RESOLUTION REMEMBERING ROBERT "BOB" SHAW
WHEREAS, July 22,2021, marked the conclusion ofa colorful and unique chapter in the annals of Chicago politics with the passing of former Commissioner ofthe Cook County Board of Review and two time 9th Ward Alderman Robert Shaw; and 1
WHEREAS, Robert Shaw, together with his late twin brother William Shaw, a former state senator and mayor of Dolton, made a formidable and, at times, controversial political duo in Chicago, Cook County and Illinois politics. The brothers started life on July 31, 1937, in Hope, Arkansas, the same birthplace as former U.S. President Bill Clinton, but eventually migrated to Chicago's West Side in the mid-1950s where he and his brother became civil rights activists who helped elect the first African American Alderman in the 24th Ward. The brothers led demonstrations throughout the westside promoting African American political empowerment and were instrumental in supporting Dr. Martin Luther King's fair housing initiative on the westside. Eventually, the duo moved to the South Side, where they made their mark in the 1970s, becoming well-known in political circles by wearing similar hairpieces and having public clashes with Democratic Party officeholders; and
WHEREAS, serving as Alderman in the 9th Ward in two nonconsecutive terms, Robert Shaw was first elected in 1979 and promoted legislation requiring Black history to be taught in public schools, pushed to create 40,000 patronage jobs and sought to remove the image of a tall ship from the city's seal, arguing that the vessel represented slavery. He was elected again in 1987 and was succeeded by the current Alderman of the 9th Ward, Hon. Anthony Beale. In 1998, Shaw became a Cook County Board of Review commissioner where he served until retiring in 2008; and
WHEREAS, most notably, the Shaw brothers formed a powerful political organization that led to more than 6o African American lawyers to become Circuit Court and Appellate Judges in Cook County by...
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