HR0483 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0483 LRB101 13279 ALS 62121 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Following World War I, during the summer and fall of 1919, race riots occurred in more than three dozen cities, including Chicago; it was branded the "Red Summer" because the riots resulted in some of the worst violence in United States history; and

WHEREAS, After World War I, an estimated 100,000 black veterans moved North, where they still encountered segregation, racism, and inequality; in Chicago, the "presence and inspiration of black veterans, particularly those of the 370th Infantry Regiment" was critical to black Chicagoans forced to "defend themselves from white aggression; and

WHEREAS, One of the most severe race riots occurred in Chicago between July 25, 1919 and August 3, 1919; the riot was triggered when a black teen was stoned to death after crossing an invisible boundary between a segregated part of the Chicago beaches; when police refused to arrest the white man whom black observers held responsible for the incident, crowds began to gather at the beach; the riot left 38 people dead, more than 500 injured, and 1,000 black families homeless after fires burned their homes; and

WHEREAS, The Red Summer marked a new era of black resistance to white injustice, with African Americans standing up in unprecedented numbers and killing some of their tormenters; researchers believe that in a span of ten months more than 250 African Americans were killed in at least 25 riots across the United States; the white mobs never faced punishment; many African American soldiers returning from the war were outspoken against the racial discrimination, inequality, and violence that continued to plague black communities; and

WHEREAS, Black journalists, including Ida B. Wells, played an important role in getting the story told; black newspapers, like the Chicago Defender, were instrumental in providing an alternate voice that represented why African Americans deserved to be here, deserved equal rights, and were, in some cases, justified in fighting; and

WHEREAS, Nearly 100 years later, not many people know about the events of the Red Summer; there are no national observances, history textbooks ignore it, and most museums do not acknowledge it; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare July 29, 2019 as "Red Summer Remembrance Day" in the State of Illinois in remembrance of the 100th anniversary of the Red Summer and urge the City of Chicago to erect a monument that includes the names of the victims on the site of the riot along with additional historical signage placed on highway, street, and expressway signs leading to the site; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot.