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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | ||||||
| 3 | learn of the death of Brian Sleet of Chicago, who passed away | ||||||
| 4 | on December 26, 2018 at the age of 41; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Brian Sleet was born and raised in Chicago's | ||||||
| 6 | Chatham neighborhood and was committed to his community and to | ||||||
| 7 | public service; he graduated from Whitney Young High School in | ||||||
| 8 | 1996; he earned a degree in Sociology from Dartmouth College in | ||||||
| 9 | 2000; in 2005, he earned his Juris Doctor from the University | ||||||
| 10 | of Illinois; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Brian Sleet returned to Chatham after college and | ||||||
| 12 | spent time teaching at a neighborhood elementary school; he | ||||||
| 13 | began his political career at the U.S. Census Bureau and as a | ||||||
| 14 | staffer for former Representative Jesse Jackson Jr.; he also | ||||||
| 15 | practiced independently as an attorney, mainly on family law | ||||||
| 16 | cases; in 2011, he ran for alderman in the 6th Ward; during | ||||||
| 17 | that race, he developed a friendship with Alderman Roderick | ||||||
| 18 | Sawyer, who started as his competitor but evolved into a close | ||||||
| 19 | ally; he joined Sawyer's campaign during the runoff, and, after | ||||||
| 20 | Sawyer won the post, he was appointed chief of staff; in 2015, | ||||||
| 21 | he helped get Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx elected; | ||||||
| 22 | recently, he worked as a senior adviser with the communications | ||||||
| 23 | strategy firm, Kivvit, where he was a spokesman for the Obama | ||||||
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| 1 | Foundation as it sought City Council approval for the planned | ||||||
| 2 | presidential library in Jackson Park; earlier this year, he | ||||||
| 3 | also started his own consulting agency and worked to help | ||||||
| 4 | connect corporate clients with grass-roots leaders; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Brian Sleet's pride and joy was serving on the | ||||||
| 6 | board of Chicago Votes; outside his City Hall work, he enjoyed | ||||||
| 7 | long conversations over a glass of bourbon and a fine cigar; | ||||||
| 8 | and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Brian Sleet was committed to improving the quality | ||||||
| 10 | of life for people on the South Side and across the City of | ||||||
| 11 | Chicago and to training young black organizers and political | ||||||
| 12 | operatives; he was known as a forthright, well-connected | ||||||
| 13 | strategist who would toil relentlessly to help candidates | ||||||
| 14 | connect with marginalized communities in new and innovative | ||||||
| 15 | ways; his keen political mind, speechwriting savvy, and mastery | ||||||
| 16 | of social media meant anybody running for elected office wanted | ||||||
| 17 | his advice; news of his death led to an outpouring of | ||||||
| 18 | condolences from elected leaders, community activists, and | ||||||
| 19 | neighbors, prompting the creation and prominence of the | ||||||
| 20 | #SleetisChicago hashtag; and
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| 21 | WHEREAS, Brian Sleet is survived by his fiancee, Nathalie | ||||||
| 22 | Essex; his parents; his brother; and his large extended family; | ||||||
| 23 | therefore, be it
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| 1 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL | ||||||
| 2 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
| 3 | Brian Sleet and extend our sincere condolences to his family, | ||||||
| 4 | friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further
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| 5 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 6 | presented to the family of Brian Sleet as an expression of our | ||||||
| 7 | deepest sympathy.
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