Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0618

HR0618 LRB104 20348 LAW 33801 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Wyanetta Johnson of Oak Park, who passed away on January 1, 2026; and

WHEREAS, Wyanetta Johnson was born on April 18, 1939; she spent her early years in and around the Sikeston and Charleston areas of Missouri, where both Black and white people worked as sharecroppers and her family was engaged with racial justice efforts in the period before the Civil Rights Movement; and

WHEREAS, Wyanetta Johnson was a beloved and lifelong advocate for racial justice and educational equity for children, parents, professionals, and teachers throughout Oak Park and River Forest, becoming affectionately known as "Mrs. Johnson" to her allies and "Grandma" to generations of students; and

WHEREAS, Wyanetta Johnson was an integral leader of African American Parents for Purposeful Leadership in Education (A.P.P.L.E.), a community advocacy group established in the late 1980s by Black community members to protect and guide Black and other children in Oak Park schools, including Oak Park and River Forest High School (OPRFHS); she served as president and vice president, working closely with other Black leaders, white allies, and progressive board members to advance racial equity, while helping children navigate and succeed in school settings that were trying to transition into integrated, inclusive, and culturally respected places for Black children; and

WHEREAS, Wyanetta Johnson, in her years with A.P.P.L.E., oversaw the mentorship of Black students during the school day and after school, led study skills and homework assistance programs, and helped organize career days, Saturday school seminars for parents, overnight retreats for children, and the popular OPRFHS Fashion and Talent Show, a standing-room-only event that was open to all students; she also united A.P.P.L.E. in an election coalition, creating a multiracial alliance of the Oak Park NAACP, the Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Alliance, students, and racial equity advocates from Oak Park Elementary School District 97; and

WHEREAS, Wyanetta Johnson continued to serve as a powerful and influential voice for educational equity, helping organize a legal challenge concerning the gross inequities Black children experienced in Oak Park's special education program and due to discipline policies during the 2000s, leading to a major overhaul of special education at OPRFHS and marking the beginning of evidence-supported ways to bring equity to the school's discipline practices; in more recent years, she called for OPRFHS District 200 to adopt a racial equity policy and to expand high status learning to all students by launching the Freshman All-Honors Curriculum; and

WHEREAS, Wyanetta Johnson was regularly involved in organizing elections at the local, state, and national level; and

WHEREAS, Wyanetta Johnson was a pillar of her community, sacrificing time, energy, and personal resources to ensure that equity was not merely discussed but enacted for more than 40 years; her legacy of leadership will continue to guide the work of parents, educators, and advocates throughout her community; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Wyanetta Johnson and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Wyanetta Johnson as an expression of our deepest sympathy.