Full Text of SJR0005 95th General Assembly
SJ0005 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly wishes to present | 3 |
| this resolution as a tribute to and acknowledgment of Oprah | 4 |
| Winfrey's contributions to the State of Illinois, the nation, | 5 |
| and the world; we benefit immensely from her presence in | 6 |
| Illinois; and
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| WHEREAS, Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954 in | 8 |
| Kosciusko, Mississippi; and
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| WHEREAS, She began her broadcasting career at WVOL radio in | 10 |
| Nashville while still in high school; at the age of 19, she | 11 |
| became the youngest person and the first African-American woman | 12 |
| to anchor the news at Nashville's WTVF-TV; and
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| WHEREAS, In 1976, she moved to Baltimore, Maryland to join | 14 |
| WJZ-TV news as a co-anchor of the Six O'Clock News, and in | 15 |
| 1978, discovered her talent for hosting talk shows when she | 16 |
| became co-host of WJZ-TV's talk show "People Are Talking", | 17 |
| while continuing to serve as anchor and news reporter; in | 18 |
| January 1984, she moved to Chicago to host WLS-TV's morning | 19 |
| talk show "AM Chicago", which became the number one local talk | 20 |
| show just one month after she began; in less than a year, the | 21 |
| show expanded to one hour and, in September 1985, was renamed | 22 |
| "The Oprah Winfrey Show"; in 1986, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" was |
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| syndicated and aired in 107 countries with 23 million viewers; | 2 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, She has impacted the media of television, | 4 |
| publishing, film, philanthropy, education, and health and | 5 |
| fitness; and
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| WHEREAS, In the television medium, the film medium, and the | 7 |
| print medium, she serves as chairperson of HARPO, Inc., HARPO | 8 |
| Productions, Inc.; HARPO Studios Inc., HARPO Films, Inc., HARPO | 9 |
| Print, LLC, and HARPO Video, Inc.; and
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| WHEREAS, She has received numerous awards, including the | 11 |
| George Foster Peabody Individual Achievement Award (1996); the | 12 |
| International Radio and Television Society's "Broadcaster of | 13 |
| the Year" Award (1996); Newsweek's "Most Important Person" in | 14 |
| books and media; TV Guide's "Television Performer of the Year" | 15 |
| (1997); Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People of the | 16 |
| 20th Century"; the National Academy of Television Arts and | 17 |
| Sciences' Lifetime Achievement Award (1998); the National Book | 18 |
| Foundation's 50th Anniversary Gold Medal (1999); the Bob Hope | 19 |
| Humanitarian Award; Broadcasting & Cable's Hall of Fame (2002); | 20 |
| the Association of American Publishers AAP Honors Award (2003); | 21 |
| the National Association of Broadcasters Distinguished Service | 22 |
| Award; and Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the | 23 |
| World" (2004); and
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| WHEREAS, After receiving 39 Daytime Emmy Awards, seven for | 2 |
| Outstanding Host, nine for Outstanding Talk Show, 21 in the | 3 |
| Creative Arts categories, and one for Oprah's work as | 4 |
| supervising producer of the ABC After School Special "Shades of | 5 |
| Single Protein", Oprah removed herself from future Emmy | 6 |
| consideration in 1999, and the show followed suit in 2000; and
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| WHEREAS, Her never-ending philanthropy has been | 8 |
| exemplified by such activities as ChristmasKindness South | 9 |
| Africa 2002; Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls-South | 10 |
| Africa (opening 2007); and the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program; | 11 |
| among her many ventures that have improved the lives of | 12 |
| countless individuals are Oprah's Angel Network;
Oprah's Book | 13 |
| Club; the Live Your Best Life Tour; her service as national | 14 |
| spokesperson for "A Better Chance";
and her service as an | 15 |
| advocate for the National Child Protection Act, which was | 16 |
| signed on December 20, 1993 by President Clinton and declared | 17 |
| the "Oprah Bill"; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | 19 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | 20 |
| CONCURRING HEREIN, that the first week of February in 2007 and | 21 |
| each subsequent year shall be known as Oprah Winfrey Week to | 22 |
| recognize the innumerable achievements of Ms. Winfrey, as well | 23 |
| as her mark on the world as an African-American woman; and be |
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| it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 3 |
| presented to Oprah Winfrey as an expression of our utmost | 4 |
| respect and esteem.
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