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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A full and productive life drew to a close with the |
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death of groundbreaking civil rights activist and former Dallas |
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City Council member Albert Louis Lipscomb, who died on June 18, |
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2011, at the age of 86; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Lucille Katy Jeffrey and T. B. Lipscomb, |
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Al Lipscomb was born in East Dallas on June 15, 1925; he graduated |
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from Lincoln High School and served in the United States Army Air |
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Forces during World War II; in 1950, he returned to his hometown and |
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worked as headwaiter at a number of the city's finest restaurants; |
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while employed at the Baker Hotel, he met his future wife, the |
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former Lovie Marie Love, and their fulfilling marriage was made |
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even richer through the years with the addition of eight children; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, In the mid-1960s, Mr. Lipscomb took a leading role |
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in what proved a long battle to help African American homeowners |
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threatened with displacement from Fair Park; he worked as an |
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organizer for the Dallas Community Action Agency and for the |
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Southern Christian Leadership Conference, whose Dallas chapter he |
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cofounded; undaunted by threats, he strengthened the determination |
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of others participating in the bold SCLC campaign to end |
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discrimination by a grocery chain; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Lipscomb became the first African American to |
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run for mayor of Dallas in 1971, and although it cost him his job as |
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supervisor of field operations for the Council of Churches Block |
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Partnership program, he received enough votes to force a runoff |
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between the two leading candidates; moreover, his support tipped |
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the balance against the establishment candidate and altered the |
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political landscape in Dallas; he was the lead plaintiff in the |
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landmark constitutional lawsuit that overturned the city's |
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at-large election system and forced the creation of single-member |
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districts; in addition, he founded the South Dallas Information |
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Center to help residents with issues of discrimination and poverty, |
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and for years, he appeared in the council chamber and at other |
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public meetings as a vigorous citizen voice for change; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1984, Mr. Lipscomb won election to the city |
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council, and he was elected mayor pro tem in 1991; term limits |
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required him to leave office in 1993, and he founded a chemical |
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supply company, Lipscomb Industries, before regaining his seat two |
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years later; over the course of his seven terms in office, he held |
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regular town hall meetings, cosponsored an innovative |
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community-based crime prevention program that continues to benefit |
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citizens today, and devoted himself to improving the quality of |
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life in his Oak Cliff district and Greater Dallas; remaining a |
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forceful defender of civil rights, he successfully advocated for |
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the hiring of the first minority city manager in Dallas; he resigned |
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in 2000, and in 2003 he was appointed to the Citizens Police Review |
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Board; and |
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WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan was a lifelong member of |
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St. Mark's Baptist Church; an ordained deacon, he served as |
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president of the Pastor's Aid Committee and sang in the Male Chorus, |
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and Rialto Community Bible College awarded him an honorary |
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doctorate in religion; tireless in his commitment to the community, |
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Mr. Lipscomb served in leadership roles with numerous |
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organizations, among them Dallas Legal Services, the Martin Luther |
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King, Jr., Community Center, Progressive Voters League, and the |
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City of Dallas Charter Review Committee; the Texas Peace Officers |
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Association selected him as Man of the Year in 1980 and he was named |
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one of "50 People Who Made Dallas" by D Magazine; his myriad |
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accolades also included the Outstanding Texan Achievement Award |
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from the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and the Civil Rights Award |
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from the John F. Kennedy/Lyndon Baines Johnson Civil Rights Center; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Al Lipscomb stood strong against civil injustice, |
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and his courage and resolution inspired others to take up the cause; |
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opening doors for minority leaders in municipal government, he |
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served as a mentor to many who entered public service; although he |
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will be deeply missed by his loved ones and host of admirers, his |
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vital contributions to his community and to social progress in |
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Dallas will never be forgotten; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of |
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Albert Louis Lipscomb and extend sincere condolences to the members |
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of his family: to his wife, Lovie Marie Lipscomb; to his children, |
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Jacquelyn McDonald and her husband, Jerry, Eyelette Lipscomb, |
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Donette Zeno and her husband, Donald, Alva Smith, LaVette Dudley |
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and her husband, Roderick, Noel Lipscomb, Jeffrey Lipscomb, and |
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Jesse Lipscomb and his wife, Debra; to his 14 grandchildren; to his |
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15 great-grandchildren; to his 2 great-great-grandchildren; to his |
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brother, Thomas Lipscomb, and his wife, Nora; and to his many other |
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relatives and friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Albert |
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Louis Lipscomb. |
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Davis of Dallas |
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Johnson |
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Mallory Caraway |
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Giddings |
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| Straus |
Gonzales of Williamson |
Morrison |
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| Aliseda |
Gonzalez |
Munoz, Jr. |
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| Anderson of Dallas |
Hancock |
Orr |
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| Anderson of McLennan |
Hardcastle |
Otto |
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| Beck |
Harper-Brown |
Patrick |
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| Bohac |
Hernandez Luna |
Pena |
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| Burkett |
Howard of Fort Bend |
Pitts |
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| Burnam |
Howard of Travis |
Price |
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| Button |
Huberty |
Quintanilla |
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| Callegari |
Hunter |
Reynolds |
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| Christian |
Keffer |
Schwertner |
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| Coleman |
King of Parker |
Scott |
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| Cook |
King of Taylor |
Sheets |
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| Craddick |
King of Zavala |
Sheffield |
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| Creighton |
Kleinschmidt |
Shelton |
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| Crownover |
Kolkhorst |
Simpson |
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| Darby |
Kuempel |
Smith of Harris |
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| Davis of Dallas |
Landtroop |
Smith of Tarrant |
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| J. Davis of Harris |
Larson |
Smithee |
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| S. Davis of Harris |
Laubenberg |
Solomons |
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| Driver |
Legler |
Taylor of Collin |
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| Dukes |
Lewis |
Taylor of Galveston |
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| Farias |
Mallory Caraway |
Veasey |
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| Frullo |
Martinez Fischer |
Weber |
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| Giddings |
Miller of Comal |
Zedler |
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| Gonzales of Hidalgo |
Miller of Erath |
Zerwas |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 177 was unanimously adopted by a rising |
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vote of the House on June 27, 2011. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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