SR0809 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0809 LRB104 21988 MST 37983 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914 by three African-American students, A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I. Brown, who united to form a fraternity that would exemplify the ideals of brotherhood, scholarship, and service; and

WHEREAS, The founders of Phi Beta Sigma offered support and encouragement to Arizona Cleaver Stemons, Pearl Anna Neal, Myrtle Tyler Faithful, Viola Tyler Goings, and Fannie Pettie Watts as they founded Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. at Howard University on January 16, 1920 to raise people's consciousness, encourage scholastic achievement, and foster unity among members, making Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta the first and only fraternity and sorority to be constitutionally bound to each other; and

WHEREAS, Phi Beta Sigma brothers believe that each member and potential member should be judged by their own merits, rather than family background, affluence, race, nationality, skin tone, or hair texture and should work to return newly acquired skills to the communities from which they came, with this conviction mirrored in the fraternity's motto, "Culture For Service and Service For Humanity"; and

WHEREAS, Phi Beta Sigma brothers contributed greatly to the literary and artistic movement known as the Harlem Renaissance, to the cause of civil rights, civic engagement, and freedom, and to the sciences, and membership has included writer Alain LeRoy Locke, poet and diplomat James Weldon Johnson, workers' rights activist A. Philip Randolph, scientist George Washington Carver, astronaut Victor Glover, Congressmen Elijah Cummings, John Lewis, Adriano Espaillat, and Harold Lee Washington, who also served as the first Black Mayor of Chicago, as well as Nnamdi Azikiwe and his contemporary Kwame Nkrumah, the first presidents of independent Nigeria and Ghana, respectively; and

WHEREAS, Zeta Phi Beta was the first Black greek-lettered organization to centralize its operations in a national headquarters, first to charter a chapter in Africa, and the first to form auxiliary groups and currently boasts hundreds of chapters worldwide and over 125,000 members who seek to upload its ideals of "Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood, and Finer Womanhood"; and

WHEREAS, Zeta Phi Beta sisters contributed greatly to the literary and artistic movement known as the Harlem Renaissance, to the cause of civil rights, civic engagement, and freedom, and to the sciences, and membership has included writer and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, attorney Violette Anderson, educator Dr. Elizabeth Koontz, journalist and media entrepreneur Clara McLaughlin, and psychiatrist and substance abuse treatment expert Dr. Alyce Gullattee; and

WHEREAS, On May 19, 2026, members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. will convene at the Illinois State Capitol to engage with policymakers, elevate issues impacting their communities, and promote informed civic participation; and

WHEREAS, This advocacy day reflects the continued commitment of both organizations to uplift underserved communities and to ensure that the voices of those communities are heard in the legislative process; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois benefits from the civic leadership, volunteerism, and policy advocacy demonstrated by members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare May 19, 2026 as Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta Day in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we further commend the members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. for their unwavering commitment to service, advocacy, and community advancement; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the state, regional, and international leadership of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. as a symbol of our respect and esteem.