Ald. Brookins gives dad a city street sign for his birthday

 

By Chinta Strausberg

No song or movie can capture the love between a father and a son especially if their names are Brookins as in former Illinois Senator Howard B. Brookins who celebrated his birthday last Thursday at his funeral home, 9315 So. Ashland, along with is son, Ald. Howard B. Brookins (21) who honored his dad with an honorary street sign that will be erected outside of his business he began 43-years ago.

One would think that a funeral home is the saddest place in the world, but for Mr. Brookins’ birthday the Brookins Funeral Home was very much alive complete with the live performance of Ron Salter, a seasoned jazz saxophonist.

It was also a day when Ald. Brookins surprised his father with a street sign that says, “Honorary Senator Howard B. Brookins, Sr. Way.”

“More than 40-years ago, my dad bought this business and we’ve been a fixture here in the community ever since,” said Ald. Brookins who was elected in 2003. “He’s been a great asset to our community starting out with activism on schools including fighting for more schools within the community, began little league baseball to get the kids off the street. “He served as our state representative and our state senator.”

Referring to the street sign ordinance that was passed by the City Council, Ald. Brookins, who is also a lawyer and holds a morticians license, said, “I think this is a befitting honor for a life’s work of this great person.”

Beaming with pride, his father said, “I am so lucky, proud and so happy to receive this. I’ve been blessed.” Mr. Brookins, who served in the Illinois senate from 1982-1992, thanked his son and the community.

The former senator is proud of his legislative achievements including passing a bill that expanded the sites where people could vote. He said it helped Harold Washington to become mayor. Brookins Sr. also passed a bill (SB-0543) that created sub-circuits, which enabled voters to elect Circuit Court judges from their communities. The bill became effective on January 1, 1991. “There are more than 55 African American judges on the bench because of that bill.”

Brookins, who is also a former Chicago policeman who later opened up his funeral home on November 8, 1970, said he also passed many other bills that aided the black community as a whole including those for Chicago State University.

Chinta Strausberg is a Journalist of more than 33-years, a former political reporter and a current PCC Network talk show host. You can e-mail Strausberg at: Chintabernie@aol.com.