SR0127 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0127 LRB094 11848 CSA 44218 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Senator Kimberly A. Lightford and the members of the Senate of the State of Illinois learned with sadness of the death of Leola Spann of Chicago on March 27, 2005 at the age of 71; and

WHEREAS, Born in Natchez, Mississippi, she worked at a foundry and on an assembly line while raising three daughters; she retired to the Austin neighborhood in 1983; when she noticed that basic services were being ignored, she started as a volunteer answering phones at the Northwest Austin Council, where she quickly worked her way up to become Executive Director, then President of the Board of Directors, a position she held until her death; and

WHEREAS, She led the first lawsuit in the State to use nuisance abatement law to shut down a notorious drug haven; the Northwest Austin Council used the nuisance abatement law to shut down 40 drug houses; she helped obtain federal funds to improve the neighborhood in the form of the Austin Weed and Seed Program; the Northwest Austin Council piloted the first community policing effort in the Chicago area; and

WHEREAS, She guided community efforts to organize and train parents regarding school reform; the Northwest Austin Council worked with other community organizations for full school funding; she spearheaded an effort to revitalize Austin High School and instill a sense of pride and accomplishment in students, staff, parents, and the community; and

WHEREAS, Out of concern over the disparity of health care in the African-American community, she was instrumental in saving the St. Anne's Hospital facility for the community and in the creation of the Westside Health Authority, which works to improve the health of the community's residents and preserve health services; and

WHEREAS, As the President of the Friends of the North Austin Library, she was responsible for getting a major expansion project completed at the library; and

WHEREAS, She used a model of environmental justice to start the Austin Green Team, which was responsible for turning abandoned lots into gardens that beautify the community; and

WHEREAS, In her retirement, she spearheaded the Tenants Association at the Beth-Anne Senior Building to organize tenants; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Leola Spann is deeply felt by all who knew and loved her, especially her daughters, Anita Brown, Barbara Hill, and Laura Vann; her brother, John Dorsey; her sister, Mary Peery; and her six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Senator Kimberly A. Lightford will forever embrace the loving kindness with which Leola Spann greeted her from the first day they met; Leola will always be remembered as the grandmother of the Austin Community and for her tireless efforts to improve the lives of others; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that even as her death is mourned, we give thanks for the blessing of Leola Spann's life and extend our sincerest condolences to her family, friends, and community, whose grief we share; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to her family as an expression of our deepest sympathy.