We are a coalition of business owners, Bridgeview, Burbank, Worth, Palos Hills and Chicago Ridge residents, community leaders, and organizers from across Illinois. We come from many backgrounds, faiths, and walks of life. What unites us is a shared belief that our state should recognize all of the communities that help build it, and that every Illinois resident deserves to feel seen, valued, and included.

We enthusiastically support Rep. Lisa Davis’ House Joint Resolution 46 (HJR0046), which passed the Illinois House with bipartisan backing. This resolution reflects the best of who we are as a state. It honors a community that has long contributed to Illinois’ culture, economy, and civic life, and it stands as a simple but powerful statement of respect and belonging.

Our support comes from across communities, from business owners who have invested in our neighborhoods, from families who have lived here for generations, and from young people who see their future in Illinois. This resolution represents progress that everyone can be proud of.

As HJR0046 now moves to the Senate, we call on Senator Willie Preston and his colleagues to stand with us. Illinois is strongest when it recognizes the people who help shape it. This measure is about inclusion, fairness, and acknowledgment, values that belong to all of us.

This effort began in our neighborhoods, through honest conversation and genuine collaboration. It is rooted in the belief that recognizing one community does not divide us; it brings us closer together. When we affirm one another’s stories, we affirm our shared identity as Illinoisans.

We urge the Illinois Senate to pass HJR0046 and to affirm the principles of unity and respect that define our state.

Please add your name in support of HJR0046 and stand with us in celebrating the communities that make Illinois home for all.