiBfe^^ century; and
Whereas, we salute the late Anna Langford, who was the first Black women elected to the Chicago City Council in 1971 and;the current City Council Black Caucus; and
Whereas, we further recognize Cecil Partee, the first African-American President of tt^^IlUni<3Li^^^^jat^ aus?vv^ll ?as *lie lat^ fQinnrier 'IIIinbiSHSenator iand GflicagQ*s first Black SfeybrHarold Washington; and
$hete^ a few African-American achievers:
(^ Literature: The^ Lorraine Hansberry, Booker T.
Washington, Rh^ Mbrrison,-Ralph Ellison, Zora
Neale iHurstbn, d
(2piyiusic; ^e-music of ^hemas^At Bb.rseyy Wiilie Dixon, IVlahalia JacksbnrCurtis Mf^ffil&l^
(^Ar& & ittbtetics: The Resolye of artists like actor Andre Brauher, Dr. Margaret
BurrpuJhs^A^^ jyiptlejp, and The^ster ^ates, to athietes.such as Jackie Robinson.
Mi:chaei Jordan, Ernie 'Mr. Cub' Banks, Althea Gibson, Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Syreena and VenuS-Williarrisv and !Mubammad»Ali;
{4}Bcience & Technology: The Sci,e of George Washington Carver,
Charles Dreiw, Dr. Mark Dean, who invented the personal desktop computer for IBM, ahj Astroft^
Leader^ of leaders: such as Frederick; Ppuglass, Mary McLeod
B^llBIDk, fhurgbo^l^ Dr. Jfl'ar$^^
0) Hiyil R^gh^lrl^
thelfront lines^in the batee-against oppression, such as Sojourner Truth, Fannie Lou
Hammer^ and Moss Parks, In additip^ l ike Ruth
PeJIs, a-west side resident known as?thelRosa Parks of .LawndalP; and
^'Whejieas mthe^ce^ofmjustices, United States citizens of
all ;r,acje;s committed themsjete^ noble ideas upon which the United States was founded and courageously-fought for the rights and freedom of African-Americans; and
Whereas Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., iMaicpim X and Medgar Evers, and countless other unsung 'heroes and sheroes' lived, worked, fought, marched and died to make real these noble ideas of Freedom, Equality & Opportunity," and
Whereas a memorial commemorating;the life and-ideals pf D.r. Martin Luther King, Jr.-, was placed on the National Mall for all people to observe his leadership in the struggle for freedom arid truth;; and the hew National Museum of Afripah-Americah iliistpry^Quto Washingtpnj Q;C. stands as a test-ament to our historical and ongoing legacy Of achie^emeht; and
Whereas Barack Hussein Ohama wasrelected and reelected the 44th President of the United States, making him the first African-American chief executive and overcoming one of the last great racial challenges^in politics in this country, and his Presidential library will be housed on the city'sisouth side in his honor;
Now, therefore; be it Resplyed that — We the Mayor ;and the members of the Chicago
'City%oifhcil dp hereb^^ijmaHy prpplaim that this document, submitted oh
A^^I^y* f^niaf^$Sij Msff riiaf be^ as $hp "Chicago City Council
Brack History IWlpht-h itieMMPh of ^j017"f
ima Mitts, Alderman-37th Ward
Be It Further iRespjyed, That a suitable copy pf this respljutipn be prepared and included in the official record of the Journal of .Proceedings of the Chicago City 'Council in ^recognition ofiour grati^ua^e^and esteem^
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