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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly 2
Regular Session, 2025 SCR 4 3
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By: Senators J. Scott, F. Love, R. Murdock, C. Tucker, G. Leding 5
By: Representatives J. Richardson, F. Allen, K. Ferguson, T. Shephard, Ennett, McGruder, Barnett, 6
Barnes, Steele, Springer, McCullough, A. Collins, D. Garner, Gonzales Worthen 7
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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 9
TO RECOGNIZE FORMER REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR JOYCE 10
ELLIOTT DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH FOR HER SERVICE TO 11
THE STATE OF ARKANSAS. 12
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Subtitle 15
TO RECOGNIZE FORMER REPRESENTATIVE AND 16
SENATOR JOYCE ELLIOTT DURING BLACK 17
HISTORY MONTH FOR HER SERVICE TO THE 18
STATE OF ARKANSAS. 19
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WHEREAS, Joyce Elliott was born on March 20, 1951, in rural Willisville 21
as one of six (6) children raised by their mother and grandparents; and 22
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WHEREAS, Joyce Elliott attended all -Black Oak Grove Rosenwald School 24
where she was a top student, and then she took advantage of the opportunity 25
to attend the recently desegregated Willisville High School, beginning 26
attendance there in 1966 when she was in grade ten (10); and 27
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WHEREAS, Black students were given the option at the end of the 1966 -67 29
school year to return to segregated schools, but Joyce Elliott refused and 30
became the second Black person to graduate from Willisville High School 31
following her older sister, who was the first; and 32
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WHEREAS, Joyce Elliott then enrolled at what is now Southern Arkansas 34
University in Magnolia and graduated in 1973 with a bachelor's degree in 35
English and Speech before earning her master's degree in English from 36 SCR4
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Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia in 1981; and 1
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WHEREAS, following receipt of her master's degree, Joyce Elliott became 3
a teacher and eventually taught high school in El Dorado and later at Little 4
Rock's Joe T. Robinson High School, and she also served two (2) terms as 5
president of the Pulaski County chapter of the National Education 6
Association; and 7
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WHEREAS, in 2000, Joyce Elliott was elected to the office of State 9
Representative for District 56 after campaigning on the issues of childcare, 10
education, and health care, winning with eighty -three percent (83%) of the 11
vote, and continued her work as a teacher until 2003 while holding office as 12
a member of the House of Representatives, of which she remained a member 13
until 2006; and 14
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WHEREAS, in 2008, Joyce Elliott was elected to the Senate and 16
represented District 33 and then District 31 until January 2023, with 17
education dominating her agenda throughout her time as a senator; and 18
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WHEREAS, Joyce Elliott worked closely with then -Senator Shane Broadway 20
to produce education programs effecting equal and adequate funding in the 21
wake of the 2002 holding in Lake View School District No. 25 v. Huckabee, and 22
she also at times worked closely with then -Governor Michael Dale "Mike" 23
Huckabee on education -related issues; and 24
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WHEREAS, in 2022, Joyce Elliott founded Get Loud Arkansas, a nonprofit 26
focused on civic engagement, particularly in the realm of voting; and 27
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WHEREAS, Joyce Elliott has received numerous honors and awards, 29
including the Founder's Award from the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, the 30
Advocacy Award from the Arkansas Public Service Association, the Legislative 31
Friend of Children Award from Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, 32
the Pillar Award for Education from the Arkansas chapter of 100 Black Men, 33
and the Distinguished Legislator Award from the Arkansas Municipal League, 34
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NOW THEREFORE, 36 SCR4
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY -FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE 1
STATE OF ARKANSAS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN: 2
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THAT the Senate and the House of Representatives recognize former 4
Representative and Senator Joyce Elliott during Black History Month for her 5
service to the State of Arkansas. 6
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT upon adoption, a copy of this resolution be 8
presented to Joyce Elliott by the Secretary of the Senate. 9
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