SR1080 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Violence in underserved communities with minority populations has reached epidemic proportions; black males have been classified as endangered species, unemployed, or unemployable; African American communities in particular have not been included in innovation while unemployment in these areas rises and crime surges; and

WHEREAS, The United States of America is recognized as a world leader in technological and energy innovation; measures to improve the level of participation and inclusion of members from underserved communities in collaborative research, science, technology, and innovation projects and to promote investments to enhance public knowledge and to achieve sustainable participation should be considered; and

WHEREAS, Full and equal access to, and participation in, science, technology, and innovation for underserved populations is imperative for achieving some measure of equality and the empowerment of those targeted groups, and addressing barriers to equal access for men and women to science, technology and innovation requires a systematic, comprehensive, integrated, sustainable, multidisciplinary, and multi-sectoral approach; and

WHEREAS, It is the first responsibility of our elected representatives and civic leaders to ensure the inclusive rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for peoples in all communities; and

WHEREAS, Efforts should be put in place at the community, city, state, federal and international level to stem the tide of violence against underserved communities by devising collaborative models to tackle some of business and society's most complex opportunities for underserved communities, and identify the leadership attributes that enable inclusive innovation and measurable change on a large scale; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the State of Illinois and the federal government to work towards including underserved communities in collaborative research, science, technology, and innovation projects and to promote investments to enhance public knowledge and to achieve sustainable participation.