| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 2996 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, For 94 years, the El Paso Branch of the NAACP has |
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| 6 | 6 | | been a pioneering organization in the struggle for civil rights in |
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| 7 | 7 | | the State of Texas and throughout the United States; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Founded just six years after the national |
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| 9 | 9 | | organization began and the first branch to be established in the |
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| 10 | 10 | | Lone Star State, the El Paso NAACP was started by a group of |
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| 11 | 11 | | dedicated charter members, with Dr. Lawrence Aaron Nixon playing an |
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| 12 | 12 | | especially prominent role; an African American physician, Dr. Nixon |
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| 13 | 13 | | had moved to El Paso in 1909 after previously practicing in Cameron; |
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| 14 | 14 | | inspired to resist racial discrimination, he joined with other area |
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| 15 | 15 | | residents to form the city's NAACP branch in January 1915; William |
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| 16 | 16 | | Henderson became the first president; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | WHEREAS, In the 1920s, Dr. Nixon and the NAACP directed their |
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| 18 | 18 | | attention to the Terrell Election Law, which prohibited blacks from |
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| 19 | 19 | | voting in Democratic primary elections in Texas; after being denied |
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| 20 | 20 | | the right to cast a ballot in a 1924 primary, Dr. Nixon began legal |
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| 21 | 21 | | proceedings that resulted in two Supreme Court cases, Nixon v. |
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| 22 | 22 | | Herndon and Nixon v. Condon; he prevailed in both, and these court |
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| 23 | 23 | | rulings proved to be important steps in the expansion of voting |
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| 24 | 24 | | rights in the United States; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | WHEREAS, The El Paso Branch of the NAACP has benefited from |
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| 26 | 26 | | the contributions of many other dedicated members and the |
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| 27 | 27 | | leadership of a series of outstanding presidents; today, that |
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| 28 | 28 | | tradition continues under the direction of Harold E. Howell, who |
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| 29 | 29 | | has served as president since January 2008; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | WHEREAS, Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, the |
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| 31 | 31 | | El Paso Branch of the NAACP has been a tireless champion of social |
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| 32 | 32 | | justice, and the work of this esteemed organization will continue |
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| 33 | 33 | | to be a guiding force for social progress in the years ahead; now, |
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| 34 | 34 | | therefore, be it |
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| 35 | 35 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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| 36 | 36 | | Legislature hereby honor the history and achievements of the El |
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| 37 | 37 | | Paso Branch of the NAACP and extend sincere best wishes to its |
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| 38 | 38 | | members for continued success; and, be it further |
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| 39 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 40 | 40 | | prepared for the organization as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 41 | 41 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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| 42 | 42 | | Chavez |
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| 43 | 43 | | ______________________________ |
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| 44 | 44 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 45 | 45 | | I certify that H.R. No. 2996 was adopted by the House on June |
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| 46 | 46 | | 1, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
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| 47 | 47 | | ______________________________ |
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| 48 | 48 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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