HR1083 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1083 LRB099 21032 GRL 46094 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Henry English; and

WHEREAS, Henry English was a Chicago native who grew up on the city's Near West Side, blocks from Farragut Career Academy; after a stint in the United States Marine Corps, he returned to Chicago and became an activist; while studying and serving in student government at what was then called Crane Junior College, he rallied his classmates to the cause of changing the school's name to Malcolm X College; and

WHEREAS, Henry English was an organizer and advocate for Chicago's most under-served neighborhoods for more than 40 years; in 1983, he founded the Black United Fund of Illinois, which raises charitable donations to provide grants and expertise to small not-for-profit groups and programs for job training; as a Black Panther leader who recruited a young Bobby Rush in the 1960s, he went on to invest in the economic development of African American communities; and

WHEREAS, After graduating from Cornell University, Henry English briefly worked as a healthcare administrator before founding the Black United Fund of Illinois; his commitment to Chicago's African American neighborhoods led him to champion such initiatives as voter registration, leading to a lifetime of supporting safe, healthy, and resilient children, families, and communities; and

WHEREAS, Henry English is survived by his wife, Denise; his sons, Nkrumah and Jummane; and his daughters, Kenya and Kamillah; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his family and friends, mourn the passing of Henry English; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Henry English as an expression of our sympathy.