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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
COOK COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS RESOLUTION HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF RENEE FERGUSON
WHEREAS, in solemn assembly and with profound respect, we gather to commemorate the extraordinary life and indelible legacy of Renee Ferguson, an intrepid journalist, a trailblazer in investigative reporting, and an unwavering champion for truth, justice, and equity in American society; and
WHEREAS, born on August 22, 1949, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Mary Anderson Ferguson and Eugene Ferguson, Renee was nurtured in a community marked by segregation, and forged in an environment shaping her resolute sense of social justice and igniting her lifelong passion and calling for storytelling; and
WHEREAS, Renee graduated from Douglass High School in 1967 and went on to earn a degree in journalism from Indiana University in 1971, thereby embarking on a path distinguishing her professionally and uplifting the voices of the marginalized and disenfranchised; and
WHEREAS, Renee's early career began at WLWI-TV in Indianapolis, where she emerged as one of the few African American women in television journalism at the time. Her pioneering presence broke barriers and laid the groundwork for future generations of journalists of color; and
WHEREAS, , in 1977, Renee joined WBBM-TV in Chicago, making history as the first African American woman to serve as an investigative reporter on a Chicago television news team. Her formidable talents later led her to CBS News as a national correspondent in New York and Atlanta, before she returned to Chicago in 1986 to lend her investigative acumen to the esteemed UNIT 5 team at WMAQ-TV; and
WHEREAS, through her fearless and unflinching investigations, Renee illuminated systemic injustices and catalyzed reform, tackling such critical issues as racial discrimination, housing inequities, healthcare disparities, and institutional misconduct. Her landmark expos?s included uncovering the strip-searching of Black women at O'H...
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