HR1070 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1070 LRB099 20979 GRL 45957 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of James "Major" Adams; and

WHEREAS, James Adams was born on January 5, 1922 and was raised on the west side of Chicago in what was then called Maxwell Street; he graduated from Crane High School in 1939 and at the time of his death was the school's oldest living alumni; and

WHEREAS, After serving a tour in Europe during World War II and working for various agencies, including Jane Addams Hull House, James Adams moved into the Henry Horner Housing Development in 1955, where he immediately began to provide gang intervention and prevention programs as a volunteer and later as an employee of the Henry Horner Boys and Girls Club; due in part to his efforts, the Henry Horner Boys and Girls Club was the first Boys Club built in a housing development in the United States; he, along other community residents, created a drill team which later became the Hornets Drum and Bugle Corps, a nationally-renowned 120 member paramilitary-style band composed of young people and troubled youth ages 14 to 21; and

WHEREAS, From 1959 through 1962, James Adams, with the assistance of the Chicago Area Project, established and developed the Youth Services Committee of the Westside, a grassroots voluntary community-based organization which addressed the rising juvenile delinquency cases in the neighborhood; along with other volunteer parents and leaders, he provided direct services and advocated on behalf of the youth and families with schools, courts, the Chicago Police Department, and other institutions; he also initiated community organizing and development efforts aimed at improving the quality of life for neighborhood residents; and

WHEREAS, During his work with the youth in the community, James Adams would often be visited by former residents that had recently been released from prison, many of them having no idea of how to get back on their feet; for many, the first stop after being released would be the Boy's Club to see "Major"; with very few resources available, he created the community's first re-entry program for ex-felons; he recruited the Salvation Army to provide daily breakfast and lunches and the Mile Square Health Center and Bobby E. Wright Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center to provide medical services; during the 1970s and 1980s, he assisted the leadership of Malcolm X College in recruiting and increasing student enrollment, developing the community college music program, and promoting summer youth sport and academic initiatives; he also led the Malcolm X College Kwanzaa program for youth residing in the Henry Horner Homes from 1993 to 1996 and was awarded the Shule Ya Watolo Service Award in 1996; and

WHEREAS, James Adams worked with local businesses, including Rush University, to provide job opportunities; he created the original Midnight Basketball program to keep young men off the streets during prime crime spree hours; his counseling and mentoring aided in reducing the rate of recidivism; his pioneering work with Nancy Jefferson and Congressman Danny Davis also led to many programs assisting ex-felons; and

WHEREAS, James Adams' work has influenced many notable individuals, such as Warner Saunders (NBC 5 news anchor), Reginald "Hats" Adams, Maurice and Verdine White (Earth, Wind, and Fire), Dr. Steven Parker, Dr. Vaughn Tatum, Sonny Lumpkin (City College Chancellor), Cheryl Hyman, Howard Lathan, Boyse Edwards, Keith Jackson, Arthur Robertson (founder of the South Shore Drill Team), Bill Freeman, and many other notable leaders; and

WHEREAS, James Adams was a recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including the 1998 National Jefferson Award/Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Public Service Award, the 2012 President's Volunteer Services Awards, and the 2013 Governor's Volunteer Award; his work will also continue through the agency he founded in 1996, the Major Adams Community Committee, which will keep alive his vision of "Empowering Youth and Families"; and

WHEREAS, James Adams served as a model of hard work, integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his family and friends, mourn the passing of James "Major" Adams; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of James Adams as an expression of our sympathy.