RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE STATE OF ILLINOIS AND THE SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER FOR PROMOTING TOLERANCE EDUCATION IN CHICAGO
WHEREAS, incidents of hate and discrimination are impacting minority groups of all backgrounds in both our City and our State; and
WHEREAS, attacks on members of our community based on race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation are serious and growing challenges which need to be addressed through not only law enforcement, but also through education; and
WHEREAS, educating young people about the dangerous impacts of racism, bigotry, prejudice and discrimination is critical to promoting tolerance and acceptance; and
WHEREAS, the Chicago office of the Simon Wiesenthal Center - named after history's most acclaimed Nazi-hunter, holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal - worked with educators and a diverse group of public and private stakeholders to develop a mobile tolerance museum which will travel to schools in Chicago and throughout Illinois to teach these important lessons; and
WHEREAS, this Simon Wiesenthal Center mobile tolerance museum will be operational and educating students next year as a result of a measure passed by the Illinois General Assembly, with particular support from State Senator Ram Villivalam, State Representative Thaddeus Jones, and State Representative Rita Mayfield, and with the approval and support of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gather here this twentieth day of November 2019, do hereby commend the Simon Wiesenthal Center Chicago office, the Illinois General Assembly, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker for supporting tolerance education which will make our community safer and more inclusive; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to the Simon Wiesenthal Center in recognition of its efforts.
MICHELE SMITH Alderman, 43rd Ward
