OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY OF CHICAGO
November 3, 2010
RICHARD M. DALEY
MAYOR
TO THE HONORABLE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO
Ladies and Gentlemen:
1 transmit herewith a resolution honoring the life and memory- of Bishop Dr. Arthur Brazier.
Your favorable consideration of this resolution will be appreciated.
4
H resolution
adopted by Tlie Gltlj QoUHcil
of the Qity of Gkicago, Illinois
presented by MAYOR RICHARD M. DALEY on NOVEMBER 3,2010
Of BUS > The Members of this Chamber were deeply saddened to learn of the death of renowned spiritual leader and community organizer Bishop Arthur M. Brazier on October 22, 2010, at the age of 89; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Brazier was pastor emeritus of the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, and was the founding president of The Woodlawn Organization, which became one of the most successful civic organizations in the nation; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Brazier was born in Hyde Park and attended Phillips High School before having to drop out to find work during the Great Depression, and was drafted into the army in 1942, where he served as a staff sergeant in India and Burma; and
WHEREAS, After the war, while working as a mail carrier, Dr. Brazier completed a high- school correspondence course and became a minister in 1951, and in 1956 he graduated from the Moody Bible Institute after attending six years of night school; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Brazier became the pastor of the Apostolic Church of God in June of 1960 and remained in that capacity until he retired in June of 2008, after 48 years of dedicated and inspiring service; and
^WHEREAS, Under Bishop Brazier's stewardship, the Apostolic Church of God ^jrewfrom a small Woodiawn hefghborhood congregation to a thriving church with an active membership of more than 20,000; and
WHEREAS, For decades, Bishop Brazier was a prominent activist fighting for affordable housing and revitalizing communities; and
WHEREAS, In the 1960s Bishop Brazier began working with community organizer Saul Alinsky to found The Woodlawn Organization in opposition to slum landlords, and to protest the University of Chicago's efforts to displace some South Side residents; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Brazier also was founder of the Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corporation, which has acquired City property on which it has built low-and mixed-income housing, and was founder and chairman of the Fund for Community Redevelopment and Revitalization; and
WHEREAS, He conducted classes at North Park College and Theological Seminary, and lectured at the University of Chicago Law School, Northwestern University Law School, Harvard University, Antioch College, New York School of Social Work and many other educational institutions; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Brazier was the author of several books: Black Self-Determination, Saved by Grace and Grace Alone, From Milk to Meat and the Empowerment Tools Series, which included seven titles, and he authored many articles that appeared in periodicals of all types; and
WHEREAS, As both a spiritual leader and community activist, Bishop Brazier worked skillfully and tirelessly to benefit humankind; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Brazier is survived by his wife, Isabelle, and four children, Lola, Byron, Janice and Rosalyn; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this third day of November, 2010, do hereby express our sorrow over the death of Bishop Arthur M. Brazier, and extend our deepest sympathy to his family and that we further express our respect and gratitude for his dedication to improving the lives of all Chicagoans; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the family of Bishop Brazier as a sign of our honor, respect and esteem.