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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The National Black McDonald's Operators
3Association is committed to helping African American
4communities by providing educational resources, promoting
5tolerance and acceptance, and empowering the people they serve
6through the state and local chapters of Black McDonald's
7Operator's Associations; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The Black McDonald's Operators Association of
9Chicago and Northwest Indiana is a local chapter of the
10National Black McDonald's Operators Association; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The Black McDonald's Operators Association of
12Chicago and Northwest Indiana participates actively in
13communities across Cook County, sponsoring back-to-school
14drives, the longstanding Bud Billiken Parade and Education
15Resource Scholarship Program, and the BMOA Scholarship for the
16United Negro College Fund; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Members of the Black McDonald's Operators
18Association of Chicago and Northwest Indiana include Akins
19Akinnagbe, Doris Boulrece, Vincent Hale, Derrick Lott, Marvin
20Spence, Cheryl Taylor, Derrick Taylor, Yolanda Travis, and
21Tonnette Williams; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The National Black McDonald's Operators
2Association encompasses 200+ independent Black franchisees
3from around the country, many of whom own and operate within
4the State of Illinois; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Some cities in Illinois do not have local
6chapters of the National Black McDonald's Operators
7Association; however, those cities have Black owner/operators
8who uplift their communities; and
 
9    WHEREAS, McDonald's Owner/Operator Jimmy Williams, a
10native of East St. Louis, owns and operates over 20 McDonald's
11restaurants; through his entrepreneurship, he has consistently
12given back to the East St. Louis community by launching
13Archways to Opportunity, which provides financial academic
14assistance for McDonald's employees at all levels, by creating
15a mentorship program for young people, and by offering
16countless other donations of his time and talent to the East
17St. Louis community; and
 
18    WHEREAS, The meaningful efforts of the Black McDonald's
19Operators throughout the State of Illinois engage our local
20neighborhoods and embody the true spirit of family and
21community; and
 
22    WHEREAS, On December 21, 1968, Herman Petty of Chicago

 

 

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1opened his first restaurant on Chicago's South Side at 6500
2South Stony Island Avenue, making him the first African
3American McDonald's franchisee; and
 
4    WHEREAS, McDonald's partnership with Herman Petty opened
5the doors and gave hope to a generation of ambitious African
6American businessmen and women seeking a piece of the American
7Dream; by the end of 1969, there were 12 African American owned
8and operated McDonald's restaurants, mostly located in the
9Midwest; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The sharing of ideas, problems, and concerns
11among owner/operators eventually led to the formation of the
12National Black McDonald's Operators Association in 1972; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The founding members of the National Black
14McDonald's Operators Association who attended the first
15organized convention of the organization in May 1972 presided
16over by Herman Petty, who had the foresight to see the need for
17such an organization, were Sherman Claypool of Milwaukee,
18Wayne Embry of Milwaukee, Andrew Davis of Chicago, John Perry
19of Chicago, Mallory Jones of St. Louis, Noel White of Chicago,
20Lester Hairston of Chicago, Cloris Dale of Kansas City, Andrew
21Murrell of Kansas City, Walter Pitchford of Chicago, Benjamin
22Davis of St. Louis, and Edward Wimp of Chicago; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The tenacity and courage of these African
2American entrepreneurs and pioneers laid the foundation for
3what has become the most successful group of African American
4entrepreneurs in the United States today and has paved the way
5for the National Black McDonald's Operators Association to be
6partners and leaders, dedicated to providing resources across
7their communities in an effort to help build stronger
8neighborhoods; and
 
9    WHEREAS, In May of 2022, the National Black McDonald's
10Operators Association will celebrate its 50-year anniversary;
11therefore, be it
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
13HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
14we commend the Illinois operators that are members of the
15National Black McDonald's Operators Association for their
16continued service to Illinois' youth and communities; and be
17it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
19presented to the Illinois Operators that are members of the
20National Black McDonald's Operators Association as a symbol of
21our respect and esteem.