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"A new star is born in Illinois. Jennifer's Academy Award win is a
testament to her amazing talent and determination, and all of
Illinois is proud to honor her talent and achievement," said Gov.
Blagojevich. "I'm proclaiming Monday, February 26, 2007, as Jennifer
Hudson Day in Illinois, and encourage everyone to join me in
recognizing her success. We all look forward to watching her career
unfold." At the age of 25, Jennifer Hudson is only the third
African-American woman to receive Hollywood's highest honor and is
the eighth youngest woman to ever win this award. In her role as
Effie, Jennifer's outstanding performance has earned her numerous
accolades, including a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Jennifer's career took off after debuting on the Fox Television
hit "American Idol." Although, her performance didn't earn her the
show's top prize, Jennifer was still a fan favorite and continues to
wow audiences with her incredible talent.
The text of the Governor's proclamation follows:
WHEREAS, Jennifer Kate Hudson was born
on Chicago's South Side on September 12, 1981, and graduated from
Dunbar Vocational Career Academy in 1999; and
WHEREAS, displaying her music and
theatrical skills all throughout her adolescent years in dozens of
talent shows and musical productions, Jennifer landed her first
professional role in a local production of "Big River," a stage
adaptation of Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"; and
WHEREAS, in 2002, Jennifer began to
catch the eyes and ears of the world, taking a job entertaining
thousands of vacationers from all across the globe as a vocalist on
the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship; and
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WHEREAS, Jennifer received her first
big break in 2004, being selected as a contestant on the third
season of the popular FOX television program American Idol, where
she became one of 12 finalists for the top prize; and
WHEREAS, although Jennifer was not
victorious, she gained wide national and international attention as
a singer and performer, and her next big break was quick on the
horizon; and
WHEREAS, in 2005, Jennifer landed the
role of Effie in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical "Dreamgirls,"
from which she received universal critical acclaim and numerous
award nominations; and
WHEREAS, among her many nominations,
Jennifer received several awards, including honors from the Screen
Actors Guild and the Golden Globes, the latter of which is often
seen as a predictor for the Academy Awards; and
WHEREAS, on February 25, 2007,
Jennifer beat out a formidable slate of nominees to earn the Oscar
for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. At the age of 25, she is the
eighth youngest woman to win this award, and only the third
African-American woman to receive the honor; and
WHEREAS, the State of Illinois is
proud of its native daughter Jennifer Hudson, who went from Chicago
kid, to American Idol contender, to Oscar winner. This award marks
only the beginning of what promises to be a truly stellar career for
this bright young star:
THEREFORE, I, Rod R. Blagojevich, do
hereby proclaim February 26, 2007 as JENNIFER HUDSON DAY in
Illinois, in recognition of Jennifer's remarkable rise to Oscar
Gold.
[Text copied from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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