TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Beth Beatty, City Manager
SUBJECT:
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Resolution Approving an Honorary Street Name (Reverend Genevieve Brown Way) for Munroe Street, Between the Des Plaines River and Water Street
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BACKGROUND:
The applicant, Bishop Steven Evans, has submitted an application for an honorary street name designation for Reverend Genevieve Brown due to her contributions to Joliet as a community advocate and servant leader. Reverend Brown was a person of service throughout her life and was involved with a variety of organizations and initiatives. She volunteered with the Salvation Army, organizing the Christmas Angels project and distributing food. She served as PTA president and band booster president when her children were young and enjoyed reading to children at local schools. As president of the local chapter of Mended Hearts, a nonprofit organization that provides support to caregivers and families of those with cardiovascular disease, she brought regional and national recognition to the group and increased local membership.
The application describes Reverend Brown as a trailblazer: she was the first African American cheerleader at Joliet Township High School; she was the first African American woman to run for the school board in Joliet; and in the 1970s, she became the first African American female wrestling referee in the state of Illinois. As a way to encourage teen mothers to continue their education, she created the Reverend Genevieve Brown Scholarship within Joliet Township High School District 204. Reverend Brown received many awards for her community service work, including the Community Service Award from the National Hook-Up of Black Women, the Vivian Pennymon Community Service Award from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and Woman of Distinction from the Midwest Christian Women's Conference.
Reverend Brown was born and raised in Joliet, Illinois. She and her children lived at 208 Munroe Street, which is located on the section ...
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