Bill Text: IL HR0741 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the death of Michael Edward Banks, Sr. of Chicago.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-09-02 - Resolution Adopted [HR0741 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2015-HR0741-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Michael | ||||||
4 | Edward Banks, Sr. of Chicago, who passed away on August 25, | ||||||
5 | 2015; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Michael Banks, Sr. was born in Chicago on June 4, | ||||||
7 | 1945 to Edward Caldwell and Pauline Pruitt Banks; he graduated | ||||||
8 | 2 years early from Harlan High School, where he received | ||||||
9 | accolades and awards in basketball and track and set a Chicago | ||||||
10 | city record in the long jump, a record that remained untouched | ||||||
11 | for decades; he attended Bradley University on an athletic | ||||||
12 | scholarship, where he joined the Epsilon Kappa Chapter of
Alpha | ||||||
13 | Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; he graduated with a Bachelor of | ||||||
14 | Science in Business and Education; while a
student at Bradley | ||||||
15 | University, he led a group of students on a march down Main | ||||||
16 | Street to call attention to
discrimination in housing; he | ||||||
17 | married Stephanie Jones Banks; he later married Joyce King
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18 | Banks; and
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19 | WHEREAS, Michael Banks, Sr. joined the
professional staff | ||||||
20 | of Bradley University; during his tenure there, he served in | ||||||
21 | several capacities, including being responsible for the men's | ||||||
22 | residence halls, fraternity affairs, and minority student | ||||||
23 | affairs; he served
as Assistant Dean of Men and Assistant to |
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1 | the Dean of Students; he was founder of the Black Studies
and | ||||||
2 | Cultural Arts Center; he founded Music with A Message,
Peoria's | ||||||
3 | first minority news and information and entertainment radio | ||||||
4 | broadcast (1968-1993); and
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5 | WHEREAS, Michael Banks, Sr. traveled extensively on the | ||||||
6 | African Continent as
a fundraiser for African Independence | ||||||
7 | Groups associated with Nelson Mandela; he served as Executive | ||||||
8 | Director of Peoria's Citizen's Committee for Economic | ||||||
9 | Opportunity, Inc., a position
he held for nearly 20 years; | ||||||
10 | under his leadership, the following programs were initiated: | ||||||
11 | Webster Head Start,
day care services, kindergarten, before and | ||||||
12 | after school latch-key programming, alcohol rehabilitation
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13 | services, a Senior Drop In Center, neighborhood outreach | ||||||
14 | centers, information and referral services, radio
and | ||||||
15 | television programming, weatherization and housing | ||||||
16 | rehabilitation services, and a food service
operation; he | ||||||
17 | initiated Community Economic Development projects for PCCEO, | ||||||
18 | Inc. and formed the Peoria
Economic Development Association, a | ||||||
19 | local SBA development Corporation; during his tenure as | ||||||
20 | Executive
Director of PCCEO, Inc., he also started a 40 acre | ||||||
21 | farm co-op that once served 100 families; and
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22 | WHEREAS, Michael Banks, Sr. served as President at the | ||||||
23 | National Center for Community Action and as President of the | ||||||
24 | Illinois
Community Action Association; he was recognized by his |
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1 | peers for his strong leadership skills and effective
management | ||||||
2 | style; he played an integral role in establishing the first | ||||||
3 | black owned and operated radio station in Peoria, WBGE 92.3FM; | ||||||
4 | he served as general manager of B&G Broadcasting until 2000; | ||||||
5 | and
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6 | WHEREAS, Michael Banks, Sr. relocated to Chicago, his home | ||||||
7 | town, in 2001; he founded and served as President/CEO of MEBA
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8 | LLC., a consultant firm for non-profit organizations; he served | ||||||
9 | as a consultant
to the Community and Economic Development | ||||||
10 | Association of Cook County, Inc.'s planning
department until | ||||||
11 | his retirement in 2012; he started an
Internet radio broadcast, | ||||||
12 | "Mr. B's Showcase", once again using the theme Music with a | ||||||
13 | Message; and
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14 | WHEREAS, Michael Banks, Sr. married Noel Stewart Banks on | ||||||
15 | April 19, 2013; and
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16 | WHEREAS, Michael Banks, Sr. was preceded in death by his | ||||||
17 | parents; and
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18 | WHEREAS, Michael Banks, Sr. is survived by his wife, Noel; | ||||||
19 | his son, Michael Banks, Jr.; his daughter, Ebony Banks (Emorej) | ||||||
20 | Henderson and a precious grandson, Elisha A.
Henderson; his | ||||||
21 | brother, Phillip Banks; his 3 sisters, Rita Jackson, Patricia
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22 | Hodges, and Lori Jackson; his uncle, Wilfred (Betty) Banks; and |
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1 | a host of
nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, | ||||||
2 | loving cousins, and very special friends; therefore, be it
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3 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
4 | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
5 | mourn the passing of Michael Edward Banks, Sr., and extend our | ||||||
6 | sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew | ||||||
7 | and loved him; and be it further
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8 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
9 | presented to the family of Michael Banks, Sr. as an expression | ||||||
10 | of our deepest sympathy.
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