SR1342 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY


  

 


 
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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Dr. Bambade Shakoor-Abdullah of Chicago,
4who passed away on December 8, 2017; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah was born in Chicago to Myrtle
6(Watson) and Roland Flynn on August 26, 1951; she attended
7Wells High School in Harvey and, then as part of a
8desegregation program, attended Roosevelt High School in
9Chicago; she graduated high school at the age of 16 and earned
10her bachelor's degree from Chicago State University; she became
11the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in Public Health
12from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1992; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah was born Lolita Flynn and
14converted to Islam at the age of 17; she was introduced into
15the Rite of Passage in 1979 and was formally trained in 1989;
16she dedicated the next three decades of her life to empowering
17youth and changing the world one child at a time; she also led
18Rites of Passage classes, including with Class X offenders at
19the Cook County Jail and published the book, Sankofa; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah married Kasib Abdullah in
211993 in South Holland and adopted two sons, who she raised as
22if they were her own; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah founded the Leadership
2Development Institute in 1989, a non-profit organization
3focused on the education and empowerment of youth; in 2004, she
4founded the C-MECCA School; her most recent endeavor was the
5Dreams and Visions Youth Outreach Program; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah was appointed by Governor
7Quinn to the Muslim American Advisory Council; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah has authored multiple
9resolutions that have been adopted by the Illinois House of
10Representatives and Senate; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah was preceded in death by her
12parents; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah is survived by her husband,
14Kasib; six children; eight grandchildren; her siblings, Julia
15Ross, Roland Flynn, Melvin Flynn, Guillermoe Flynn, Juana
16(Jamila) Rashid, Juan Flynn, Rolanda Flynn, and Antonia Flynn;
17and numerous nieces and nephews; therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL
19ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
20Dr. Bambade Shakoor-Abdullah, and extend our sincere

 

 

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1condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved
2her; and be it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
4presented to the family of Dr. Shakoor-Abdullah as an
5expression of our deepest sympathy.