Full Text of SR1655 99th General Assembly
SR1655 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The Members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 | | learn of the death of Henry English, a beloved citizen, | 4 | | faithful man of God, prominent black philanthropic leader, and | 5 | | civic and community activist, who passed away on March 5, 2016; | 6 | | and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Henry English was born in West Point, Mississippi | 8 | | on May 27, 1942; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Henry English, as a young adult, moved to | 10 | | Chicago's west side with his family, who came north to explore | 11 | | better opportunities; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, Henry English attended Holland elementary school | 13 | | and graduated from Farragut High School and the former Crane | 14 | | Junior College, where he led the triumphant movement to change | 15 | | the name from Crane Junior College to Malcolm X College; he | 16 | | continued pivotal work in this area from 1968 to 1971; after | 17 | | Malcolm X College, he matriculated at Bachelor University in | 18 | | Durham New Hampshire, earning his Bachelor of Arts in Political | 19 | | Science in 1972; he then earned his Master of Public | 20 | | Administration in 1974 from Cornell University in Ithaca, New | 21 | | York; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Henry English was a recognized leader in the black | 2 | | liberation movement in Chicago and will be remembered as an | 3 | | important Chicago leader; he was the founder and first | 4 | | President of Chicago City College student government, and | 5 | | eventually a leader in the Black Panther Party; throughout his | 6 | | entire life, he was a key strategic force behind many causes, | 7 | | campaigns, and social and economic justice issues; and | 8 | | WHEREAS, Henry English amassed over 45 years of diversified | 9 | | management, in the health care, education and fund development | 10 | | fields; he rose to become a nationally recognized and respected | 11 | | not-for-profit association executive, as President and CEO of | 12 | | the Black United Fund of Illinois, Inc. (BUFI); founded in 1985 | 13 | | to promote black philanthropy, self-help, community, and | 14 | | economic development; BUFI serves as one of his crowning | 15 | | professional achievements; the organization and social | 16 | | movement is committed to the improvement of the quality of life | 17 | | of African Americans through reliance on self-help, mutual aid, | 18 | | and volunteerism at the local community level; a pillar of the | 19 | | community, BUFI also provides grants, technical assistance, | 20 | | and support services to over 700 grassroots organizations and | 21 | | programs statewide that address critical needs of the African | 22 | | American community; and | 23 | | WHEREAS, Henry English spent his entire life answering the | 24 | | clarion call to community service in the African American |
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| 1 | | communities; while many people talk about doing something great | 2 | | during their time on earth, he quickly dispensed with the empty | 3 | | rhetoric and instead delivered results, remaining steadfastly | 4 | | dedicated to creating major political, social, economic, and | 5 | | philanthropic changes in Chicago; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Henry English was instrumental in The Coalition to | 7 | | Save South Shore Country Club, which helped to transform the | 8 | | once exclusive South Shore Country Club, once scheduled for | 9 | | demolition, into today's South Shore Cultural Center, a public | 10 | | facility and historic south lakefront architectural jewel that | 11 | | provides a range of programs and services for the community; he | 12 | | was also instrumental in the reorganization of South Shore High | 13 | | School into four small schools, and was recently involved in | 14 | | the development of the new South Shore International College | 15 | | Prep High School, lending his leadership and expertise to | 16 | | promote high quality academic environments of our youth; and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, Henry English was a vital, dynamic, yet | 18 | | soft-spoken freedom-fighter, who was never boring and people | 19 | | who underestimated him often discovered that they made a big | 20 | | mistake; he was a social justice advocate, and a perpetually | 21 | | progressively active and respectable citizen who resided in his | 22 | | beloved South Shore community for over 40 years: he was a loyal | 23 | | and faithful member of Christ Bible Church; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Henry English was an affectionate and supportive | 2 | | man, a true friend indeed, who gave selflessly of his time and | 3 | | energy to family members, friends, and neighbors alike; he | 4 | | maintained an incredible and international network of close | 5 | | friends and professional associates, who felt privileged to | 6 | | know him; always nurturing the next generation of leaders, he | 7 | | was especially proud of a forever growing group | 8 | | 'great-god-sons', whom he mentored; he will be sorely missed, | 9 | | but the memory of his character, intelligence, and compassion | 10 | | will live on in all those who knew and worked alongside, | 11 | | respected and loved him; therefore, be it
| 12 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL | 13 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that mourn the passing of | 14 | | Henry English and extend our sincere condolences to his family | 15 | | and extended family, friends, neighbors, and activists across | 16 | | Illinois; and be it further
| 17 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 18 | | prepared and presented to the family of Henry English as an | 19 | | expression of our deepest sympathy.
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