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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Renault | ||||||
| 4 | A. Robinson of Chicago; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Renault Robinson received his bachelor's and | ||||||
| 6 | master's degrees from Roosevelt University; he pursued a | ||||||
| 7 | doctorate at Northwestern University; he was a lifelong | ||||||
| 8 | Chicagoan; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Renault Robinson served in the Chicago Police | ||||||
| 10 | Department (CPD) from 1964 to 1983, during which he combated | ||||||
| 11 | racism within the CPD; he also co-founded the Afro-American | ||||||
| 12 | Patrolmen's League (AAPL), an organization committed to | ||||||
| 13 | improving police service in Black communities and advocating | ||||||
| 14 | for equal opportunities to leadership opportunities for Black | ||||||
| 15 | police officers, which won the first civil rights lawsuit | ||||||
| 16 | against the CPD for discrimination against Black, Hispanic, | ||||||
| 17 | and women police officers; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, Renault Robinson played a pivotal role as a | ||||||
| 19 | prominent organizer in Harold Washington's 1977 and 1983 | ||||||
| 20 | mayoral campaigns, with the latter leading to Washington's | ||||||
| 21 | historic victory as the first Black mayor of Chicago; under | ||||||
| 22 | Mayor Washington, he served as chairman of the Chicago Housing | ||||||
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| 1 | Authority (CHA) from 1983 to 1987; during his tenure, he | ||||||
| 2 | worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for residents | ||||||
| 3 | of public housing and oversaw the reinvention of high-rise | ||||||
| 4 | public housing projects, including the construction of new | ||||||
| 5 | mixed-income housing developments; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Renault Robinson worked as vice president of ASI | ||||||
| 7 | Personnel Service before founding his own company, Facilities | ||||||
| 8 | and Ground Maintenance Services, in 2000; through these roles, | ||||||
| 9 | he helped thousands of unemployed and underemployed Chicagoans | ||||||
| 10 | find work; he retired in 2018; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Renault Robinson continued to be active in | ||||||
| 12 | community affairs and was a member of the board of directors of | ||||||
| 13 | several organizations, including the Chicago Urban League | ||||||
| 14 | (CUL) and the National Association for the Advancement of | ||||||
| 15 | Colored People (NAACP); and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, Renault Robinson amassed numerous awards, | ||||||
| 17 | plaques, and commendations during his career, all of which | ||||||
| 18 | recognized his remarkable achievements in advancing civil | ||||||
| 19 | rights; and
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| 20 | WHEREAS, Renault Robinson was a dedicated public servant | ||||||
| 21 | who fought for the rights of all Chicagoans, and he will be | ||||||
| 22 | remembered as a tireless advocate for social justice and a | ||||||
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| 1 | champion of the city's underprivileged and marginalized | ||||||
| 2 | residents; and
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| 3 | WHEREAS, Renault Robinson was preceded in death by his | ||||||
| 4 | parents, Robert and Mable Robinson, and his brother, Robert | ||||||
| 5 | Jr.; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Renault Robinson is survived by his wife, | ||||||
| 7 | Annette, four sons, ten grandchildren, and six siblings; | ||||||
| 8 | therefore, be it
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| 9 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 10 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 11 | we mourn the passing of Renault A. Robinson and extend our | ||||||
| 12 | sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew | ||||||
| 13 | and loved him; and be it further
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| 14 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 15 | presented to the family of Renault Robinson as an expression | ||||||
| 16 | of our deepest sympathy.
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