Renault Robinson
Encyclopedia
Renault Robinson is a former Chicago
police officer
and chairman of the Chicago Housing Authority
under the leadership of former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington
.
in 1964, and in 1968 Robinson co-founded the Chicago Police Department's Afro-American Patrolman's League (Later known as the Afro American Police League and now known as the African American Police League), an organization aimed at improving police service to the black community and at getting more blacks into policymaking positions in the department. The formation of the AAPL led to an increase in minority officers and had caused civil rights lawsuits against the CPD for the discrimination of African American
and Hispanic citizens but had been a costly move for Robinson. Before the founding of the AAPL, Robinson was considered a model policeman with a 97% efficiency rating and had won more than 50 citations for outstanding police work. After the founding of the AAPL, Robinson and other members were often suspended, brought up on charges for minor infractions, reassigned to less desirable positions and threatened with dismissal from the police force as the CPD hoped to dismantle the organization. Robinson nevertheless remained on the force and spoke out against racism in the police department criticizing events such as a raid that resulted in the murder of Black Panther Party
member Fred Hampton
and a dragnet operation ran by infamous Chicago police commander Jon Burge
that resulted in a military-like occupation of Chicago's South Side. Despite the hardships in the department Robinson however was backed by Harold Washington, a member of the Illinois House of Representatives
who would become Chicago's first African American
mayor. Upon Washington's election to mayor in 1983, Robinson resigned from the police force and was appointed to chair the Chicago Housing Authority. In 1989, Robinson pursued a business career in temporary staffing and became vice president of ASI Personnel Service before founding his own agency, Renault Robinson Staffing, in 2000.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
and chairman of the Chicago Housing Authority
Chicago Housing Authority
The Chicago Housing Authority is a municipal corporation established by the State of Illinois in 1937 with jurisdiction for the administrative oversight of public housing within the City of Chicago...
under the leadership of former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington
Harold Washington
Harold Lee Washington was an American lawyer and politician who became the first African-American Mayor of Chicago, serving from 1983 until his death in 1987.- Early years and military service :...
.
Biography
Robinson joined the Chicago Police DepartmentChicago Police Department
The Chicago Police Department, also known as the CPD, is the principal law enforcement agency of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States, under the jurisdiction of the Mayor of Chicago. It is the largest police department in the Midwest and the second largest local law enforcement agency in the...
in 1964, and in 1968 Robinson co-founded the Chicago Police Department's Afro-American Patrolman's League (Later known as the Afro American Police League and now known as the African American Police League), an organization aimed at improving police service to the black community and at getting more blacks into policymaking positions in the department. The formation of the AAPL led to an increase in minority officers and had caused civil rights lawsuits against the CPD for the discrimination of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
and Hispanic citizens but had been a costly move for Robinson. Before the founding of the AAPL, Robinson was considered a model policeman with a 97% efficiency rating and had won more than 50 citations for outstanding police work. After the founding of the AAPL, Robinson and other members were often suspended, brought up on charges for minor infractions, reassigned to less desirable positions and threatened with dismissal from the police force as the CPD hoped to dismantle the organization. Robinson nevertheless remained on the force and spoke out against racism in the police department criticizing events such as a raid that resulted in the murder of Black Panther Party
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
member Fred Hampton
Fred Hampton
Fred Hampton was an African-American activist and deputy chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party...
and a dragnet operation ran by infamous Chicago police commander Jon Burge
Jon Burge
Jon Graham Burge is a convicted felon and former Chicago Police Department detective and commander who gained notoriety for allegedly torturing more than 200 criminal suspects between 1972 and 1991, in order to force confessions...
that resulted in a military-like occupation of Chicago's South Side. Despite the hardships in the department Robinson however was backed by Harold Washington, a member of the Illinois House of Representatives
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...
who would become Chicago's first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
mayor. Upon Washington's election to mayor in 1983, Robinson resigned from the police force and was appointed to chair the Chicago Housing Authority. In 1989, Robinson pursued a business career in temporary staffing and became vice president of ASI Personnel Service before founding his own agency, Renault Robinson Staffing, in 2000.