HR1277 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1277 LRB100 24148 MST 43288 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Phillip Jackson of Chicago, who passed away on November 4, 2018; and

WHEREAS, Phillip Jackson was born in Chicago on September 22, 1950; he graduated from Roosevelt University in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and National Louis University with a certificate in education; and

WHEREAS, Phillip Jackson began working for Kroch's and Brentano's Book Stores in 1969; over the course of his 24-year career, he reached the position of Senior Vice President of Operations, but left the organization after they attempted to strip employees of their pensions; he led, financed, and won a class-action lawsuit that restored pensions to wrongfully terminated employees; and

WHEREAS, Phillip Jackson worked in human services at the Chicago Office of Management and Budget in 1994 before joining Chicago Public Schools in 1995, where he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Chief of Staff; he joined the Chicago Housing Authority as CEO in 1999; in 2000, he moved to the Office of the Mayor for the City of Chicago, where he served as Chief of Education; and

WHEREAS, In 1996, Phillip Jackson founded The Black Star Project, an educational nonprofit reform organization located in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago whose mission is to eliminate the racial academic achievement gap by improving the lives of those living in African American and Latino communities by providing mentoring and tutoring services to help students, parents, and community members become productive citizens in their neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, Phillip Jackson was active with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago, where he served as CEO for one year before devoting himself full-time to the Black Star Project; and

WHEREAS, Phillip Jackson received many honors, including the Chicago Cares Power of One Leadership Award, the Education Champion of Change for America by The White House, the Champion of Social Justice by the Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy, the Citizen of the Year by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, the Monarch Man of the Year in Education by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the Reclaim Our Youth Honoree by Operation Push, the Education Man of the Year for the Bud Billiken Parade, the Illinois Educator of the Year for the 7th Congressional District of Illinois, the Champion of Social Justice by Chicago African Americans In Philanthropy, and the 2003 Ricky Birdson Father of the Year Award for the State of Illinois by the Illinois Fatherhood Initiative; he was also named as one of the Chicago Defender's 50 Men of Excellence and received the Cook County State Attorney's Community Empowerment Award; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Phillip Jackson and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Phillip Jackson as an expression of our deepest sympathy.