RESOLUTION CELEBRATING REVEREND DR. HENRY O. HARDY'S
85TH BIRTHDAY
WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Henry O. Hardy, CEO of 360 Ministries and Pastor-Emeritus of the Cosmopolitan Community Church of Chicago, will celebrate his 85th birthday on May 3, 2022; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of this joyous occasion by the Honorable Pat Dowell, Alderman of the 3rd Ward; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Hardy is a pastorally passionate, spirit-filled, faithful man of God, who is a well-known and widely respected, unashamedly African-American, and an unapologetically socially activist minister whose exceptional evangelical vision was not only instrumental in providing the congregation with leadership during several transformative periods, but who has also greatly contributed to the spread of an activist model of Christianity through intensive community outreach and service in the 3rd Ward and across Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Hardy has dedicated his life to the pursuit of education, professional excellence, community activism, and service to God - including his 47 years of service during pastorate of Cosmopolitan Community Church of Chicago, being a featured speaker at the historic Million Man March, and continuing to be an active supporter of Black Lives Matter and other social justice movements; and
WHEREAS, A graduate of the University of Illinois School of Journalism, upon hearing the call of Christ, Reverend Hardy entered seminary, earned a Bachelor's of Divinity from the University of Chicago Divinity School and a Master's of Arts Degree in Theology and Literary Criticism from the University of Chicago; Reverend Hardy was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity by the G.M.O.; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his years of preaching, teaching, and reaching, Reverend Hardy is famous for taking his ministry to the streets - into the bristling heart of the urban community; for several years Reverend Hardy was "The Voice of PUSH" where he served as the anchor for the weekly WVON-radio broadcast, and, as chairperson of the PUSH-CBS Negotiation Team, he was responsible for apprising the media of the concerns of minorities, including equity and parity in hiring and decision-making, banking in minority owned banks, and the use of minority products and services; and
WHEREAS, As a former journalist for the Sr. Louis Argus, Chicago Defender, and Gary American, Reverend Hardy is also the accomplished author of "BECOMING", "Reason-N-Rap", and is currently working on his third book "Trump, Tumult, & Transcendence - Poetic Musings 2020 to 2021" a riveting interpretation of. America's social and political environment; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Hardy's community affiliations include: Board Member of the Broadcast Ministers Alliance - DuSable Museum of African-American History; Sigma Delta Chi (Professional Journalism Fraternity); Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity; Board Member, Church Federation of Greater Chicago: Board Member, YMCA: Board Member, One Church/One Child; Former Second Vice President, South Side Branch of the NAACP: Executive Committee, Concerned Citizens for Police Reform: Board Member of Operation PUSH National Rainbow Coalition; and
WHEREAS, As he celebrates this milestone, Reverend Hardy never forgets the importance of working diligently to share the good news of a proud legacy, despite persistent challenges to the strong cultural traditions in the African-American community, to ensure that the powerful identity of hard work and faithful service are never ignored, trivialized, or suppressed; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gathered here this twenty-seventh day of April, 2022, do hereby congratulate Reverend Dr. Henry O. Hardy on his 85th birthday, salute him for the spiritual inspiration and confidence that he instilled in the lives of thousands of his loyal church members for over four decades, and extend to this outstanding citizen our very best wishes for continued professional success, civic activism, and spiritual fulfillment and; and
PAT DOWELL Alderman, 3rd Ward
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to the Reverend Dr. Henry O. Hardy as a sign of our esteem, honor, and respect.