HR0972

LRB096 21433 GRL 37817 r





  
1

HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2
    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3
Representatives are saddened to  learn of the death of
E. Duke 
4
McNeil of Chicago, who passed away on February 21, 2010; and
  
 
5
    WHEREAS, E. Duke McNeil was born and raised in Memphis, 
6
Tennessee; he then moved to Chicago and attended the DePaul 
7
School of Law; and
  
 
8
    WHEREAS, E. Duke McNeil was motivated to earn his law 
9
degree after watching the activism of Thurgood Marshall; in 
10
1974, he made history in Chicago by becoming the first black 
11
man to launch a campaign for the mayor's office; his candidacy 
12
helped lay the groundwork for Chicago's first black mayor, 
13
Harold Washington; Mr. McNeil defended the Black Panthers in 
14
the 1970s and represented hundreds of criminal defendants 
15
throughout his professional career; he also provided his legal 
16
services to people who could not afford a lawyer and recruited 
17
others to do the same; and
  
 
18
    WHEREAS, E. Duke McNeil was a founding member of the 
19
Rainbow PUSH Coalition; he walked with the Rev. Martin Luther 
20
King Jr. in the fight for open housing and worked for quality 
21
education for children; he also served as host of the Rainbow 
22
PUSH Coalition's weekly forum for more than 20 years; and
  
 
 


 






HR0972
- 2 -
LRB096 21433 GRL 37817 r




1
    WHEREAS, E. Duke McNeil is survived by his wife, Carrie; 
2
his daughters, J. Rita McNeil-Danish and Rita; and his son, 
3
Stephen; therefore, be it
  
 
4
    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
5
NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
6
mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of E. 
7
Duke McNeil; and be it further
  
 
8
    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
9
presented to the family of E. Duke McNeil as an expression of 
10
our sympathy.