HR0608 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0608 LRB099 12851 GRL 36680 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Dr. Webb Evans founded the United American Progress Association in 1961; Dr. Evans believed in and worked on the creation of economic prosperity for the black community throughout the world through churches and political and business leaders in accordance with the second phase of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision, changing the struggle from Civil Rights to Economic and Political Empowerment; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Evans' foundation created numerous ways to improve economic conditions for black Americans by preparing them to enter into the business world with the knowledge on how to redirect their savings and spending power globally and throughout the black communities; these black-owned businesses would, in turn, create more jobs for blacks; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Evans also depended on other sources, such as black-owned press outlets, churches, and businesses, to get his message across to "Buy Black"; Dr. Evans believed that black dollars matter and that the black community must march with their dollars in order to accomplish what was not accomplished with the other previous marches across the globe; and

WHEREAS, The Neilson Report shows that the buying power of African Americans will reach $1.1 trillion by 2015; if black consumers spend 10% more of their income in black businesses, the resulting revenue would generate 1 million jobs; in 2007, on the south side of Chicago, residents in predominately black neighborhoods spent a collective of $3.8 billion outside of their own South Side communities; and

WHEREAS, Many trailblazers and influential leaders have stood for economic, social equality, and independence for African Americans throughout the world and have labored, fought for, and understood how it was, including Marcus Garvey, who fought for the collective economic interest of African Americans and created the Universal Improvement Association in 1914; A. Philip Randolph, founder and co-editor of The Messenger, an African American socialist magazine, renowned black labor union organizer and civil rights worker, and principal organizer and author of the March on Washington, where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his historical "I Have A Dream" speech; W.E.B. Dubois, leader of the Niagara Movement, a group of African-American activists who wanted equal rights for blacks; and Malcolm X, one of the most pivotal figures in civil rights history; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate the month of August in 2015 as Buy Black, Love Black, and Give Black in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge all citizens of this State to help build a solid economic foundation that would allow African Americans to shape their own destinies and maximize their economic interests through various means, including opening an account at a local black bank, supporting historically black colleges and universities, eating at black owned restaurants, hiring black real estate brokers, visiting black doctors and dentists for health care, getting building and other quotes from black contractors, visiting African-American museums and libraries, watching or renting black-produced films, subscribing to black newspapers, magazines, and websites, using black caterers and event planners, visiting black retailers, investing with a black-managed, publicly-traded firm, contributing to a black political candidate, visiting a black cultural event, and participating in Buy Black Wednesday by spending money with a black business every Wednesday.