Full Text of SR0432 96th General Assembly
SR0432 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the | 3 |
| United States, is a thriving center of business, industry, and | 4 |
| culture; and
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| WHEREAS, The Chicago Urban League has stated that "Chicago | 6 |
| will be the new Black Wall Street. 75th Street east of the Dan | 7 |
| Ryan Expressway is one commercial strip that has 80% or more | 8 |
| businesses owned by African Americans. It is the prime example | 9 |
| of a Black Wall Street District in Chicago."; and
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| WHEREAS, Since the early 1940's, African American | 11 |
| businesses have thrived on East 75th Street, bringing quality | 12 |
| products and services to the community; in subsequent years, | 13 |
| these business owners saw a growth in their profits as they | 14 |
| were able to sustain a comfortable way of life for themselves | 15 |
| and their families; with the downturn in the economy over | 16 |
| recent years, some of the businesses that once flourished on | 17 |
| 75th Street are now facing financial difficulties; and
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| WHEREAS, It has been determined, by the members of Black | 19 |
| Wall Street-Chicago, that the community will utilize the | 20 |
| template of Black Wall Street-Oakland and will help build the | 21 |
| business capacity of African American businesses on East 75th | 22 |
| Street in Chicago; and
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| WHEREAS, History will show that Black Wall Street-Chicago | 2 |
| continues the rich historical tradition of growth and | 3 |
| prosperity with the original "Black Wall Street District" in | 4 |
| Tulsa, Oklahoma; during the early 1900s, the area reportedly | 5 |
| used "black dollars" instead of U.S. currency to do business | 6 |
| inside the district; in 1921, the Tulsa Race Riot, one of the | 7 |
| nation's worst acts of racial violence, occurred; many African | 8 |
| American business owners and the residents of Greenwood were | 9 |
| burned out, shot, kidnapped, and killed in the early hours | 10 |
| while they slept; the neighborhood has never fully recovered, | 11 |
| but two blocks of the old neighborhood have been restored and | 12 |
| are part of the Greenwood Historical District; and
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| WHEREAS, Black Wall Street-Chicago recognizes the | 14 |
| potential to recreate on East 75th Street in Chicago the | 15 |
| positive aspects of the historic Black Wall Street District in | 16 |
| Tulsa, Oklahoma; through the organization's mission to sustain | 17 |
| and increase black businesses, 75th Street is achieving | 18 |
| stability and is one of the only business districts that has | 19 |
| African American ownership in parity with its population; and
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| WHEREAS, 75th Street is currently undergoing a | 21 |
| revitalization to cultivate a pedestrian-friendly, urban | 22 |
| experience on the south side of Chicago, similar to the | 23 |
| makeover in the southern portion of downtown Chicago; the Black |
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| Wall Street District on 75th Street includes a family bowling | 2 |
| alley, vegetarian and vegan restaurants, barbeque and soul food | 3 |
| restaurants, an ice cream shop, women and men's clothing and | 4 |
| shoe stores, and barber and beauty shops, among many other | 5 |
| flourishing businesses; and | 6 |
| WHEREAS, A comprehensive plan to help sustain black-owned | 7 |
| business has and continues to be developed by Black Wall | 8 |
| Street-Chicago; the plan continues to be developed during | 9 |
| weekly meetings of the group and during Black Wall Street | 10 |
| Economic Summits, which have been held quarterly since March of | 11 |
| 2007; and
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| WHEREAS, Black Wall Street-Chicago held a ribbon cutting | 13 |
| ceremony on August 29, 2009 to designate 75th Street east of | 14 |
| the Dan Ryan as a Black Wall Street Chicago District; | 15 |
| therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL | 17 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize Black Wall | 18 |
| Street-Chicago as a premier organization in the State of | 19 |
| Illinois and celebrate the recognition of a Black Wall Street | 20 |
| in the City of Chicago; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 22 |
| presented to the members of Black Wall Street-Chicago as a |
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| symbol of our esteem and respect.
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