adopted by The City Council
ofthe City of Chicago, Illinois
SALUTE TO THE WORLD'S LARGEST STEPPER'S FAMILY COOK-OUT & DANCE PARTY
WHEREAS, since Chicagoland is known as the World Capitol of Steppin'. on Sunday, July 17, 2022, promoters, deejays and instructors throughout the nation gather together with Steppers from everywhere for the World's Largest Stepper's Family Cook-Out & Dance Party taking place in Green Lakes Forest Preserve in Calumet City, Illinois and hosted by Emmy winning ABC 7 Chicago photojournalist Ken Bedford and Thornton Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard; and
WHEREAS Chicago-Style Stepping (aka Steppin') is a ballroom-style urban dance started in this city and rapidly spread due in no small part to former Chicagoans who have moved to other parts of the country and launched it there. Steppin' in Chicago goes back to the late 1940s and early 1950s. Originally called Bopping, it evolved with soul music as the street corner harmony soul songs did with bands; and
WHEREAS Steppin' evolved from the "Bop" ofthe 1970s. In 1973 Sam Chatman was the first to coin the term "Chicago Step" and has been widely credited with Steppin's evolutionary transition from Bop. The swing dance known as Steppin' is a part ofthe Western Swing family. The parent dance, "Chicago Bop", may have been closer to Eastern Swing, but Steppin' has characteristics similar to Western, especially its usage of a lane or slot; and
WHEREAS Chicago-Style Stepping gained a real foothold when a local radio station, WVAZ (102.7FM/1390AM) began playing "Mr. Fix-It" and "Loves Gonna Last", two rather obscure songs recorded by Jeffree Perry in 1979. "Mr Fix it" had modest success as a single on the R&B charts. "Loves Gonna Last" became so popular in Chicago that many steppers dubbed it "The Steppers National Anthem"; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Roderick Sawyer, Alderman of the 6th Ward, has informed this august body of this exceptional event; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that we the Mayor and members ofthe City of Chicago City Council, gathered together this 20th Day of July, 2022 AD, do hereby salute the World's Largest Stepper's Family Cook-Out & Dance Party and extend our heartiest best wishes to all Steppers wherever they may be.
RODERICK T. SAWYER
Alderman - 6th Ward
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that suitable copies of this resolution be prepared and presented to Ken Bedford and Supervisor Tiffany Henyard.