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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Dr. William Eric "Doc" Perkins, who
4passed away on September 20, 2011; and
 
5    WHEREAS, He was born on September 3, 1948, in Chicago; his
6parents were Betty L. Mason and Darrell J. Perkins; he was
7baptized at St. Finbar Catholic Church and attended St. Dorothy
8School and Mendel Catholic High School; and
 
9    WHEREAS, In 1966, he began attending Northwestern
10University in Evanston, where he graduated with honors with a
11bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1970; he was a "founding
12officer" of the "For Members Only" (FMO) organization, which
13spearheaded the Northwestern University "Takeover" in 1968; he
14subsequently earned his master's degree from the University of
15Rochester and his Ph.D in history from the City University of
16New York; and
 
17    WHEREAS, He educated hundreds of students at a variety of
18institutions; he served as a faculty fellow at the W.E.B.
19DuBois House at the University of Pennsylvania; he was an
20adjunct professor of communications at Hunter College at the
21City University of New York; he was an assistant professor with
22the African-American Studies department at Temple University;

 

 

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1he also served with Educational Testing Service for 13 years;
2and
 
3    WHEREAS, He was well known throughout the academic
4community in the United States and beyond; he wrote and
5lectured on various topics, including slavery, Caribbean
6history, urban studies, and American popular culture; his
7classes inspired hundreds of students to become rigorous
8critical thinkers, ardent political activists, and scholars;
9and
 
10    WHEREAS, He edited and contributed to "Droppin' Science:
11Critical Essays on Rap Music and Hip Hop Culture", which was
12published by Temple University Press in 1996; the book is still
13considered a critical text in the field of hip hop scholarship;
14and
 
15    WHEREAS, He enjoyed watching sports and was particularly
16thrilled and excited when the New Orleans Saints recently won
17the Super Bowl; he also enjoyed cooking, photography, and
18traveling to various countries of the African Diaspora,
19including Cuba, Brazil, Grenada, Aruba, and Jamaica; he
20particularly enjoyed learning about and experiencing Creole
21culture; and
 
22    WHEREAS, William Eric "Doc" Perkins is survived by his

 

 

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1daughter, Sonya Perkins; his son, Logan Bailey Perkins; his
2grandsons, Miles, Charlie, and Julian Perkins-Strickland; his
3sister, Darlene Perkins Tribue; his brothers, Antonio Burketh
4(Lydia) and Lance Richards; his nephews, Edward "Kippy" Tribue
5(Helen) and Shawn Richards (Miriam); his aunt, Joan Mason; his
6confidantes, Harold Mitchell, Maurice, and Numa Martinez; his
7brothers-in-law, Edward and Randall Tribue; and his many
8nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and colleagues; therefore,
9be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
11ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
12his family and friends, the passing of Dr. William Eric "Doc"
13Perkins; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
15presented to the family of Dr. William Eric "Doc" Perkins as an
16expression of our sympathy.