SR1342 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1342 LRB100 16980 MST 32249 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Dr. Bambade Shakoor-Abdullah of Chicago, who passed away on December 8, 2017; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah was born in Chicago to Myrtle (Watson) and Roland Flynn on August 26, 1951; she attended Wells High School in Harvey and, then as part of a desegregation program, attended Roosevelt High School in Chicago; she graduated high school at the age of 16 and earned her bachelor's degree from Chicago State University; she became the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1992; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah was born Lolita Flynn and converted to Islam at the age of 17; she was introduced into the Rite of Passage in 1979 and was formally trained in 1989; she dedicated the next three decades of her life to empowering youth and changing the world one child at a time; she also led Rites of Passage classes, including with Class X offenders at the Cook County Jail and published the book, Sankofa; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah married Kasib Abdullah in 1993 in South Holland and adopted two sons, who she raised as if they were her own; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah founded the Leadership Development Institute in 1989, a non-profit organization focused on the education and empowerment of youth; in 2004, she founded the C-MECCA School; her most recent endeavor was the Dreams and Visions Youth Outreach Program; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah was appointed by Governor Quinn to the Muslim American Advisory Council; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah has authored multiple resolutions that have been adopted by the Illinois House of Representatives and Senate; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah was preceded in death by her parents; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah is survived by her husband, Kasib; six children; eight grandchildren; her siblings, Julia Ross, Roland Flynn, Melvin Flynn, Guillermoe Flynn, Juana (Jamila) Rashid, Juan Flynn, Rolanda Flynn, and Antonia Flynn; and numerous nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Dr. Bambade Shakoor-Abdullah, and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah as an expression of our deepest sympathy.