81R37464 JH-D
By: Chavez H.R. No. 2996
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, For 94 years, the El Paso Branch of the NAACP has
been a pioneering organization in the struggle for civil rights in
the State of Texas and throughout the United States; and
WHEREAS, Founded just six years after the national
organization began and the first branch to be established in the
Lone Star State, the El Paso NAACP was started by a group of
dedicated charter members, with Dr. Lawrence Aaron Nixon playing an
especially prominent role; an African American physician, Dr. Nixon
had moved to El Paso in 1909 after previously practicing in Cameron;
inspired to resist racial discrimination, he joined with other area
residents to form the city's NAACP branch in January 1915; William
Henderson became the first president; and
WHEREAS, In the 1920s, Dr. Nixon and the NAACP directed their
attention to the Terrell Election Law, which prohibited blacks from
voting in Democratic primary elections in Texas; after being denied
the right to cast a ballot in a 1924 primary, Dr. Nixon began legal
proceedings that resulted in two Supreme Court cases, Nixon v.
Herndon and Nixon v. Condon; he prevailed in both, and these court
rulings proved to be important steps in the expansion of voting
rights in the United States; and
WHEREAS, The El Paso Branch of the NAACP has benefited from
the contributions of many other dedicated members and the
leadership of a series of outstanding presidents; today, that
tradition continues under the direction of Harold E. Howell, who
has served as president since January 2008; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, the
El Paso Branch of the NAACP has been a tireless champion of social
justice, and the work of this esteemed organization will continue
to be a guiding force for social progress in the years ahead; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby honor the history and achievements of the El
Paso Branch of the NAACP and extend sincere best wishes to its
members for continued success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the organization as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.