Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0482
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Full Text of HR0482  103rd General Assembly

HR0482 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 


 
HR0482LRB103 35009 ECR 64932 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Aurora
4City Council Alderperson Scheketa Hart-Burns of Ward 7, who
5passed away on June 19, 2023; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Ald. Hart-Burns was a graduate of Edison College;
7and
 
8    WHEREAS, Ald. Hart-Burns became the first African American
9elected to the Aurora City Council in 1991, and she was later
10the first-ever African American to serve as mayor pro tempore,
11holding the position from 2016 to 2017; she served as
12chairperson of the Public Health, Safety, and Transportation
13Committee, a member of the Finance Committee, and an alternate
14for the Buildings, Grounds & Infrastructure Committee; and
 
15    WHEREAS, For Ward 7 residents, Ald. Hart-Burns launched
16dozens of organizations and initiatives for Ward 7 residents,
17including the 7th Ward Committee, the Eastwood Tenant Council,
18the Forest Ridge Tenant Council, the Inner Circle Neighbor
19Group, the Maple Terrace Tenant Council, the Taking Back Our
20Community organization, and community gardens in and annual
21holiday programs for Forest Ridge and Eastwood; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, For the City of Aurora, Ald. Hart-Burns
2established the annual citywide Black history program, the
3annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. luncheon celebration, and
4the annual Black and Latino American history programs at Metea
5High School and Cowherd Middle School; she also designated
6commemorative street signs for prominent African American
7residents, and she hosted annual holiday musicals for the
8Interfaith Food Pantry and the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry and
9holiday dinners for senior citizens and disabled persons; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Ald. Hart-Burns supported and created many youth
11initiatives, including founding the Back to School Bash at Dr.
12Martin Luther King Jr. Park to bring together more than 5,000
13youth and families to start the new school year and the Project
14Unity Back to School Fair to provide back-to-school supplies,
15free services, and information to thousands of families; she
16co-founded the annual Coats-for-Kids Drive to provide winter
17clothing to thousands of students in need and the City of
18Aurora's STEAM Academy to provide enrichment activities to
19more than 700 local youth in the areas of science, technology,
20engineering, art, and math; she was a founding advisor and
21mother emeritus of the mentoring group Boys II Men, Inc., and
22she also served as a mentor to Aurora University students
23seeking advanced degrees in the social work program; and
 
24    WHEREAS, Ald. Hart-Burns belonged to numerous

 

 

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1organizations, including serving as chairperson of the Circle
2of Wise Women for the Kane County Health Department,
3chairperson of the Weed and Seed Program with the Kane County
4State's Attorney's Office, a 33-year board member and advisor
5of the Quad County Urban League, a founding advisor for the
6Aurora African American Heritage Advisory Board, a member of
7the League of United Latin American Citizens, and a board
8member of the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry and Childcare
9Center; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Ald. Hart-Burns was the namesake of the Scheketa
11Hart-Burns Phenomenal Woman Achievement Award, an honor
12presented annually to more than 100 young women in Aurora by
13Boys II Men, Inc.; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Ald. Hart-Burns was an evangelist missionary at
15Greater Mt. Olive Church of God in Christ (COGIC); and
 
16    WHEREAS, Ald. Hart-Burns will be remembered as a public
17servant who blazed an impactful, unforgettable, and undeniable
18trail of excellence in service and advocacy for more than 30
19years; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Ald. Hart-Burns was preceded in death by her
21children, Malik Hart and Ahmad Hart; and
 

 

 

HR0482- 4 -LRB103 35009 ECR 64932 r

1    WHEREAS, Ald. Hart-Burns is survived by her husband,
2William F. Burns, and her children, Kehinde Hart, Hakim Hart,
3Amina Hart, Michael Burns, Vernon Burns, and Arvin Burns;
4therefore, be it
 
5    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
6HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
7we mourn the passing of Aurora City Council Alderperson
8Scheketa Hart-Burns and extend our sincere condolences to her
9family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
10further
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12presented to the family of Ald. Hart-Burns as an expression of
13our deepest sympathy.