MEMORIAL-WYANETTA JOHNSON

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0618

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Full Text of HR0618

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HR0618 - 104th General Assembly

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HR0618
LRB104 20348 LAW 33801 r
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

2

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3
Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Wyanetta
4
Johnson of Oak Park, who passed away on January 1, 2026; and

5

WHEREAS, Wyanetta Johnson was born on April 18, 1939; she
6
spent her early years in and around the Sikeston and
7
Charleston areas of Missouri, where both Black and white
8
people worked as sharecroppers and her family was engaged with
9
racial justice efforts in the period before the Civil Rights
10
Movement; and

11

WHEREAS, Wyanetta Johnson was a beloved and lifelong
12
advocate for racial justice and educational equity for
13
children, parents, professionals, and teachers throughout Oak
14
Park and River Forest, becoming affectionately known as "Mrs.
15
Johnson" to her allies and "Grandma" to generations of
16
students; and

17

WHEREAS, Wyanetta Johnson was an integral leader of
18
African American Parents for Purposeful Leadership in
19
Education (A.P.P.L.E.), a community advocacy group established
20
in the late 1980s by Black community members to protect and
21
guide Black and other children in Oak Park schools, including
22
Oak Park and River Forest High School (OPRFHS); she served as

HR0618
- 2 -
LRB104 20348 LAW 33801 r
1
president and vice president, working closely with other Black
2
leaders, white allies, and progressive board members to
3
advance racial equity, while helping children navigate and
4
succeed in school settings that were trying to transition into
5
integrated, inclusive, and culturally respected places for
6
Black children; and

7

WHEREAS, Wyanetta Johnson, in her years with A.P.P.L.E.,
8
oversaw the mentorship of Black students during the school day
9
and after school, led study skills and homework assistance
10
programs, and helped organize career days, Saturday school
11
seminars for parents, overnight retreats for children, and the
12
popular OPRFHS Fashion and Talent Show, a standing-room-only
13
event that was open to all students; she also united
14
A.P.P.L.E. in an election coalition, creating a multiracial
15
alliance of the Oak Park NAACP, the Oak Park Area Lesbian and
16
Gay Alliance, students, and racial equity advocates from Oak
17
Park Elementary School District 97; and

18

WHEREAS, Wyanetta Johnson continued to serve as a powerful
19
and influential voice for educational equity, helping organize
20
a legal challenge concerning the gross inequities Black
21
children experienced in Oak Park's special education program
22
and due to discipline policies during the 2000s, leading to a
23
major overhaul of special education at OPRFHS and marking the
24
beginning of evidence-supported ways to bring equity to the

HR0618
- 3 -
LRB104 20348 LAW 33801 r
1
school's discipline practices; in more recent years, she
2
called for OPRFHS District 200 to adopt a racial equity policy
3
and to expand high status learning to all students by
4
launching the Freshman All-Honors Curriculum; and

5

WHEREAS, Wyanetta Johnson was regularly involved in
6
organizing elections at the local, state, and national level;
7
and

8

WHEREAS, Wyanetta Johnson was a pillar of her community,
9
sacrificing time, energy, and personal resources to ensure
10
that equity was not merely discussed but enacted for more than
11
40 years; her legacy of leadership will continue to guide the
12
work of parents, educators, and advocates throughout her
13
community; therefore, be it

14

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
15
HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
16
we mourn the passing of Wyanetta Johnson and extend our
17
sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew
18
and loved her; and be it further

19

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20
presented to the family of Wyanetta Johnson as an expression
21
of our deepest sympathy.

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