HR0822 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0822 LRB097 20648 GRL 66547 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Grace Sims Holt was born in Union, South Carolina, in 1922; she graduated from Spelman College in 1942 and earned her teaching certificate from the University of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Grace Sims Holt began her teaching career in the Chicago Public Schools, where she served from 1949 to 1969; while teaching elementary school, she also earned her master's degree in speech and communication from Northeastern Illinois University; and

WHEREAS, Grace Sims Holt served as a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago for 22 years; she began her stint at UIC in September of 1969 as an associate professor of speech and theatre; in 1971, she was appointed to establish UIC's Black Studies Program; in 1974, she was appointed to serve as the first director of the Black Studies Program, where she remained until 1986; she also organized UIC's first Black History Month activities and founded the Black History Month Planning Committee, which she chaired for many years; she retired from UIC in 1990; and

WHEREAS, Grace Sims Holt was active in the UIC community throughout her career and became involved in women's and African-American issues at the national level; she was well known as a pioneer for promoting the view of Black English as a dialect of standard English and for developing a black studies curriculum; and

WHEREAS, Grace Sims Holt served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Children; she served as a member of the Editorial Board of African-American Issues Magazine and the Constitutional Conference for the National Conference for Black Studies; she also served as chairperson of the education task force of the National Council for Negro Women; and

WHEREAS, Grace Sims Holt's many achievements were honored by numerous organizations; on the occasion of her retirement in 1990, the University of Illinois at Chicago established the Grace Holt Scholarship for young people seeking an opportunity to enter the African-American Studies Program; and

WHEREAS, Grace Sims Holt passed away in Chicago in 1991, leaving behind a legacy of professionalism and dedicated advocacy for equal opportunity to education; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor Grace Sims Holt for her many achievements as an educator and for serving as an exemplar in the African-American community and as a source of inspiration during Black History Month; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Grace Sims Holt as a symbol of our esteem and respect.