HR0291 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0291 LRB102 18183 MST 25752 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to commend Frank Williams, community activist, fair housing advocate, and successful real estate professional, for his lifetime of diligent work for equal rights for homeowners; and

WHEREAS, Frank Williams was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and raised in Flint, Michigan; he and his family moved to Chicago in 1962; he took a job with the postal service and began studying accounting; in 1965, he and his wife, Joanne, began shopping for a home, and he took a real estate course to feel better equipped for the process; he subsequently took the real estate exam, passed, and joined the now defunct Midwest Realty; and

WHEREAS, Frank Williams became a REALTOR in 1969 and opened FJ Williams Realty two years later; for decades, he has advocated for fair housing legislation in Springfield and Chicago, and following the civil rights movement, he found homes for black buyers in historically white areas on the southwest side, including his own neighborhood of Beverly; he persisted in his efforts to desegregate these neighborhoods despite ongoing harassment and threats, including a bomb being detonated outside his front door; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his service as the second African-American president of the Chicago Association of REALTORS (CAR), Frank Williams served as the president of the Dearborn Realtist Board from 1973 to 1974; he was president of CAR from 1989 to 1990, where he championed fair housing and diversity; and

WHEREAS, Frank Williams was president of the Southside Chicago branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 1979 to 1985, during a time when affordable housing and integration ranked among the top real estate issues in the city and suburbs; during his term with the NAACP, he helped create a monitoring program to oversee housing discrimination and placed a strong emphasis on the hiring and placement of minorities in the real estate industry; his emphasis on mentorship, education, and the hiring and placement of minorities in the real estate business truly helped to advance and strengthen the real estate industry in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Frank Williams was chosen by The Illinois Association of REALTORS in 1991 to hold the first Distinguished Member Award for Community Service, and the following year, he was named CAR's REALTOR of the Year; during this time, he led efforts to create a $25,000 scholarship for minority students to pursue a career in real estate; in 2017, he was inducted into the Chicago Association of Realtors Hall of Fame and was awarded the 2017 Gale Cincotta Community Visionary Award by Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, which is presented annually to a person who exemplifies leadership, innovation, and passion in making their community a better place to live; in addition to receiving numerous prestigious awards, he was appointed to serve on the Affordable Housing Task Force and the Real Estate Services Advisory Council by former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley; and

WHEREAS, Frank Williams has been a vigorous supporter of community action groups seeking social change; he has served as a real estate educator and a board member for numerous national and local housing associations; he has offered unparalleled compassion and commitment in all of his efforts to serve his community, the State, and the nation; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend Frank Williams, community activist, fair housing advocate, and successful real estate professional, for his lifetime of diligent work for equal rights for homeowners; and be it further

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