HR1464 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1464 LRB094 21710 HSS 60124 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois are pleased to recognize the Reverend Dr. Albert Sampson on the occasion of the 50 Year International Celebration honoring his ministry; and

WHEREAS, He was born in Everett, Massachusetts, and graduated from Everett High School; he felt the strong call to enter the ministry and was licensed to preach in his home church of Emmanuel Baptist in Malden, Massachusetts; and

WHEREAS, He earned a B.A. degree in religion and social science from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina; he received his master's degree in cultural studies in 1973 from Governors State University in University Park; his Master of Divinity degree in 1977 from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago; and his Doctorate in Divinity from Union Baptist Theological Seminary in Toledo, Ohio; and

WHEREAS, While he was a student at Shaw University, he was President of the student body, President of the Shaw University NAACP, and President of the Youth and College Chapters of the NAACP in North Carolina; he and students from other college campuses were selected to be state legislators and introduced the first public accommodations bill in North Carolina history; he also initiated and led the voter registration and political education drive leading to the election of the first African-American city councilman in North Carolina, John Winters; and

WHEREAS, As Executive Director of the Atlanta branch of the NAACP, Reverend Dr. Sampson was a change agent in the movement for school desegregation in Atlanta; he joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1962 and was selected to be Assistant Director of Affiliates and Chapters of the SCLC; he was selected to study community organizing under the late Saul Alinsky at The Woodlawn Organization (TWO) in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Sampson was the SCLC Project Director under Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., playing a critically important role in the campaign for the election of Carl Stokes, the first African-American mayor of a major U.S. city, Cleveland, Ohio; and

WHEREAS, When Dr. King sought to fix affordable housing issues in America, he appointed Reverend Dr. Sampson as the National Housing Director of the SCLC; he was the only member of the (SCLC) staff to be personally ordained by Reverend Dr. King at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1966; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Sampson is now the founder and president of Farmers Agribusiness Resource Management (FARM), Former President of the Metropolitan Area Council of Black Churches in Chicago, Former President of the Neighborhood Social Entrepreneurs Society (NSET), and President of the Metro Area African American Seniors Resource Network; he also served as a Board Member of one of the largest African-American-owned banks in America; he is Chairman of the Worldwide African Ancestors Society and Publisher of the Black Express News; and

WHEREAS, He has served as Chaplain of the World Conference of Mayors and The National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB); in 2006, he was selected by President George W. Bush and the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to address the second annual White House National Conference on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Conference; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Sampson is named in "The Original African Heritage Study Bible" published by Winston-Derrick Publishing Company as a distinguished Biblical Scholar and Theological Consultant; he has appeared in thousands of media outlets such as "Esquire" and "Ebony" magazines, the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and USA TODAY; he is also featured in the History Makers DVD series as a "Living Legend"; his Biography is recognized in Gale Group's "Who's Who in Black America"; and

WHEREAS, A 50 Year International Celebration honoring the ministry of the Reverend Dr. Albert Sampson is planned for Saturday, October 21, 2006; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor the ministry of the Reverend Dr. Albert Sampson, and we thank him for the many years he has dedicated to serving his fellow people; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Reverend Dr. Sampson as an expression of our esteem.