HR1488LRB099 24011 MST 51601 r


  
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives wish to recognize the life of   Dr. Webb Evans, 
4who passed away on February 23, 2015 at the age of 101; and
  
 
  
5    WHEREAS, Dr. Evans founded the United American
Progress 
6Association (UAPA) in 1961, which encourages African Americans 
7to spend their money
with African American business owners 
8within the community; known as "Mr. Buy Black", he served as 
9President of the UAPA for 51 years; and
  
 
10    WHEREAS, The legacy of Dr. Evans is fighting for economic 
11justice for African Americans; he worked alongside numerous 
12civil rights activists, including Medgar Evers, Dr. Vernon 
13Johns, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., The Honorable Elijah 
14Muhammad, Lu Palmer, Harold Washington, Wesley South, Minister 
15Louis Farrakhan, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and a host of religious, 
16civic, business, political, local, and national community 
17leaders and ordinary people; and
 
18    WHEREAS,  Dr. Evans received many accolades, including 
19Honorary Citizen of the Great Volunteer State of Tennessee, 
20induction into Chicago Senior Citizen Hall of Fame, and being 
21listed in Who's Who in Black America; he traveled to Israel to 
22study the Lifestyle of Blacks in the Holy Land; he was selected 
 
 
HR1488- 2 -LRB099 24011 MST 51601 r

1as Ambassador for Peace by the International Federation for 
2World Peace, honored with a lifetime achievement award from 
3WVON Radio, and received the Thurgood Marshall Award from the 
4National Civil Rights Library Organization; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Dr. Evans published three books; and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, Dr. Evans was a member of PUSH, the Chatham Avalon 
7Park Community Council, the Black United Front, the NAACP, the 
8Cathedral Baptist Church, and the Baptist Pastors Conference of 
9Chicago; and
  
 
10    WHEREAS, The Dr. Webb Evans Center for Economic Change will 
11be dedicated on November 16, 2016; therefore, be it
  
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
13NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
14mourn the passing of Dr. Webb Evans, and extend our sincere 
15condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved 
16him; and be it further
  
 
17    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
18presented to  the family of Dr. Evans as an expression of our 
19deepest sympathy.