Bill Text: IL HR0828 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the passing of Rickye Denise "Rikki" Jones.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-05-24 - Resolution Adopted [HR0828 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-HR0828-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 Rickye | ||||||
4 | Denise "Rikki" Jones, who passed away on April 21, 2024; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Rikki Jones was born to Mercedes Jones and Willis | ||||||
6 | Jones in Chicago on August 12, 1950; she was raised by her | ||||||
7 | grandparents, Marie and Wilbur Williams, and her aunt, | ||||||
8 | Patricia "Pat" Williams; she attended St. Martin Catholic | ||||||
9 | School and graduated from St. Thomas the Apostle High School | ||||||
10 | in Hyde Park; she pursued higher education at Illinois | ||||||
11 | Benedictine College and spent a semester at sea through | ||||||
12 | Chapman College, studying and traveling in Asia; she later | ||||||
13 | obtained her master's degree from the University of Phoenix; | ||||||
14 | and
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15 | WHEREAS, Rikki Jones was a beloved educator, a passionate | ||||||
16 | community activist, and a tireless champion of political | ||||||
17 | empowerment; her teaching career spanned many years at the | ||||||
18 | City Colleges of Chicago and the Chicago Public School system, | ||||||
19 | where her deep passion and love for young children were | ||||||
20 | evident in her unwavering availability and willingness to help | ||||||
21 | whenever and however she could, remaining dedicated to | ||||||
22 | uplifting others through education and advocacy; and
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1 | WHEREAS, Throughout her life, Rikki Jones was at the | ||||||
2 | forefront of the fight for rights and opportunities, beginning | ||||||
3 | at the age of 17 when she became involved with Operation | ||||||
4 | Breadbasket, organized by the Southern Christian Leadership | ||||||
5 | Conference (SCLC) and later transformed into Operation PUSH, | ||||||
6 | and the Black Panther Party Breakfast Program; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Rikki Jones' passion for civic engagement led to | ||||||
8 | 34 years of leadership with the Cook County Democratic Women, | ||||||
9 | an organization committed to advancing women's rights and | ||||||
10 | political representation; she was responsible for launching | ||||||
11 | the careers of various political leaders, as well as | ||||||
12 | advocating for numerous campaigns, including Mayor Harold | ||||||
13 | Washington, U.S. Senator Carol Mosley Braun, President Barack | ||||||
14 | Obama, Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson of the U.S. | ||||||
15 | Supreme Court, Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch of the Illinois | ||||||
16 | House of Representatives, and many more; she attended the 1996 | ||||||
17 | Democratic National Convention after serving as a volunteer | ||||||
18 | worker on President Bill Clinton's campaign and was chosen as | ||||||
19 | a delegate for the 2024 Democratic National Convention in | ||||||
20 | support for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala | ||||||
21 | Harris; and
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22 | WHEREAS, Rikki Jones was a regular guest speaker on such | ||||||
23 | WVON shows as the Cliff Kelly Show and the Perri Small Show, | ||||||
24 | where she advocated for her community and provided helpful |
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1 | information; and
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2 | WHEREAS, Rikki Jones was the recipient of several | ||||||
3 | accolades during her life, including the Dunbar Vocational | ||||||
4 | Career Academy Service Award; she was further honored by Cook | ||||||
5 | County Clerk Dorothy Brown and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin as | ||||||
6 | well as at the Power Rising Conference; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Rikki Jones committed to her faith at an early | ||||||
8 | age, being baptized at Holy Immanuel Episcopal Church as an | ||||||
9 | infant; she served as an active member in Sunday school and the | ||||||
10 | children's choir, participating in all church pageants; as an | ||||||
11 | adult, she was baptized at Maryland Avenue Missionary Baptist | ||||||
12 | Church, where she served as youth director for many years; she | ||||||
13 | was a dedicated member of Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist | ||||||
14 | Church, serving on the boards of trustees and nursing, working | ||||||
15 | in the youth group, serving as a Sunday school teacher, and | ||||||
16 | leading a special project for the outreach ministry; and
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17 | WHEREAS, Rikki Jones deeply loved her family and was | ||||||
18 | affectionately known as "Aunt Rikki" to all of her younger | ||||||
19 | family members; she shared a special bond with her Aunt Pat and | ||||||
20 | adored her cousins, Ann Marie and Joy, who were like sisters; | ||||||
21 | and
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22 | WHEREAS, Rikki Jones made an indelible mark on her |
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1 | community; she will be remembered for her unwavering | ||||||
2 | commitment to social justice and equality, inspiring | ||||||
3 | generations to come; and
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4 | WHEREAS, Rikki Jones was preceded in death by her | ||||||
5 | grandparents; her parents; and her brothers, Kenneth (Val) | ||||||
6 | Wilbur and Wayne (Ann) Vincent; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Rikki Jones is survived by her aunt; her nieces | ||||||
8 | and nephews, Marie, Nicole, Vincent, Kenneth, and Autumn; her | ||||||
9 | cousins; her great-cousins, Jonathan, Jeremy, Olivia, Kathryn, | ||||||
10 | and Alexander; her great-nephews, Rahaman, Rahsul, and | ||||||
11 | Rahfeeq; her great-nieces, Noa and Hannah; her special | ||||||
12 | friends, Reverend Krista Alston and her extended family; and a | ||||||
13 | host of family, friends, students, her church family, and the | ||||||
14 | political community; therefore, be it
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15 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
16 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
17 | we mourn the passing of Rickye Denise "Rikki" Jones and extend | ||||||
18 | our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who | ||||||
19 | knew and loved her; and be it further
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