Bill Text: IL HR0838 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Recognizes the Bud Billiken Parade on 95 years of parading in excellence in celebration of Chicago's dynamic and talented African American children.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-05-25 - Resolution Adopted [HR0838 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-HR0838-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives wish to recognize the Bud Billiken Parade on | ||||||
4 | 95 years of parading in excellence in celebration of Chicago's | ||||||
5 | dynamic and talented African American children; and
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6 | WHEREAS, In 1929, pioneering African American journalist | ||||||
7 | and businessman Robert S. Abbott, founder of the Chicago | ||||||
8 | Defender newspaper, founded the Bud Billiken Parade on | ||||||
9 | Chicago's South Side, named after the character Bud the | ||||||
10 | Billiken, who was the mascot of the Bud Billiken Club, a social | ||||||
11 | club for young Black people he founded in Chicago; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Robert Abbott founded the Bud Billiken Parade to | ||||||
13 | celebrate and showcase African-American children in Chicago, | ||||||
14 | especially through dance, music, and performance; and
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15 | WHEREAS, The tradition of the Bud Billiken Parade has | ||||||
16 | remained to this day a celebration of Black youth in Chicago, | ||||||
17 | with the parade traditionally viewed in Chicago's | ||||||
18 | African-American communities as the symbolic start of the | ||||||
19 | school year and the end of summer; and
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20 | WHEREAS, The parade has historically attracted leaders and | ||||||
21 | celebrities from across the country to view or participate in |
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1 | the parade, including President Harry Truman, future president | ||||||
2 | and then-Senator Barack Obama, Duke Ellington, Oprah Winfrey, | ||||||
3 | Muhammad Ali, Frank Thomas, Michael Jordan, Louis Armstrong, | ||||||
4 | and Spike Lee, among others; and
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5 | WHEREAS, The management and operation of the Bud Billiken | ||||||
6 | Parade has remained within the Abbott family, with the fourth | ||||||
7 | generation of leadership from his grandniece, Myiti | ||||||
8 | Sengstacke-Rice, who has continued to ensure the parade and | ||||||
9 | associated festivities celebrate Black youth in Chicago and | ||||||
10 | promote education and empowerment in the tradition of Robert | ||||||
11 | Abbott through the awarding of scholarships in partnership | ||||||
12 | with Chicago Defender Charities; and
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13 | WHEREAS, The Bud Billiken Parade has historically been the | ||||||
14 | largest Black-oriented parade and back to school parade in the | ||||||
15 | world and the second-largest parade in the United States, | ||||||
16 | after the Rose Bowl Parade, being viewed and attended by over | ||||||
17 | one million people and featuring a live television broadcast; | ||||||
18 | and
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19 | WHEREAS, In August 2024, the Bud Billiken Parade will | ||||||
20 | celebrate its 95th year, coming together to celebrate the rich | ||||||
21 | history of Chicago's African American citizens and the | ||||||
22 | creativity and expression of Black children; therefore, be it
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1 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
2 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
3 | we recognize the Bud Billiken Parade on 95 years of parading in | ||||||
4 | excellence in celebration of Chicago's dynamic and talented | ||||||
5 | African American children; and be it further
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