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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate Rev. Geri Solomon
4 on the occasion of her 75th birthday; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Geri Solomon was born in Mound Bayou, Mississippi
6 and was raised in Chicago; she earned her Bachelor of Science
7 degree in Religious Education from St. Stephen's Baptist
8 College in Los Angeles, California and was ordained in 1977;
9 and
 
10     WHEREAS, From 1979 to 1987, Rev. Geri Solomon served as
11 Executive Director of the "WE THE PEOPLE" program for the
12 needy, where she was responsible for the operation of food
13 pantries, shelters, and clothing and transportation programs;
14 she has been an advocate for the homeless for over 15 years,
15 serving their needs in St. Paul, Minnesota, Los Angeles,
16 California, Chicago, and Aurora; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Rev. Geri Solomon has been an active participant
18 in various social movements, including the civil rights
19 movement, peace movements, anti-war movements, and the fight
20 for the ratification of the ERA; in furtherance of her numerous
21 causes, she has marched on Washington, D.C. and other American
22 cities and counties 31 times from 1954 to 1988; in 1963, she

 

 

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1 helped organize Chicago's West Side for Dr. Martin Luther
2 King's March on Washington; from 1996 to 1997, she participated
3 in Aurora's City-Wide Peace Coalition, a group dedicated to
4 creating an agenda of peace in the City of Aurora; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Rev. Geri Solomon has been an active participant
6 in local and national politics; in 1984, she actively worked
7 with Minnesota's A.M.E. church to elect the Reverend Jesse
8 Jackson President of the United States; she also served as a
9 Democratic precinct captain in St. Paul, Minnesota and was the
10 first black woman to chair a State-wide presidential campaign,
11 having worked for Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich during
12 his 2004 Presidential bid; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Rev. Geri Solomon currently serves as pastor at
14 Temple of Wisdom Evangelistic Ministries; she is the Founder
15 and Executive Director of the Inner-City Advocates for the
16 Homeless, a homeless program that operates day shelters for
17 women and children; she is also president and co-founder of the
18 Midwest Evangelistic Team, an evangelistic team organized to
19 unify efforts in soul-winning throughout the Midwest; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Rev. Geri Solomon has been the recipient of
21 numerous awards for her work with the homeless; in 1983, she
22 was the recipient of a "11 Who Care" Award from NBC Channel 11;
23 that same year, she received a medallion from Jackie Kennedy

 

 

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1 Onassis for her work with the needy; and
 
2     WHEREAS, In 1996, Rev. Geri Solomon wrote and published
3 "Soul Winner's Handbook", a book about everyday evangelism that
4 can be done by everyone; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Rev. Geri Solomon is a member of the Mount Olive
6 Church of God in Christ; she is the mother of four girls and
7 two boys; therefore, be it
 
8     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
9 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
10 congratulate Rev. Geri Solomon on the occasion of her 75th
11 birthday and wish her many more happy and healthy years to
12 come; and be it further
 
13     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14 presented to Rev. Geri Solomon as a symbol of our esteem and
15 respect.