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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE COOK COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS EXPRESSING DEEPEST SYMPATHY AND CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS OF THE SHOOTING THAT TOOK NINE LIVES AT EMANUEL AME CHURCH IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
WHEREAS, on the evening of June 17, 2015, a mass shooting took place at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina; and
WHEREAS, Emanuel AME Church is one of the United States’ oldest black churches and has long been a site for community organization around Civil Rights; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Clementa Pinckney answered the call to preach at the age of 13. He was first appointed a pastor at the age of 18. He graduated from Allen University magna cum laude and was president of the student body. In 1996 at the age of 23 he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives, the youngest black person to ever win such a seat. He was passionate about serving his community and helping others. He was husband to Jennifer, and father to two children, Eliana and Malana; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Daniel Simmons Sr. was on the staff of Emanuel AME Church in South Carolina and regularly attended Wednesday night Bible study sessions. Earlier in his career, Simmons served Greater Zion AME Church in Awendaw, South Carolina; and
WHEREAS, Cynthia Hurd was passionate about her God, her family, her community and her books. She was baptized in Emanuel AME Church and attended Emanuel AME Church her whole life. She dedicated her life to serving and improving the lives of others. The branch of the library for which she worked will be renamed in her honor; and
WHEREAS, Sharonda Singleton was a speech therapist and track coach at Goose Creek High School. She was also a Reverend at Emanuel AME Church. She was married to Christopher Singleton and mother to Chris, a member of the baseball team at Charleston Southern University; and
WHEREAS, Myra Thompson was a bible study teacher. She lived her life praising the lord and her every objective was to please him; and
WHEREAS, Tywanza Sanders will be remembered by his winning smile. He was quiet yet a well-known for his helpful spirit and his warmth. He graduated in 2014 from Allen University. His friends have renamed a scholarship in his honor at their high school; and
WHEREAS, Reverend DePayne Middleton-Doctor was a passionate Christian, a school administrator, and a mother of four daughters. She started working in December as an admissions coordinator at the Charleston learning center of her alma mater, Southern Wesleyan University, a Christian college. She was an enthusiastic singer who had a heart for missions, Christian education, and loving all people; and
WHEREAS, Susie Jackson was a longtime member of Emanuel AME Church. She was a choir member and also sat on the usher board of the church, where she had been a member for many years. She was a loving, giving person with a great smile; and
WHEREAS, Ethel Lance retired in 2002, but she left her mark at the Gaillard Auditorium. She ruled the auditorium’s backstage for 34 years. That was her pride and joy. She was a wonderful employee and a pleasure to be around;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and Cook County Board of Commissioners express their sincere condolences to the families of Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr., Cynthia Hurd, Sharonda Singleton, Myra Thompson, Tywanza Sanders, Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, Susie Jackson, and Ethel Lance in the wake of their sudden and devastating loss at the hands of an unprovoked act of senseless gun violence; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the sincere appreciation of the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners be extended to the families of these men and women for their service to Emanuel AME Church and their communities at large; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an official copy of this resolution be transmitted to Emanuel AME Church in Charleston South Carolina, and to Presiding Elder Albert Tyson III, AME Church, in Chicago, as an expression of the grief and condolences of the People of Cook County.
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