HR1112

LRB094 20096 DRH 57706 r






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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives were 
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deeply saddened to learn of the death of John Lee Johnson of 
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Champaign on March 23, 2006; and

 
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    WHEREAS, John Lee Johnson was born Aug. 7, 1941, in 
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Champaign, the son of Thomas and Mamie Carr Johnson; he was 
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preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, and two 
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sisters; and
 

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    WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson was known as an uncompromising civil 
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rights activist who fought for social justice his entire adult 
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life; he was instrumental in the construction of the Martin 
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Luther King subdivision in Champaign and the Eads Street 
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subdivision in Urbana; he was a leader on fair housing, 
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affordable housing, and  providing health care to the poor;
and

 
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    WHEREAS,  Mr. Johnson was a member of the Champaign City 
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Council from 1973 to 1981, and he never stopped attending 
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council meetings; he  ran for City of Champaign Township 
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supervisor, for the Champaign school board, and for the 
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Parkland College board of trustees; he  served on the Busey Bank 
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Community Reinvestment Act Advisory Board; he was involved in 
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Champaign County Health Care Consumers for many years; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson received many awards for civic 
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involvement, from groups ranging from Citizens Action to the 
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Champaign-Urbana Ministerial Alliance; in 1999, Mr. Johnson 
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received the Outstanding Community Service Award from the 
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National Council of African American Men and the Champaign 
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County Chamber of Commerce;

 in 2003, the ministerial alliance 
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saluted him for 40 years of activism against bigotry and 
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prejudice and for removing barriers to achieving the American 
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dream; he was slated to receive the Champaign County Health 
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Care Consumers  lifetime achievement award this year; and

 
 


 






HR1112
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LRB094 20096 DRH 57706 r




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    WHEREAS, The passing of John Lee Johnson is felt by all who 
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knew him, especially his son, John Ore Johnson; his brothers, 
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Louis H. Johnson, Thomas Johnson, Larry Johnson, and William 
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Johnson; his sisters, Gertrude Palmer, Ann Marie Johnson, 
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Fannie Chalk, and Carolyn Johnson;  and his longtime girlfriend, 
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Ruby Taylor; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
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we mourn the death of John Lee Johnson, and we extend our 
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sincerest condolences to his family, friends, and community; 
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and be it further

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