Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0287

HR0287 LRB104 13369 LAW 25686 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated was founded by seven college men, respectfully known as the Seven Jewels, on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York on December 4, 1906, becoming the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established by and for African Americans; and

WHEREAS, The Seven Jewels, Henry Arthur Callis, Charles Henry Chapman, Eugene Kinckle Jones, George Biddle Kelley, Nathaniel Allison Murray, Robert Harold Ogle, and Vertner Woodson Tandy, recognized the need for a strong bond of brotherhood among African descendants in this country and the need to help correct the educational, economic, political, and social injustices faced by African Americans and other people of color; and

WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha initially served as a study and support group for minority students who faced racial prejudice, both educationally and socially, at Cornell University; its founders and early leaders laid a firm foundation for the fraternity's principles of scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of humanity; and

WHEREAS, While stressing academic excellence among its members since its founding, Alpha Phi Alpha has consistently supplied its voice and vision to the struggle for civil rights and social justice around the world; and

WHEREAS, The aims of Alpha Phi Alpha are manly deeds, scholarship, and love for all mankind; and

WHEREAS, The mission of Alpha Phi Alpha is to develop leaders, promote brotherhood and academic excellence, and provide service and advocacy for communities, as exemplified through its national programs, which include "Go-to-High-School, Go-to-College", "Project Alpha", and "A Voteless People is a Hopeless People", along with strategic partnerships with a number of organizations, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Boy Scouts of America, March of Dimes, the American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society; and

WHEREAS, For over 118 years, Alpha Phi Alpha has played a fundamental role in shaping the character and educational achievement of more than 200,000 men worldwide, and the fraternity will celebrate 119 years as the first Black Greek-letter organization on December 4, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha has more than 700 chapters globally, including 32 active chapters in Illinois, with its roots dating back to the 1910 founding of Theta Chapter and 1924 founding of Xi Lambda Chapter in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. include many noteworthy leaders in the areas of government, business, entertainment, science, and higher education, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Justice Thurgood Marshall, W.E.B. DuBois, John Hope Franklin, John H. Johnson, Adam Clayton Powell, Andrew Young, Robert Smith, Dick Gregory, and Cornel West; its membership also includes a long and distinguished list of current and former federal, state, and local elected officials, including U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, U.S. Representative Danny K. Davis, former U.S. Senators Edward Brooke and Roland Burris, former State Senators Adelbert H. Roberts, who was also the first African American in the Illinois State Senate, and Donne E. Trotter, former State Representatives Al Riley and Art Turner Jr., former Cook County Board Presidents John and Todd Stroger, and former Mayor of Chicago Eugene Sawyer, among countless others who have long stood at the forefront of the fight for civil and human rights and social change for all Americans; and

WHEREAS, Several Alpha Phi Alpha men continue to serve with distinction in the Illinois General Assembly, including Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, Illinois Legislative House Black Caucus Chair Representative Justin Slaughter, Assistant Majority Leader Representative Maurice West, and Senate Majority Caucus Appropriations Leader Elgie R. Sims Jr., who also served as the 26th Midwestern Regional Vice President; and

WHEREAS, On April 30, 2025, Illinois members of Alpha Phi Alpha will gather for Alpha Day at the Capitol in Springfield, and in a powerful display of unity and purpose, they will be joined by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. to collectively advance the priorities of the communities they serve; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare April 30, 2025 as Alpha Phi Alpha Day in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we commend Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated for 119 years of outstanding service, leadership, and advocacy, and we welcome the members of the fraternity to the State Capitol for this annual celebration of excellence.