Full Text of HR0608 99th General Assembly
HR0608 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Webb Evans founded the United American | 3 | | Progress Association in 1961; Dr. Evans believed in and worked | 4 | | on the creation of economic prosperity for the black community | 5 | | throughout the world through churches and political and | 6 | | business leaders in accordance with the second phase of Dr. | 7 | | Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision, changing the struggle from | 8 | | Civil Rights to Economic and Political Empowerment; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Evans' foundation created numerous ways to | 10 | | improve economic conditions for black Americans by preparing | 11 | | them to enter into the business world with the knowledge on how | 12 | | to redirect their savings and spending power globally and | 13 | | throughout the black communities; these black-owned businesses | 14 | | would, in turn, create more jobs for blacks; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Evans also depended on other sources, such as | 16 | | black-owned press outlets, churches, and businesses, to get his | 17 | | message across to "Buy Black"; Dr. Evans believed that black | 18 | | dollars matter and that the black community must march with | 19 | | their dollars in order to accomplish what was not accomplished | 20 | | with the other previous marches across the globe; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, The Neilson Report shows that the buying power of | 22 | | African Americans will reach $1.1 trillion by 2015; if black |
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| 1 | | consumers spend 10% more of their income in black businesses, | 2 | | the resulting revenue would generate 1 million jobs; in 2007, | 3 | | on the south side of Chicago, residents in predominately black | 4 | | neighborhoods spent a collective of $3.8 billion outside of | 5 | | their own South Side communities; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Many trailblazers and influential leaders have | 7 | | stood for economic, social equality, and independence for | 8 | | African Americans throughout the world and have labored, fought | 9 | | for, and understood how it was, including Marcus Garvey, who | 10 | | fought for the collective economic interest of African | 11 | | Americans and created the Universal Improvement Association in | 12 | | 1914; A. Philip Randolph, founder and co-editor of The | 13 | | Messenger, an African American socialist magazine, renowned | 14 | | black labor union organizer and civil rights worker, and | 15 | | principal organizer and author of the March on Washington, | 16 | | where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his historical "I Have A | 17 | | Dream" speech; W.E.B. Dubois, leader of the Niagara Movement, a | 18 | | group of African-American activists who wanted equal rights for | 19 | | blacks; and Malcolm X, one of the most pivotal figures in civil | 20 | | rights history; therefore, be it
| 21 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 22 | | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 23 | | designate the month of August in 2015 as Buy Black, Love Black, | 24 | | and Give Black in the State of Illinois; and be it further
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, That we urge all citizens of this State to help | 2 | | build a solid economic foundation that would allow African | 3 | | Americans to shape their own destinies and maximize their | 4 | | economic interests through various means, including opening an | 5 | | account at a local black bank, supporting historically black | 6 | | colleges and universities, eating at black owned restaurants, | 7 | | hiring black real estate brokers, visiting black doctors and | 8 | | dentists for health care, getting building and other quotes | 9 | | from black contractors, visiting African-American museums and | 10 | | libraries, watching or renting black-produced films, | 11 | | subscribing to black newspapers, magazines, and websites, | 12 | | using black caterers and event planners, visiting black | 13 | | retailers, investing with a black-managed, publicly-traded | 14 | | firm, contributing to a black political candidate, visiting a | 15 | | black cultural event, and participating in Buy Black Wednesday | 16 | | by spending money with a black business every Wednesday.
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