093_HR0185

 
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 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, April 1 is a historic day for Black  Chicagoans;
 3    on  April  1,  1963,  WVON,  "The  Voice of the Negro", began
 4    broadcasting as the first full-service, Black-oriented  music
 5    station  in  Chicago;  on  April  1,  2003, not only will the
 6    station  celebrate  40  years  of  serving  Chicago's   Black
 7    community,  but  the  Supreme  Court  will make a decision on
 8    Affirmative Action; this decision will affect  all  non-White
 9    people in America; and

10        WHEREAS,  Originating  from  the  acquisition  of WHFC, a
11    1,000-watt station licensed to Cicero  by  Leonard  and  Phil
12    Chess,  WVON  began  broadcasting  with a group of handpicked
13    radio  personalities  that  included  Franklin  McCarthy,  E.
14    Rodney Jones, Herb Kent, Wesley South, and Pervis Spann; they
15    became known as the "Good Guys" and eventually added to their
16    roster Ric Ricardo, Bill "Butterball"  Crane,  Ed  Cook,  Joe
17    Cobb,  Roy  Wood,  Ed Maloney, Bill "Doc" Lee, Don Cornelius,
18    Richard Pegue, Isabel Joseph Johnson, Cecil Hale,  and  McKey
19    Fitzhugh; and

20        WHEREAS,  Under  the  direction  of the station's general
21    manager, Lucky Cordell, and  its  "Ambassador  of  Goodwill",
22    Bernadine  C.  Washington,  the  Good Guys held Black Chicago
23    captive for more than a decade and ranked consistently  among
24    the top three stations in the Chicago radio market; and

25        WHEREAS,  Bernadine Washington was the vice-president and
26    general manager of WVON in the 1960s; in an era  where  women
27    were just beginning to be accepted in the workplace and Black
28    women  had  an  even tougher time, Ms. Washington personified
29    class and style and was a businesswoman to emulate; and

30        WHEREAS, During a time when Blacks were actively involved
31    in  the  Civil  Rights  Movement,  WVON  was  the  voice   of
32    information  for local and national affairs; in addition, the
 
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 1    Good Guys were involved in numerous activities in  a  variety
 2    of  areas throughout Chicago; the annual basketball game "The
 3    Good  Guys  vs.  the  Harlem  Globetrotters"  drew  tens   of
 4    thousands  to  the  Chicago  Stadium  and  the  International
 5    Amphitheater  and  all proceeds raised went to charity; every
 6    year, the Good Guys participated in a holiday distribution of
 7    1,000 turkeys; and

 8        WHEREAS, Many prominent people  were  featured  on  WVON,
 9    including  Elijah Muhammad, Robert Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther
10    King, Jr., Maclom X,  Roy   Wilkins,  Whitney  Young,  Jackie
11    Robinson,  Duke  Ellington,  Jimmy  Carter, and Dick Gregory;
12    during the days of Operation Breadbasket, Rev. Jesse Jackson,
13    Sr. had a regular spot on Friday nights;  when  Medgar  Evers
14    was  killed  on  June 11, 1963, Wesley South's show "Hotline"
15    received  50,000  calls  and  the   circuits   were   jammed,
16    preventing  dialing  out  in  the area; this massive audience
17    response led to the creation of designated  lines  for  radio
18    broadcasters; and

19        WHEREAS,   Through   a   series  of  events,  changes  in
20    ownership, and  frequency  changes,  WVON  was  purchased  by
21    members  of  the Good Guys, Pervis Spann and Wesley South; in
22    1986, the format of WVON was changed to mostly talk; and

23        WHEREAS, Today, WVON continues to provide a platform  for
24    Black  Chicago  to air its concerns, express its differences,
25    and discuss issues that affect society; it is  the  voice  of
26    Black people in Chicago; the personalities of WVON are Sharon
27    McGhee,   Cliff   Kelley,   Perri  Small,  Monique  Caradine,
28    Professor Willie Dixon, and original Good Guys, Pervis  Spann
29    and  Herb  Kent;  keeping  the memory of Bernadine Washington
30    alive is Melody Spann-Cooper, who serves as the president and
31    general manager of WVON; therefore, be it

32        RESOLVED,  BY  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES   OF   THE
 
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 1    NINETY-THIRD  GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
 2    we congratulate WVON on the occasion of its 40th  anniversary
 3    of  being  the  voice  for  Black Chicago, and we commend the
 4    station for its work to inform, educate, and provide a  forum
 5    for Black Chicago; and be it further

 6        RESOLVED,  That  a  suitable  copy  of this resolution be
 7    presented to WVON as a token of our respect  and  esteem  and
 8    with sincere wishes for its continued success.