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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to commend Earnest "Ernie" Broadnax for
4his commitment to the Elgin community as an educator and
5historian; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax is a lifelong resident of Elgin and
7a descendent of one of the first African American families in
8Elgin; he was born in Elgin in 1935 and graduated from Elgin
9High School in 1953; he attended Elgin Community College in
101953, where he was the first Black basketball player and an
11award winning member of the speech team; he served in the U.S.
12Marine Corps from 1955 to 1966; he married Eliza on February
1328, 1965; he earned an Associate of Arts in Juvenile
14Corrections from Elgin Community College in 1974; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax was employed jointly by the City of
16Elgin's Parks and Recreation Department and the Fremont
17Recreation Center, an Elgin United Way Agency, from 1967 to
181970; during this time, he was the first Black person to have
19an office in Elgin City Hall; he worked at the Herrick House
20Children's Shelter under the Illinois Department of Children
21and Family Services from 1982 to 2000; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax served as the executive producer of

 

 

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1the documentary Project 2-3-1: A Story of Elgin's African
2American Heritage, which premiered in 2015 before being
3distributed to all 844 public and academic libraries in the
4State of Illinois in partnership with the Secretary of State in
52016; his documentary received a number of awards, including
6the Elgin Image Award, the Elgin Mayor's Award, the Midwest
7Museum Association Best Practices Award, the Midwest History
8Association Alice B. Smith Prize for Public History, and the
9American Association of State and Local History Award of Merit;
10and
 
11    WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax was the originator and narrator of
12the trolley car tour of Elgin's historic African American
13neighborhood; he also organized an African American Golf
14Tournament, which was sponsored by New Hope Baptist Church and
15held in the Elgin area, in 2004; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax has belonged and continues to
17belong to a number of local organizations, including the Elgin
18Housing Group, the Veterans Memorial Phase 2 Committee, and the
19U-46 Advisory Board; he became a member the New Hope Baptist
20Church in 1985; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax has been the recipient of several
22honors and accolades, including the Elgin Mayor's Award in
232009, the Elgin Image Award in 2013, the Lasting Impact Award

 

 

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1by Elgin Community College in 2015, and the Elgin Veteran of
2the Month Award for May 2015; he was chosen to travel to
3Washington, D. C. to receive Gail Borden Library's 2009
4National Medal for Museum and Library Services Award in 2010;
5and
 
6    WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax serves as a community relations
7organizer, historical guide and mentor, youth leader, and
8storyteller; his career has focused on working with youth and
9teens, ranging from after school programs to correctional
10facilities; he has mentored orphaned, abandoned, and abused
11children; he has championed human relations within the Elgin
12community, including the Elgin Police Department, the City of
13Elgin, the Gail Borden Public Library, School District U-46,
14and the Elgin History Museum; therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
16HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
17we commend Earnest "Ernie" Broadnax for his dedication to the
18Elgin community as an educator and historian, and we wish him
19continued success in his endeavors; and be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
21presented to Ernie Broadnax as an expression of our esteem and
22respect.