Bill Text: IL HR0764 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the passing of Rev. Walter "Slim" Coleman of Chicago.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-05-09 - Resolution Adopted [HR0764 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-HR0764-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Reverend | ||||||
4 | Walter "Slim" Coleman of Chicago, who passed away on April 16, | ||||||
5 | 2024; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman was born on August 20, 1943; he was | ||||||
7 | raised in Lubbock, Texas; he attended Harvard University, | ||||||
8 | where he dropped out shortly before graduation to begin his | ||||||
9 | life in activism, later finishing his degree; and
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10 | WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman was an influential Chicago activist | ||||||
11 | for more than six decades; he served as an advocate for civil | ||||||
12 | rights and social justice causes and led countless | ||||||
13 | demonstrations; and
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14 | WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman became involved with the Student | ||||||
15 | Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a predominantly Black, | ||||||
16 | student-run civil rights group; after the organization | ||||||
17 | dissolved, he moved from Cleveland to Chicago in 1966, where | ||||||
18 | he began working with the Students for a Democratic Society, | ||||||
19 | an organization whose headquarters were located near the | ||||||
20 | Illinois Black Panther Party Headquarters on Madison Street, | ||||||
21 | leading him to become acquainted with Chairman Fred Hampton; | ||||||
22 | and
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1 | WHEREAS, After parting ways with the Students for a | ||||||
2 | Democratic Society, Rev. Coleman created the People's | ||||||
3 | Information Center in Lincoln, which functioned as part of the | ||||||
4 | Black Panther Party and aided thousands of poor whites and | ||||||
5 | Latinos who lived on Chicago's North Side; and
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6 | WHEREAS, After Hampton's death in 1969, Rev. Coleman | ||||||
7 | established the Intercommunal Survival Collective of the Black | ||||||
8 | Panther Party in Uptown, which provided food, education, and | ||||||
9 | legal assistance; his organization evolved into the Heart of | ||||||
10 | Uptown Coalition; and
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11 | WHEREAS, Through his monumental voter registration efforts | ||||||
12 | in Chicago's poor white communities, Rev. Coleman played a | ||||||
13 | pivotal role in Harold Washington's historic and successful | ||||||
14 | campaign to become Chicago's first Black mayor in 1983; and
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15 | WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman created the Fair Share organization | ||||||
16 | with his future wife, Emma Lozano, to fight gentrification in | ||||||
17 | the West Town and Bucktown communities; and
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18 | WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman later became a pastor and led the | ||||||
19 | Adalberto United Methodist Church in Humboldt Park, serving | ||||||
20 | that church and the Lincoln United Methodist Church in Pilsen; | ||||||
21 | and
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1 | WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman served as an immigration policy aide | ||||||
2 | to former U.S. Representative Luis Gutiérrez; and
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3 | WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman loved playing guitar and music, | ||||||
4 | especially country, blues, and folk; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman leaves behind a legacy of community | ||||||
6 | leadership and activism on behalf of people and communities | ||||||
7 | fighting for fairness and access to resources and power in | ||||||
8 | Chicago; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Rev. Coleman is survived by his wife; five | ||||||
10 | children, Robert Rico, Anita Rico, Tanya Lozano, Joline | ||||||
11 | Lozano, and Roberto C. Lopez; and six grandchildren; | ||||||
12 | therefore, be it
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13 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
14 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
15 | we mourn the passing of Reverend Walter "Slim" Coleman and | ||||||
16 | extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all | ||||||
17 | who knew and loved him; and be it further
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