Bill Text: TX SR148 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Recognizing Opal Lee on the occasion of the unveiling of her portrait in the Senate Chamber.
Sponsorship: Broadly Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2023-02-08 - Reported enrolled [SR148 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SR148-Introduced.html
| 2023S0088-1 02/03/23 | ||
| By: West | S.R. No. 148 | |
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| WHEREAS, The Texas Senate takes great pleasure in | ||
| recognizing Mrs. Opal Lee, the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," who | ||
| is being honored at the Texas Capitol on February 8, 2023, at a | ||
| special event to celebrate the unveiling of her portrait, which | ||
| will be placed on permanent display in the Senate Chamber; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Commissioned by the Texas Senate and created by | ||
| native Texas artist Jess W. Coleman, the portrait of Mrs. Opal | ||
| Lee honors her remarkable life and achievements and commemorates | ||
| the indelible mark her contributions have made in the history of | ||
| our great state and nation; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A native Texan born in Marshall and raised in Fort | ||
| Worth, Mrs. Opal Lee was inspired from an early age to seek to | ||
| better the world around her and to become an advocate for social | ||
| justice and civil rights; rising above many of the challenges of | ||
| racial oppression, she embarked on a career in education, and she | ||
| became a tireless champion for civil rights and an esteemed | ||
| community leader whose positive impact is recognized throughout | ||
| the nation and has been acknowledged around the globe; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In 2016, at the age of 89, Mrs. Opal Lee launched | ||
| a campaign to create a wider awareness across the country about | ||
| the meaning of Juneteenth, the annual day commemorating the end | ||
| of slavery in Texas; Mrs. Lee began observing the June 19 holiday | ||
| while she was still a young girl living in Marshall, and for | ||
| decades, she has organized events in Fort Worth in celebration of | ||
| Juneteenth; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Mrs. Opal Lee long dreamed of making the annual | ||
| observance of Juneteenth in Texas into a national holiday, and in | ||
| her efforts to achieve this goal, she spoke to the media and | ||
| numerous groups about her cause and gathered one-and-a-half | ||
| million signatures on a petition that she delivered to the United | ||
| States Congress; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In 2021, Mrs. Opal Lee accomplished her mission | ||
| when legislation designating Juneteenth as a federal holiday was | ||
| passed; she joined President Joe Biden at the White House to | ||
| witness the signing of the Juneteenth legislation, and with this | ||
| historic achievement, the nation gained its first new federal | ||
| holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was signed into law in | ||
| 1983; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Long admired for her exceptional contributions to | ||
| her community and state, Mrs. Lee has created an enduring legacy | ||
| in the State of Texas and in the nation; in 2022, she was | ||
| nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by 33 members of the United | ||
| States Congress in recognition of her outstanding efforts in | ||
| gaining national recognition for Juneteenth; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Mrs. Opal Lee's steadfast dedication to a vision | ||
| of liberty and justice is a source of tremendous inspiration to | ||
| all, and it is indeed fitting that a portrait of her be displayed | ||
| permanently in the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th | ||
| Legislature, hereby pay tribute to Mrs. Opal Lee and extend to | ||
| her its sincere respect, admiration, and appreciation; and, be it | ||
| further | ||
| RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in | ||
| honor of this very special occasion. | ||
