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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, Douglas Park is a 218-acre park on the West Side 
3of Chicago and is named after U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas 
4(1813-1861), a pro-slavery politician from Illinois; he was a 
5proponent of the concept of "popular sovereignty", the idea 
6that those areas of the country where a majority wished to have 
7slavery should be allowed to do so; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Douglas Park borders a neighborhood of African 
9American and Latino residents; and
  
 
10    WHEREAS, Recently, fifth grade students at the Village 
11Leadership Academy were assigned to persuade commuters to sign 
12a petition to add an "S" to the park's current name, thus 
13renaming it for Frederick Douglass, a former slave and social 
14reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman; and
  
 
15    WHEREAS, To gain public support for the name change, sixth 
16graders from the Village Leadership Academy are meeting with 
17West Side community groups, visiting the North Lawndale 
18neighborhood near the park to gather signatures from area 
19residents, and campaigning on subway platforms and aboard 
20trains; and
  
 
21    WHEREAS, This assignment encourages students to learn 
 
 
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1about politics, current events, and how to make positive 
2changes in their communities; and
  
 
  
3    WHEREAS, The next phase of the assignment will be for the 
4students to make a formal presentation to the Chicago Park 
5District, which has the final say on the names of parks; 
6therefore, be it
  
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
8HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
9commend the students of the Village Leadership Academy for 
10their efforts to make positive changes within their community; 
11and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That we urge the Chicago Park District to approve 
13changing the name of Douglas Park to Douglass Park in honor of 
14Frederick Douglass; and be it further
  
 
15    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
16presented to the students at the Village Leadership Academy and 
17Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners President Jesse H. 
18Ruiz.