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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Douglas Park is a 218-acre park on the West Side
3of Chicago and is named after U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas
4(1813-1861), a pro-slavery politician from Illinois; he was a
5proponent of the concept of "popular sovereignty", the idea
6that those areas of the country where a majority wished to have
7slavery should be allowed to do so; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Douglas Park borders a neighborhood of African
9American and Latino residents; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Recently, fifth grade students at the Village
11Leadership Academy were assigned to persuade commuters to sign
12a petition to add an "S" to the park's current name, thus
13renaming it for Frederick Douglass, a former slave and social
14reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman; and
 
15    WHEREAS, To gain public support for the name change, sixth
16graders from the Village Leadership Academy are meeting with
17West Side community groups, visiting the North Lawndale
18neighborhood near the park to gather signatures from area
19residents, and campaigning on subway platforms and aboard
20trains; and
 
21    WHEREAS, This assignment encourages students to learn

 

 

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1about politics, current events, and how to make positive
2changes in their communities; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The next phase of the assignment will be for the
4students to make a formal presentation to the Chicago Park
5District, which has the final say on the names of parks;
6therefore, be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
8HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
9commend the students of the Village Leadership Academy for
10their efforts to make positive changes within their community;
11and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That we urge the Chicago Park District to approve
13changing the name of Douglas Park to Douglass Park in honor of
14Frederick Douglass; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
16presented to the students at the Village Leadership Academy and
17Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners President Jesse H.
18Ruiz.