Bill Text: TX HR117 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Honoring the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Passed) 2011-01-14 - Reported enrolled [HR117 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HR117-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 117 | ||
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| WHEREAS, January 15, 2011, marks the 82nd anniversary of the | ||
| birth of the great civil rights leader and humanitarian Dr. Martin | ||
| Luther King, Jr.; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Dr. King joined the NAACP at an early age, and by | ||
| 1954 he held a seat on the organization's executive committee; he | ||
| rose to national prominence in 1955-1956, when he served as a | ||
| spiritual and moral leader of the historic bus boycott in | ||
| Montgomery, Alabama; a watershed event, the boycott led to the | ||
| banning of segregation in local and interstate travel in the United | ||
| States and simultaneously helped to launch the civil rights | ||
| movement; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In 1957, Dr. King and a number of other ministers | ||
| founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; a leading | ||
| civil rights organization, the SCLC coordinated mass protest | ||
| campaigns and voter registration drives across the South; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Dr. King served as president of the SCLC from its | ||
| inception until his death on April 4, 1968; during those tumultuous | ||
| years, he wrote five books and numerous articles, traveled more | ||
| than six million miles, and spoke at over 2,500 events; frequently | ||
| jailed for peaceful protest, he endured numerous personal threats | ||
| and attacks over the course of his career; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In recognition of his immeasurable influence and | ||
| moral stature, Time magazine named Dr. King its Man of the Year in | ||
| 1963, and in 1964, at the age of 35, he was awarded the Nobel Prize | ||
| for Peace; he donated the money that accompanied the prize, more | ||
| than $54,000, to further the civil rights movement; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., often | ||
| called "Martin Luther King Day," became a federal holiday when | ||
| President Ronald Reagan signed historic legislation in 1983, and | ||
| the holiday was formally observed for the first time on January 20, | ||
| 1986; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Through his courageous, unflinching pursuit of | ||
| social and economic justice, Dr. King helped to shatter a deeply | ||
| entrenched system of second-class citizenship and bring to further | ||
| fruition, here in this country and across the globe, the liberating | ||
| ideals of freedom, equality, and human dignity; now, therefore, be | ||
| it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., | ||
| and call on all Texans to join in carrying forward his dream of a | ||
| more just, tolerant, and inclusive society. | ||
| Giddings | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 117 was adopted by the House on | ||
| January 13, 2011, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
