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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, Income inequality has risen  significantly since 
3the early 1970s, after several decades of stability; while it 
4has risen among most developed countries, it is highest in the 
5United States; income inequality continues to hurt the growth 
6of both the State and country; and
  
 
7    WHEREAS, The Poor People's Campaign was a 1968 effort to 
8gain economic justice for poor people in the United States; it 
9was organized by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern 
10Christian Leadership  Conference and carried out in the wake of 
11Dr. King's assassination; and
  
 
12    WHEREAS, The Poor People's Campaign demanded economic and 
13human rights for poor Americans of a diverse background; 
14organizers presented a set of demands to the United States 
15Congress and executive agencies; participants set up a 
163000-person tent city on the Washington Mall, "Resurrection 
17City", where they stayed for 6 weeks; and
  
 
18    WHEREAS, The Poor People's Campaign was motivated by a 
19desire for economic justice - the idea that all people should 
20have what they need to live; the campaign would help the poor 
21by dramatizing their needs and united all races under the 
22commonality of hardship and presenting a plan to start a 
 
 
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1solution; and
  
 
2    WHEREAS, In addition to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the 
3Poor People's Campaign included such leaders as Rev. James 
4Bevel, Stanley Levison, Ralph Abernathy, Bernard Lafayette, 
5Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales, Reies Tijerina, Stoney Cooks, Hosea 
6Williams, Rev. Fred C. Benette, Andrew Young, Walter Fauntroy, 
7and Rev. Jesse Jackson, "Mayor" of Resurrection City; and
  
 
8    WHEREAS, The Poor People's Campaign was designed to put the 
9plight of America's poor into stark images that those in power 
10in the United States could witness; therefore, be it
  
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
12NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
13we recognize the Poor People's Campaign of 1968 and continue to 
14work towards the original goal of the campaign - to gain 
15economic justice for poor.