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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Illinois Board of Higher Education's reports
3 on college and university enrollment indicate an alarming
4 scarcity of male students of African-American descent
5 currently enrolled and pursuing post-secondary education; and
 
6     WHEREAS, This scarcity makes African-American males, far
7 and away, the least represented demographic group on college
8 and university campuses, both in number and in percentage of
9 total Illinois population; and
 
10     WHEREAS, It is widely recognized that attainment of
11 post-secondary education is a clear indicator of increased
12 earning potential and employment stability, and decreased
13 likelihood of criminal activity and incarceration; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Several organizations and institutions, including
15 the Illinois Committee on Black Concerns in Higher Education,
16 Chicago State University, the University of Illinois at
17 Chicago, the Chicago Urban League, the City Colleges of
18 Chicago, the Chicago Public Schools, the Brother 2 Brother
19 Program of the South Metropolitan Regional Education
20 Consortium, the Illinois Task Force on the Condition of the
21 African American Male, and Macy's Department Stores have formed
22 a working coalition to examine and promote increased support of

 

 

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1 African American males in higher education; and
 
2     WHEREAS, This coalition has planned several events and
3 activities during the month of April of 2009 to study those
4 factors contributing to low participation and success of
5 African-American Males in higher education, and to provide
6 resources to improve the success and persistence of current
7 African-American male students; and
 
8     WHEREAS, This legislative body recognizes the importance
9 of increasing the success and persistence of African-American
10 male students to the entire State of Illinois, particularly to
11 the State's welfare and economy; therefore, be it
 
12     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
13 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
14 the month of April, 2009 be recognized as the Month of the
15 African-American Male in Illinois Higher Education; and be it
16 further
 
17     RESOLVED, That this body congratulates the above mentioned
18 coalition for its efforts in raising the public's awareness of
19 lower than acceptable enrollment and success rates for
20 African-American males on college and university campuses, for
21 examining potential barriers to African-American male student
22 success, for exploring best practices for increasing

 

 

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1 African-American male success and participation, and for
2 providing resources and support to currently enrolled
3 African-American male students.