HR0764 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0764 LRB103 40551 LAW 73083 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Reverend Walter "Slim" Coleman of Chicago, who passed away on April 16, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman was born on August 20, 1943; he was raised in Lubbock, Texas; he attended Harvard University, where he dropped out shortly before graduation to begin his life in activism, later finishing his degree; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman was an influential Chicago activist for more than six decades; he served as an advocate for civil rights and social justice causes and led countless demonstrations; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman became involved with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a predominantly Black, student-run civil rights group; after the organization dissolved, he moved from Cleveland to Chicago in 1966, where he began working with the Students for a Democratic Society, an organization whose headquarters were located near the Illinois Black Panther Party Headquarters on Madison Street, leading him to become acquainted with Chairman Fred Hampton; and

WHEREAS, After parting ways with the Students for a Democratic Society, Rev. Coleman created the People's Information Center in Lincoln, which functioned as part of the Black Panther Party and aided thousands of poor whites and Latinos who lived on Chicago's North Side; and

WHEREAS, After Hampton's death in 1969, Rev. Coleman established the Intercommunal Survival Collective of the Black Panther Party in Uptown, which provided food, education, and legal assistance; his organization evolved into the Heart of Uptown Coalition; and

WHEREAS, Through his monumental voter registration efforts in Chicago's poor white communities, Rev. Coleman played a pivotal role in Harold Washington's historic and successful campaign to become Chicago's first Black mayor in 1983; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman created the Fair Share organization with his future wife, Emma Lozano, to fight gentrification in the West Town and Bucktown communities; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman later became a pastor and led the Adalberto United Methodist Church in Humboldt Park, serving that church and the Lincoln United Methodist Church in Pilsen; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman served as an immigration policy aide to former U.S. Representative Luis Gutiérrez; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman loved playing guitar and music, especially country, blues, and folk; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman leaves behind a legacy of community leadership and activism on behalf of people and communities fighting for fairness and access to resources and power in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman is survived by his wife; five children, Robert Rico, Anita Rico, Tanya Lozano, Joline Lozano, and Roberto C. Lopez; and six grandchildren; 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 Reverend Walter "Slim" Coleman and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Rev. Coleman as an expression of our deepest sympathy.