A RESOLUTION HONORING THE LIFE OF SHIRLEY J. NEWSOME
WHEREAS, It is with great sadness that the members ofthis Chamber have been informed pf the passing of Shirley J. Newsome on Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25, 2022; and
WHEREAS, As the former Alderman of Chicago's 4th Ward, a lifelong resident of the City of Chicago, a tireless community advocate, and award-winning civic leader, Shirley J. Newsome will be greatly missed by all; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Newsome was born on August 15,1945 to Reverend Charlie Murray Sr. and Blancy Lillie Strong, in Chicago, Illinois as one of six siblings along with Patricia, Stephanie, Kim, Ruby, and Charles; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Newsome grew up worshiping at her father's church, West Side New Galilee Missionary Baptist Church (431 N. Laramie Ave.), and received her formal education at Marshall High School (3250 W. Adams St.) before graduating from Chicago Teachers College - now known as the Chicago State University College of Education; and
WHEREAS, Her entrance into community advocacy started in 1981, just two years after she moved to the North Kenwood-Oakland community, when she organized the Lake Park-Berkeley-Ellis-Drexel Block Club Association; and
WHEREAS, From these seemingly humble beginnings Shirley J. Newsome grew into a prolific civic leader, focusing on issues of housing displacement, community development, economic revitalization, schools, arts, parks, childcare, and public safety; and
WHEREAS, Starting in 1991, Mrs. Newsome served as the head ofthe Kenwood-Oakland Community Conservation Council (NK-0 CCC) where she fought against the displacement of longtime residents by helping the neighborhoods receive landmark status to preserve existing housing, as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the University of Chicago Charter Schools from 1995-2014 where she helped guide the school's educational mission and expansion, as the Chairman ofthe Board of Directors forthe South East Chicago Commission from 2008 to 2019 and the Ch...
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