HR0150 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0150 LRB103 31499 ECR 59398 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Josie B. Childs of Chicago, who passed away on February 13, 2023; and

WHEREAS, Josie Childs was a vibrant, no-nonsense, dynamic, and highly engaging 96-year-old South Side Chicagoan whose entire life encompassed both a historical and present-day living memoir of influential, insightful, and inspirational importance; she was a beloved citizen, a faithful woman, a friend of multitudes, and the founder and president of the Chicago-based nonprofit, the Mayor Harold Washington Legacy Committee (MHWLC); further, she was an exemplary woman who was celebrated and widely respected as a civic institution by generations of Chicagoans for her visionary leadership, serving as inspiration to multigenerational trailblazers of political, business, and community leaders, emerging, next-generation advocates, and future change-agents; and

WHEREAS, Josie Childs was born to Julia Brown and Charles Washington in Clarksdale, Mississippi on October 13, 1926; her grandparents were Black southern landowners and teachers; although born in Clarksdale, she grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and Vicksburg, Tennessee; after graduating high school and attending LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Tennessee, she moved to Chicago in the late 1940s and married James "Jack" Childs Sr., who preceded her in death; she was a founding member of The Congregational Church of Park Manor, UCC, where both she and her husband were lifelong members until their respective passing; they were worldwide travelers, partners in church, social, and civic activities, and lovers of fine dining, the theater, the arts, card games, and jazz music; their massive dining room table served as the setting for the coordination and implementation of many successful Chicago political campaigns, civic engagement and community plans, and other events; and

WHEREAS, Josie Childs worked on the congressional campaigns of Abner Mikva, Ralph Metcalfe, Rod Blagojevich, and Harold Washington; she was an Illinois organizer for the presidential campaigns of Adlai Stevenson Sr., John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter; she was also an Illinois Democratic delegate at the 1980 Democratic National Convention (DNC) in New York City; she worked with the late Honorable Harold Washington on his original 1977 mayoral campaign and his successful 1983 mayoral campaign; following his historic election, she served in administrative positions with the City of Chicago's Special Events and Cultural Affairs departments for many years; and

WHEREAS, Josie Childs served as a passionate, stabilizing social force during turbulent times in Chicago and the United States, when rampant social change was on the horizon virtually every week, and into recent similar civic incursions; while simultaneously fighting for causes in which she believed, she additionally advised, nurtured, and represented new generations of Black and multicultural activist objectors from the neighborhoods of Chicago; over the years, her reputation for dedication, fairness, integrity, and accuracy grew exponentially; she was also revered for her deep personal concern and commitment to the overall community as well as her unique ability to establish lasting relationships among high-level local and nationally elected public servants, business leaders, and cultural influencers, in addition to everyday community leaders and residents; and

WHEREAS, Josie Childs was a cultural, arts-focused, and progressive political firebrand; she exposed many young people to programs she supported at such institutions as Columbia College Chicago, the Goodman Theater, and Harold Washington College; she also encouraged youth to become civic-minded and involved in ongoing efforts of political organizers, striving towards a more just and equitable Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Josie Childs remained active throughout her entire life; in 2013, she partnered with a coalition of local political and civic activists to establish the Mayor Harold Washington Legacy Committee (MHWLC), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that is an educational and civic engagement entity, which is dedicated to preserving the integrity and authenticity of the progressive policy messages of former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington; through her efforts, the MHWLC established the Mayor Harold Washington Legacy Scholarship at his alma mater, Roosevelt University, among other initiatives, and it continues to amplify the memory and historical legacy of this great political statesman and Chicago's first Black mayor for generations of change-agents today and tomorrow; her date of passing, February 13, 2023, has gained further significance to many local leaders and activists as Chicago concludes its year-long centennial celebration of the late Mayor Harold Washington's birth and as the city approaches the 40th anniversary of his historical 1983 election as Chicago's first Black mayor; and

WHEREAS, Josie Childs was involved with many organizations, including the Chicago Urban League, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Board of the Friends of the Chicago Public Library, Planned Parenthood, T.R.U.S.T. Inc., the Board of Know Your Chicago, the Joint Negro Appeal, the National Board of Council on Lay Life and Work, the Duke Ellington Society, the Executive Service Corps, and the Christ Hospital Nursing School; she was also the former president of her condominium board; and

WHEREAS, Josie Childs was the recipient of numerous awards and honors; in 2013, she was honored by Congressman Danny K. Davis with the Georgia Palmer Advocacy Award; she was last honored in February of 2019 by the DuSable Museum of African-American History and Comcast as one of the "Voices of the Civil Rights Movement"; she had also recently donated the Josie Brown Childs Papers, a collection of documents consisting of her family history, her political and social advocacy work, and her efforts to promote enhanced awareness of African American cultural and historical achievements, to the Chicago Public Library; and

WHEREAS, Josie Childs was exceptionally respected and popular all over the City of Chicago but particularly on the South Side, maintaining an impressively large base of supporters among multicultural coalition groups and women; she was a fierce and vocal advocate for Black political empowerment in Chicago and across the United States and a trailblazing woman focused on power and equality; she possessed a suave, confident persona and a never give up or give in approach, perfected as a longtime South Side resident, aptly earning the title as the "Matriarch of the Movement"; her undeniable passion, contagious spirit, and tireless dedication will be missed; and

WHEREAS, Josie Childs is survived by her son, James M. (Bonnie Collins) Childs Jr.; her grandchildren, James A. Childs, Claudia L. (Adrien Houndje) Houndje, and Elysia R. (L. Almestica) Childs; her great-grandchildren, Semenou, Mense, Fifa, and Hontongou Houndje; and countless friends, associates, public officials, church members, and admirers; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Josie B. Childs 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 Josie Childs as an expression of our deepest sympathy.