<BillNo> <Sponsor>
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 224
By Jones J
HJR0224
003625
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A RESOLUTION to commemorate Read Across America Week in
Tennessee, March 2-6, 2025.
WHEREAS, reading introduces children to new ideas, cultures, and perspectives,
feeding their imaginations and stoking the fires of innovation that help them understand our
world as it is and pioneer ways to make it better; we know firsthand how reading can change
lives; and
WHEREAS, reading ignites imagination, insight, and inspiration; nourishes creativity and
curiosity; and inspires a passion for lifelong learning; books can challenge and inspire, teach
important lessons, and reveal new worlds, as well as enrich our understanding of our own—of
different people, perspectives, and cultures; and
WHEREAS, on March 2-6, 2025, communities across the United States will come
together to participate in Read Across America Week, a celebration organized by the National
Education Association that began as a single-day event to honor Dr. Seuss's birthday; this now
week-long event is dedicated to promoting literacy, inspiring a love for reading, and highlighting
the transformative power of words and stories; and
WHEREAS, during Read Across America Week, we celebrate the joy of learning and
give thanks to the parents, caregivers, educators, librarians, authors, and community members
who invest in our nation's children; and
WHEREAS, for many young Tennesseans, the path to literacy begins with treasured and
timeless traditions: being read to at bedtime, gathering in classrooms for story time, and
attending events at local libraries with family and friends; and
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WHEREAS, children's classics such as Green Eggs and Ham and Oh, the Places You'll
Go! have inspired a passion for reading and endless creativity that spans generations; as Dr.
Seuss once wrote, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you
learn, the more places you'll go"; and
WHEREAS, there is power that is unleashed by reading—discovering the comfort of
words in times of sorrow, finding inspiration to fuel our imagination, or having a clear-eyed
understanding of our past so we can forge a future of limitless possibilities; and
WHEREAS, today's stories and adventures are as diverse as the world in which we live,
and by reading them, we come to more fully understand the vibrant diversity of our State,
country, and world; this is especially important as young people learn, grow, and engage with
their own sense of identity, as books build each child's sense of belonging and can help
inculcate respect and empathy for others; and
WHEREAS, during Read Across America Week, we dedicate ourselves to helping each
new generation of readers and thinkers become the leaders who will write a more hopeful
chapter in our collective Tennessee story and in the story of our shared world; as the great
American writer Toni Morrison reminds us, "If you find a book you really want to read but it
hasn't been written yet, then you must write it"; and
WHEREAS, Read Across America Week encourages parents and children to read
together, explore their local library, and attend local events hosted by library systems and
schools throughout the State; and
WHEREAS, we recognize that there is still more work to do to improve literacy across
Tennessee and the country, and we are committed to supporting educators and improving
literacy for those of all ages and from all walks of life; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
FOURTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
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CONCURRING, that we commemo rate March 2-6, 2025, as Read Across America Week,
joining states across the country in promoting the value and importance of fostering a lifelong
love of reading.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
without House or Senate designation.