HR0972 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0972 LRB096 21433 GRL 37817 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of E. Duke McNeil of Chicago, who passed away on February 21, 2010; and

WHEREAS, E. Duke McNeil was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee; he then moved to Chicago and attended the DePaul School of Law; and

WHEREAS, E. Duke McNeil was motivated to earn his law degree after watching the activism of Thurgood Marshall; in 1974, he made history in Chicago by becoming the first black man to launch a campaign for the mayor's office; his candidacy helped lay the groundwork for Chicago's first black mayor, Harold Washington; Mr. McNeil defended the Black Panthers in the 1970s and represented hundreds of criminal defendants throughout his professional career; he also provided his legal services to people who could not afford a lawyer and recruited others to do the same; and

WHEREAS, E. Duke McNeil was a founding member of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition; he walked with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the fight for open housing and worked for quality education for children; he also served as host of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition's weekly forum for more than 20 years; and

WHEREAS, E. Duke McNeil is survived by his wife, Carrie; his daughters, J. Rita McNeil-Danish and Rita; and his son, Stephen; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of E. Duke McNeil; and be it further

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