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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Dr. Webb Evans founded the United American
3Progress Association in 1961; Dr. Evans believed in and worked
4on the creation of economic prosperity for the black community
5throughout the world through churches and political and
6business leaders in accordance with the second phase of Dr.
7Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision, changing the struggle from
8Civil Rights to Economic and Political Empowerment; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Dr. Evans' foundation created numerous ways to
10improve economic conditions for black Americans by preparing
11them to enter into the business world with the knowledge on how
12to redirect their savings and spending power globally and
13throughout the black communities; these black-owned businesses
14would, in turn, create more jobs for blacks; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Dr. Evans also depended on other sources, such as
16black-owned press outlets, churches, and businesses, to get his
17message across to "Buy Black"; Dr. Evans believed that black
18dollars matter and that the black community must march with
19their dollars in order to accomplish what was not accomplished
20with the other previous marches across the globe; and
 
21    WHEREAS, The Neilson Report shows that the buying power of
22African Americans will reach $1.1 trillion by 2015; if black

 

 

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1consumers spend 10% more of their income in black businesses,
2the resulting revenue would generate 1 million jobs; in 2007,
3on the south side of Chicago, residents in predominately black
4neighborhoods spent a collective of $3.8 billion outside of
5their own South Side communities; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Many trailblazers and influential leaders have
7stood for economic, social equality, and independence for
8African Americans throughout the world and have labored, fought
9for, and understood how it was, including Marcus Garvey, who
10fought for the collective economic interest of African
11Americans and created the Universal Improvement Association in
121914; A. Philip Randolph, founder and co-editor of The
13Messenger, an African American socialist magazine, renowned
14black labor union organizer and civil rights worker, and
15principal organizer and author of the March on Washington,
16where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his historical "I Have A
17Dream" speech; W.E.B. Dubois, leader of the Niagara Movement, a
18group of African-American activists who wanted equal rights for
19blacks; and Malcolm X, one of the most pivotal figures in civil
20rights history; therefore, be it
 
21    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
22NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
23designate the month of August in 2015 as Buy Black, Love Black,
24and Give Black in the State of Illinois; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That we urge all citizens of this State to help
2build a solid economic foundation that would allow African
3Americans to shape their own destinies and maximize their
4economic interests through various means, including opening an
5account at a local black bank, supporting historically black
6colleges and universities, eating at black owned restaurants,
7hiring black real estate brokers, visiting black doctors and
8dentists for health care, getting building and other quotes
9from black contractors, visiting African-American museums and
10libraries, watching or renting black-produced films,
11subscribing to black newspapers, magazines, and websites,
12using black caterers and event planners, visiting black
13retailers, investing with a black-managed, publicly-traded
14firm, contributing to a black political candidate, visiting a
15black cultural event, and participating in Buy Black Wednesday
16by spending money with a black business every Wednesday.