Full Text of SR0975 99th General Assembly
SR0975 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 | | learn of the death of Michael Edward Banks, Sr. of Chicago, who | 4 | | passed away on August 25, 2015; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Michael Banks was born on June 4, 1945 in Chicago; | 6 | | his parents were Edward Caldwell Banks and Pauline Pruitt | 7 | | Banks; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Michael Banks attended Chicago Public Schools, | 9 | | where he distinguished himself as an athlete and a scholar by | 10 | | graduating 2 years early from Harlan High School and receiving | 11 | | accolades and awards in basketball and track; he set a city of | 12 | | Chicago record in the long jump, a record that remained | 13 | | untouched for decades; his prowess in track earned him a dinner | 14 | | with Olympian Jessie Owens, which was an evening he never | 15 | | forgot; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, Michael Banks attended Bradley University on an | 17 | | athletic scholarship and joined the Epsilon Kappa Chapter of | 18 | | Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; he earned his Bachelor of | 19 | | Science degree in Business and Education and joined the | 20 | | professional staff of Bradley University; and | 21 | | WHEREAS, During his tenure at Bradley University, Michael |
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| 1 | | Banks served in several capacities; he was responsible for the | 2 | | Men's Residence Halls, Fraternity Affairs, and Minority | 3 | | Student Affairs; he served as Assistant Dean of Men and | 4 | | Assistant to the Dean of Students; he was the founder of the | 5 | | Black Studies and Cultural Arts Center while serving as | 6 | | Assistant Dean of Students; he also founded Music with A | 7 | | Message, Peoria's first minority news, information, and | 8 | | entertainment radio broadcast, which ran from 1968 to 1993; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, While at Bradley University, Michael Banks' | 10 | | passion for social and economic justice took wings; he led a | 11 | | group of students on a march down Main Street to call attention | 12 | | to discrimination in housing; he also traveled extensively on | 13 | | the African continent in Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, and | 14 | | Liberia as a fundraiser for African Independence Groups | 15 | | associated with Nelson Mandela; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Michael Banks served as the Executive Director of | 17 | | Peoria's Citizen's Committee for Economic Opportunity, Inc., a | 18 | | position he held for nearly 20 years; under his leadership, | 19 | | many programs were initiated, including Webster Head Start, day | 20 | | care services, kindergarten, before and after school latch-key | 21 | | programming, alcohol rehabilitation services, a Senior Drop In | 22 | | Center, neighborhood outreach centers, information and | 23 | | referral services, radio and television programming, | 24 | | weatherization and housing rehabilitation services, and a food |
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| 1 | | service operation; he initiated Community Economic Development | 2 | | projects for PCCEO, Inc. and formed the Peoria Economic | 3 | | Development Association, a local SBA development corporation; | 4 | | he started a 40-acre farm co-op that once served 100 families; | 5 | | he also served as President of the National Center for | 6 | | Community Action and as president of the Illinois Community | 7 | | Action Association; he was recognized by his peers for his | 8 | | strong leadership skills and effective management style; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Michael Banks played an integral role in | 10 | | establishing the first black owned and operated radio station | 11 | | in Peoria, WBGE 92.3 FM; he also served as General Manager of | 12 | | B&G Broadcasting, one of 250 black owned and operated | 13 | | broadcasting companies in the country, until the sale of the | 14 | | station in 2000; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, In 2001, Michael Banks relocated to Chicago, where | 16 | | he founded and served as President and CEO of MEBA LLC, a | 17 | | consultant firm for non-profit organizations; in this | 18 | | capacity, he served as a consultant to the Community and | 19 | | Economic Development Association of Cook County, Inc.'s | 20 | | planning department until his retirement in 2012; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, Michael Banks was preceded in death by his | 22 | | parents; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Michael Banks is survived by his wife, Noel | 2 | | Stewart Banks; 2 children, Michael Banks, Jr. and Ebony Banks | 3 | | (Emorej) Henderson; a grandson, Elisha A. Henderson; a brother, | 4 | | Phillip Banks; 3 sisters, Rita Jackson, Patricia Hodges, and | 5 | | Lori Jackson; an uncle, Wilfred (Betty) Banks; and his many | 6 | | nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins, and | 7 | | friends; therefore, be it
| 8 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL | 9 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his | 10 | | family and friends, mourn the passing of Michael Edward Banks, | 11 | | Sr.; and be it further
| 12 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 13 | | presented to the family of Michael Banks as an expression of | 14 | | our sympathy.
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