SJ0064 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0064 LRB103 40583 LAW 73177 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, John Lewis served in the United States House of Representatives and was a civil rights activist; and

WHEREAS, After a long career in public service, John Lewis died of pancreatic cancer on July 17, 2020; and

WHEREAS, John Lewis participated in the Nashville sit-ins during the 1960s and was a part of the Nashville Student Movement organization during the civil rights movement; and

WHEREAS, In 1961, John Lewis became one of the 13 original Freedom Riders; and

WHEREAS, John Lewis served as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee; and

WHEREAS, John Lewis served as one of the leaders of the March on Washington, which gathered approximately 250,000 people to advocate for the civil and economic rights of African Americans and was also the location where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we declare February 21, 2024 as John Lewis Day in the State of Illinois to remind us of the accomplishments of this civil rights icon and to honor his legacy and dedication to public service.