HR0945 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0945 LRB101 23284 LAW 74434 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to commend Earnest "Ernie" Broadnax for his commitment to the Elgin community as an educator and historian; and

WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax is a lifelong resident of Elgin and a descendent of one of the first African American families in Elgin; he was born in Elgin in 1935 and graduated from Elgin High School in 1953; he attended Elgin Community College in 1953, where he was the first Black basketball player and an award winning member of the speech team; he served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1955 to 1966; he married Eliza on February 28, 1965; he earned an Associate of Arts in Juvenile Corrections from Elgin Community College in 1974; and

WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax was employed jointly by the City of Elgin's Parks and Recreation Department and the Fremont Recreation Center, an Elgin United Way Agency, from 1967 to 1970; during this time, he was the first Black person to have an office in Elgin City Hall; he worked at the Herrick House Children's Shelter under the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services from 1982 to 2000; and

WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax served as the executive producer of the documentary Project 2-3-1: A Story of Elgin's African American Heritage, which premiered in 2015 before being distributed to all 844 public and academic libraries in the State of Illinois in partnership with the Secretary of State in 2016; his documentary received a number of awards, including the Elgin Image Award, the Elgin Mayor's Award, the Midwest Museum Association Best Practices Award, the Midwest History Association Alice B. Smith Prize for Public History, and the American Association of State and Local History Award of Merit; and

WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax was the originator and narrator of the trolley car tour of Elgin's historic African American neighborhood; he also organized an African American Golf Tournament, which was sponsored by New Hope Baptist Church and held in the Elgin area, in 2004; and

WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax has belonged and continues to belong to a number of local organizations, including the Elgin Housing Group, the Veterans Memorial Phase 2 Committee, and the U-46 Advisory Board; he became a member the New Hope Baptist Church in 1985; and

WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax has been the recipient of several honors and accolades, including the Elgin Mayor's Award in 2009, the Elgin Image Award in 2013, the Lasting Impact Award by Elgin Community College in 2015, and the Elgin Veteran of the Month Award for May 2015; he was chosen to travel to Washington, D. C. to receive Gail Borden Library's 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Services Award in 2010; and

WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax serves as a community relations organizer, historical guide and mentor, youth leader, and storyteller; his career has focused on working with youth and teens, ranging from after school programs to correctional facilities; he has mentored orphaned, abandoned, and abused children; he has championed human relations within the Elgin community, including the Elgin Police Department, the City of Elgin, the Gail Borden Public Library, School District U-46, and the Elgin History Museum; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend Earnest "Ernie" Broadnax for his dedication to the Elgin community as an educator and historian, and we wish him continued success in his endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Ernie Broadnax as an expression of our esteem and respect.