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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Illinois State Armory was built in 1936 and
3designed by State of Illinois architect C. Herrick Hammond; it
4was designated an official City of Springfield landmark by the
5Springfield Historic Sites Commission; it was equipped with an
6auditorium, a gymnasium, and a ground floor that could provide
7temporary seating for several thousand people; it has been the
8site of Governors' inaugural addresses, state social and
9athletic programs, theater performances, artistic exhibits,
10and music productions, as well as serving as the offices of the
11State's military and police agencies; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has included the Illinois
13State Armory in the Capital Development Bill, with more than
14$100 million set aside for renovations to ensure this historic
15downtown Springfield building can become usable again; and
 
16    WHEREAS, The people who have visited the Illinois State
17Armory, including the Cold War mayor of Berlin Willy Brandt,
18boxing great Muhammad Ali, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., are
19part of the history of the building; both John F. Kennedy and
20Richard M. Nixon spoke at the Armory as presidential
21candidates; former President Harry Truman was a guest speaker
22at an Armory banquet in the 1960s; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Specifically, civil rights leader Dr. Martin
2Luther King Jr. addressed the Illinois State AFL-CIO at their
38th Annual Convention at the Illinois State Armory on October
47, 1965; he connected labor rights with civil rights, stating,
5"It is not a coincidence that the Labor Movement and the Civil
6Rights Movement have the same essential origins. Each is a
7movement that grew out of burning needs of an oppressed poor
8for security and equality. Each was denied justice by the
9dominant forces of society and had to win a place in the sun by
10its own intense struggle and indescribable self-sacrifice";
11and
 
12    WHEREAS, That speech was recorded and preserved by the
13Illinois AFL-CIO, which included Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s
14words, "However difficult our problems may be now, however dark
15the day and dismal the night, I still have faith in America and
16in the democratic process. I still believe that working
17together and through a mighty coalition of conscience we will
18be able to solve the problems ahead"; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s words at the Illinois
20State Armory were as heartfelt and inspiring in 1965 as they
21are today; therefore, be it
 
22    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
23ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 

 

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1CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the Illinois State Armory
2committee to capture the essence of the building's impressive
3history by placing a bronze plaque at the renovated facility to
4commemorate the treasured visit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.;
5and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That the plaque be accompanied with quotes
7including the very words Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at
8the Illinois State Armory on October 7, 1965, words that
9embrace organizational progress, justice, democracy, and a
10faith in God; and be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That honoring this great man will capture a
12moment in history that connected Illinois workers with the
13national civil rights movement; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
14stated on that day, "If our two movements unite their social
15pioneering initiative, thirty years from now people will look
16back on this day and honor those who had the vision to see the
17full possibilities of modern society and the courage to fight
18for their realization.".