| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives are pleased to honor individuals whose lives | ||||||
| 4 | of service, leadership, and integrity have made a lasting | ||||||
| 5 | impact on the State of Illinois and the nation; and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, Roland W. Burris has dedicated his life to public | ||||||
| 7 | service, becoming one of Illinois' most accomplished and | ||||||
| 8 | trailblazing public officials; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, Roland Burris was born on August 3, 1937 in | ||||||
| 10 | Centralia and rose from humble beginnings to achieve academic | ||||||
| 11 | excellence, earning degrees from Southern Illinois University | ||||||
| 12 | and the University of Hamburg in Germany; and | ||||||
| 13 | WHEREAS, Roland Burris made history as the first African | ||||||
| 14 | American elected to statewide office in Illinois, serving as | ||||||
| 15 | Illinois Comptroller from 1979 to 1991 and later as Illinois | ||||||
| 16 | Attorney General from 1991 to 1995; and | ||||||
| 17 | WHEREAS, In these roles, Roland Burris earned a reputation | ||||||
| 18 | for integrity, professionalism, and a steadfast commitment to | ||||||
| 19 | justice, fiscal responsibility, and public accountability; and | ||||||
| 20 | WHEREAS, In 2009, Roland Burris was appointed to the | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | United States Senate, where he continued his legacy of service | ||||||
| 2 | by advocating for civil rights, economic opportunity, and | ||||||
| 3 | fairness for all Americans; and | ||||||
| 4 | WHEREAS, Throughout his distinguished career, Roland | ||||||
| 5 | Burris has remained a champion for equity and inclusion, | ||||||
| 6 | helping to open doors for generations of leaders who followed | ||||||
| 7 | in his path; and | ||||||
| 8 | WHEREAS, The contributions Roland Burris has made to the | ||||||
| 9 | City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, and the United States | ||||||
| 10 | reflect a lifetime of principled leadership and unwavering | ||||||
| 11 | dedication to the public good; and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, The I AM HER Foundation will host its annual | ||||||
| 13 | fundraiser on March 21, 2026 in honor of Roland Burris, | ||||||
| 14 | celebrating his lifelong commitment to justice, equity, and | ||||||
| 15 | principled leadership; and | ||||||
| 16 | WHEREAS, It is fitting that we honor Roland Burris while | ||||||
| 17 | he can witness the appreciation and gratitude of the people he | ||||||
| 18 | has served; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 19 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 20 | HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 21 | we honor Roland W. Burris for his extraordinary life, legacy, | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | and contributions to public service; and be it further | ||||||
| 2 | RESOLVED, That we extend our sincere appreciation to | ||||||
| 3 | Roland Burris for his decades of leadership, his | ||||||
| 4 | groundbreaking achievements, and his enduring commitment to | ||||||
| 5 | justice and equality; and be it further | ||||||
| 6 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 7 | presented to Roland Burris as a symbol of our respect and | ||||||
| 8 | esteem. | ||||||