<BillNo> <Sponsor>
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 217
By Walley
SJR0217
004759
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A RESOLUTION to recognize and commend the ALStar Youth
Leadership Conference on its fifth anniversary.
WHEREAS, the members of this General Assembly take great pleasure in recognizing
those estimable events that are devoted to improving the lives of young people in this State; and
WHEREAS, one such event is the ALStar Youth Leadership Conference, the first
conference of its kind, which fosters African-American youth leadership in West Tennessee,
bringing together students from public schools in seventeen counties throughout the region; and
WHEREAS, in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alex Beene of Chester
County, Terrence Lurry of Fayette County, Chris Kee of Fayette County, Brandon Jones of
Hardeman County, Sam Williams of Fayette County, and Emmanual Casem of Fayette County
came up with the concept for the ALStar Youth Leadership Conference, with guidance provided
by Damio Yancy and Craig Clay; and
WHEREAS, the conference was also the result of a partnership between these men, the
University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM), and the WestStar Leadership team; UTM has
facilitated the conference for the last five years in multiple counties and virtually and has
handled the design of the event, recruitment, and the agenda students participate in throughout
the day; and
WHEREAS, held in January of each year, the ALStar Youth Leadership Conference
guides young people in the areas of professional development, financial literacy, leadership
techniques, and team building, encouraging them to take leadership roles in their respective
counties; and
WHEREAS, since its inception, the ALStar Youth Leadership Conference has served
hundreds of students, many of whom have gone on to become leaders at their schools and in
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their communities and to attend over twenty-five different colleges and universities throughout
the state, earning over $1 million in scholarships; and
WHEREAS, thanks to the efforts of a group of intrepid young founders, the University of
Tennessee at Martin, the WestStar Leadership team, and the public schools in the area, more
African-American high school students will become leaders to guide the next generation; now,
therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH
GENERAL ASSEMBL Y OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, that we recognize and commend the ALStar Youth
Leadership Conference for its service to the youth of West Tennessee, extending our deepest
gratitude for the conference's important work and our best wishes for its continued success.
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.