HR1463 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1463 LRB094 21687 HSS 60095 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois are pleased to recognize the 65th birthday and 40 years of service in the Civil Rights Movement of a human rights, religious, and political icon, the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.; and

WHEREAS, He was born on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, and graduated from the public schools in Greenville; he then enrolled in the University of Illinois on a football scholarship; he later transferred to North Carolina A&T State University and graduated in 1964; he began his theological studies at the Chicago Theological Seminary, but deferred his studies when he began working full-time in the Civil Rights Movement; he received his earned Master of Divinity degree in 2000; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Jesse Jackson began his activism as a student in the summer of 1960, seeking to desegregate the local public library in Greenville, and then as a leader in the sit-in movement; in 1965, he became a full-time organizer for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC); he was soon appointed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to direct SCLC's Operation Breadbasket program; and

WHEREAS, In December of 1971, Reverend Jackson founded Operation PUSH (People United to Serve Humanity) in Chicago; the goals of Operation PUSH were economic empowerment and expanding educational, business, and employment opportunities for the disadvantaged and people of color; and

WHEREAS, In 1984, he founded the National Rainbow Coalition, a national social justice organization, based in Washington, D.C., devoted to political empowerment, education, and changing public policy; in September of 1996, the Rainbow Coalition and Operation PUSH merged in the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition to continue the work of both approaches and to maximize resources; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson's two presidential campaigns broke new ground in U.S. politics; his 1984 campaign registered over one million new voters, won 3.5 million votes, and helped the Democratic Party regain control of the Senate in 1986; his 1988 campaign registered over two million new voters, won seven million votes, and helped boost hundreds of state and local elected officials into office; it was also an historic victory, because he came in first or second in 46 out of 54 primary contests; and

WHEREAS, He has continued to be a leading advocate for a variety of public policy issues, including universal health care, equal administration of justice in all communities, sufficient funding for enforcement of civil rights laws, and increased attention to business investment in under-served domestic communities; and

WHEREAS, As a highly respected and trusted world leader, Reverend Jackson has acted many times as an international diplomat in sensitive situations; in 1984, Reverend Jackson secured the release of captured U.S. Navy Lieutenant Robert Goodman from Syria and the release of 48 Cuban and Cuban-American prisoners in Cuba; he was the first American to bring hostages out of Kuwait and Iraq in 1990; in 1999, he negotiated the release of U.S. soldiers held hostage in Kosovo; he has traveled extensively in the Middle East and Asia and was a special guest of President Fernando Cardoso of Brazil in honoring Zumbi, the leader of slave revolts that led to the end of slavery in Brazil; and

WHEREAS, A hallmark of Reverend Jackson's work has been his commitment to youth; he has visited thousands of high schools, colleges, universities, and correctional facilities encouraging excellence, inspiring hope, and challenging young people to study diligently and stay drug-free; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson has also been a consistent and vigorous supporter of the labor movement in the U.S. and around the world; he is known as someone who has walked more picket lines and spoken at more labor rallies than any other national leader; and

WHEREAS, In October of 1997, Reverend Jackson was appointed by President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright as "Special Envoy of the President and Secretary of State for the Promotion of Democracy in Africa"; in this official position Reverend Jackson traveled to several countries on the African continent and met with national leaders; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson married his college sweetheart Jacqueline Lavinia Brown in 1963; they have five children: Santita Jackson, Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr., Jonathan Luther Jackson, Yusef DuBois Jackson, Esq., and Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson, Jr.; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr. on the occasion of his 65th birthday; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Reverend Jackson as an expression of our profound respect and esteem and with best wishes for the future.