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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to commend Frank Williams, community
4activist, fair housing advocate, and successful real estate
5professional, for his lifetime of diligent work for equal
6rights for homeowners; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Frank Williams was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas
8and raised in Flint, Michigan; he and his family moved to
9Chicago in 1962; he took a job with the postal service and
10began studying accounting; in 1965, he and his wife, Joanne,
11began shopping for a home, and he took a real estate course to
12feel better equipped for the process; he subsequently took the
13real estate exam, passed, and joined the now defunct Midwest
14Realty; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Frank Williams became a REALTOR in 1969 and
16opened FJ Williams Realty two years later; for decades, he has
17advocated for fair housing legislation in Springfield and
18Chicago, and following the civil rights movement, he found
19homes for black buyers in historically white areas on the
20southwest side, including his own neighborhood of Beverly; he
21persisted in his efforts to desegregate these neighborhoods
22despite ongoing harassment and threats, including a bomb being
23detonated outside his front door; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, In addition to his service as the second
2African-American president of the Chicago Association of
3REALTORS (CAR), Frank Williams served as the president of the
4Dearborn Realtist Board from 1973 to 1974; he was president of
5CAR from 1989 to 1990, where he championed fair housing and
6diversity; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Frank Williams was president of the Southside
8Chicago branch of the National Association for the Advancement
9of Colored People (NAACP) from 1979 to 1985, during a time when
10affordable housing and integration ranked among the top real
11estate issues in the city and suburbs; during his term with the
12NAACP, he helped create a monitoring program to oversee
13housing discrimination and placed a strong emphasis on the
14hiring and placement of minorities in the real estate
15industry; his emphasis on mentorship, education, and the
16hiring and placement of minorities in the real estate business
17truly helped to advance and strengthen the real estate
18industry in Illinois; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Frank Williams was chosen by The Illinois
20Association of REALTORS in 1991 to hold the first
21Distinguished Member Award for Community Service, and the
22following year, he was named CAR's REALTOR of the Year; during
23this time, he led efforts to create a $25,000 scholarship for

 

 

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1minority students to pursue a career in real estate; in 2017,
2he was inducted into the Chicago Association of Realtors Hall
3of Fame and was awarded the 2017 Gale Cincotta Community
4Visionary Award by Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago,
5which is presented annually to a person who exemplifies
6leadership, innovation, and passion in making their community
7a better place to live; in addition to receiving numerous
8prestigious awards, he was appointed to serve on the
9Affordable Housing Task Force and the Real Estate Services
10Advisory Council by former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Frank Williams has been a vigorous supporter of
12community action groups seeking social change; he has served
13as a real estate educator and a board member for numerous
14national and local housing associations; he has offered
15unparalleled compassion and commitment in all of his efforts
16to serve his community, the State, and the nation; therefore,
17be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
19HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
20we commend Frank Williams, community activist, fair housing
21advocate, and successful real estate professional, for his
22lifetime of diligent work for equal rights for homeowners; and
23be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to Frank Williams as a symbol of our respect and
3esteem.