Bill Text: IL HR0945 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Commends Earnest "Ernie" Broadnax for his dedication to the Elgin community as an educator and historian. Further wishes him continued success in his endeavors.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2021-01-08 - Resolution Adopted [HR0945 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-HR0945-Introduced.html

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HR0945 LRB101 23284 LAW 74434 r
HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
Representatives wish to commend Earnest "Ernie" Broadnax for
his commitment to the Elgin community as an educator and
historian; and
WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax is a lifelong resident of Elgin and
a descendent of one of the first African American families in
Elgin; he was born in Elgin in 1935 and graduated from Elgin
High School in 1953; he attended Elgin Community College in
1953, where he was the first Black basketball player and an
award winning member of the speech team; he served in the U.S.
Marine Corps from 1955 to 1966; he married Eliza on February
28, 1965; he earned an Associate of Arts in Juvenile
Corrections from Elgin Community College in 1974; and
WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax was employed jointly by the City of
Elgin's Parks and Recreation Department and the Fremont
Recreation Center, an Elgin United Way Agency, from 1967 to
1970; during this time, he was the first Black person to have
an office in Elgin City Hall; he worked at the Herrick House
Children's Shelter under the Illinois Department of Children
and Family Services from 1982 to 2000; and
WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax served as the executive producer of

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the documentary Project 2-3-1: A Story of Elgin's African
American Heritage, which premiered in 2015 before being
distributed to all 844 public and academic libraries in the
State of Illinois in partnership with the Secretary of State in
2016; his documentary received a number of awards, including
the Elgin Image Award, the Elgin Mayor's Award, the Midwest
Museum Association Best Practices Award, the Midwest History
Association Alice B. Smith Prize for Public History, and the
American Association of State and Local History Award of Merit;
and
WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax was the originator and narrator of
the trolley car tour of Elgin's historic African American
neighborhood; he also organized an African American Golf
Tournament, which was sponsored by New Hope Baptist Church and
held in the Elgin area, in 2004; and
WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax has belonged and continues to
belong to a number of local organizations, including the Elgin
Housing Group, the Veterans Memorial Phase 2 Committee, and the
U-46 Advisory Board; he became a member the New Hope Baptist
Church in 1985; and
WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax has been the recipient of several
honors and accolades, including the Elgin Mayor's Award in
2009, the Elgin Image Award in 2013, the Lasting Impact Award

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by Elgin Community College in 2015, and the Elgin Veteran of
the Month Award for May 2015; he was chosen to travel to
Washington, D. C. to receive Gail Borden Library's 2009
National Medal for Museum and Library Services Award in 2010;
and
WHEREAS, Ernie Broadnax serves as a community relations
organizer, historical guide and mentor, youth leader, and
storyteller; his career has focused on working with youth and
teens, ranging from after school programs to correctional
facilities; he has mentored orphaned, abandoned, and abused
children; he has championed human relations within the Elgin
community, including the Elgin Police Department, the City of
Elgin, the Gail Borden Public Library, School District U-46,
and the Elgin History Museum; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we commend Earnest "Ernie" Broadnax for his dedication to the
Elgin community as an educator and historian, and we wish him
continued success in his endeavors; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to Ernie Broadnax as an expression of our esteem and
respect.