H.R. No. 647
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, In 2015, people across the nation are pausing to
reflect on the 50th anniversary of the historic civil rights march
from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, as well as the momentous changes
set in motion by that protest; and
WHEREAS, The march grew out of efforts to fight unjust voting
practices in the Jim Crow South, where African Americans were
routinely denied their right to cast a ballot; in Dallas County,
Alabama, members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
and the Dallas County Voters League banded together to organize a
series of voter registration drives in the early 1960s; the state's
systemic discrimination proved intractable, however, even after
ratification of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other members of the
Southern Christian Leadership Conference arrived in Selma in early
1965 to help draw attention to the situation; racial tensions
flared on the fateful night of February 18, when segregationists
attacked peaceful demonstrators in the town of Marion, and a white
state trooper fatally shot Jimmie Lee Jackson, one of the African
American protestors; and
WHEREAS, Galvanized by that tragic killing, some 600
activists congregated at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in
Selma on March 7, 1965, to participate in a 54-mile protest march to
Montgomery, the state capital; blocking their path was a regiment
of state troopers and deputies, and when the demonstrators
attempted to cross the bridge, they were lashed with whips,
bludgeoned with billy clubs, and pelted with tear gas; the horrific
scene, dubbed "Bloody Sunday," unfolded on televisions across the
country, sparking nationwide outrage and motivating thousands of
people to descend on the town in solidarity with the marchers; and
WHEREAS, In defiance of a restraining order from a federal
court, Dr. King issued a clarion call for another march, which was
scheduled for two days later; it was met once again with armed
resistance, but in this instance, the marchers turned around at the
bridge, avoiding more violence; finally, on March 21, approximately
2,000 people from all walks of life gathered to complete the
long-awaited journey to Montgomery; backed by a ruling from a
federal court and protected by army and national guard troops, they
arrived in the capital four days later and were met by a crowd of
nearly 50,000 supporters; and
WHEREAS, Those volatile weeks brought to the fore the need
for federal legislative action, and while the events in Selma were
unfolding, President Lyndon B. Johnson addressed a joint session of
Congress, calling for the passage of a voting rights bill; on August
6, he signed into law the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which
prohibited racial discrimination in voting practices by federal,
state, and local governments; the effects of the law were
immediate, producing a meteoric rise in the number of registered
African American voters and fundamentally changing their role in
the political process; and
WHEREAS, The Selma to Montgomery March was a watershed moment
in the civil rights movement, powerfully symbolizing how peace and
unity can overcome the forces of violence and intolerance; in
precipitating the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965, the
demonstration helped give voice to millions of people long silenced
by an oppressive and unjust system, and it ensured that those rights
would be guaranteed to future generations; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Selma to
Montgomery March and the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Reynolds
Straus González Otto Straus González Otto
Straus González Otto
Allen Guerra Paddie Allen Guerra Paddie
Allen Guerra Paddie
Alonzo Guillen Parker Alonzo Guillen Parker
Alonzo Guillen Parker
Alvarado Gutierrez Paul Alvarado Gutierrez Paul
Alvarado Gutierrez Paul
Anchia Harless Peña Anchia Harless Peña
Anchia Harless Peña
Anderson of Dallas Hernandez Phelan Anderson of Dallas Hernandez Phelan
Anderson of Dallas Hernandez Phelan
Anderson of McLennan Herrero Phillips Anderson of McLennan Herrero Phillips
Anderson of McLennan Herrero Phillips
Ashby Howard Pickett Ashby Howard Pickett
Ashby Howard Pickett
Aycock Huberty Price Aycock Huberty Price
Aycock Huberty Price
Bell Hughes Raney Bell Hughes Raney
Bell Hughes Raney
Bernal Hunter Raymond Bernal Hunter Raymond
Bernal Hunter Raymond
Blanco Isaac Reynolds Blanco Isaac Reynolds
Blanco Isaac Reynolds
Bohac Israel Riddle Bohac Israel Riddle
Bohac Israel Riddle
Bonnen of Brazoria Johnson Rinaldi Bonnen of Brazoria Johnson Rinaldi
Bonnen of Brazoria Johnson Rinaldi
Bonnen of Galveston Kacal Rodriguez of Bexar Bonnen of Galveston Kacal Rodriguez of Bexar
Bonnen of Galveston Kacal Rodriguez of Bexar
Burkett Keffer Rodriguez of Travis Burkett Keffer Rodriguez of Travis
Burkett Keffer Rodriguez of Travis
Burns Keough Romero, Jr. Burns Keough Romero, Jr.
Burns Keough Romero, Jr.
Burrows King of Hemphill Rose Burrows King of Hemphill Rose
Burrows King of Hemphill Rose
Button King of Parker Sanford Button King of Parker Sanford
Button King of Parker Sanford
Canales King of Taylor Schaefer Canales King of Taylor Schaefer
Canales King of Taylor Schaefer
Capriglione King of Uvalde Schofield Capriglione King of Uvalde Schofield
Capriglione King of Uvalde Schofield
Clardy Klick Schubert Clardy Klick Schubert
Clardy Klick Schubert
Coleman Koop Shaheen Coleman Koop Shaheen
Coleman Koop Shaheen
Collier Krause Sheets Collier Krause Sheets
Collier Krause Sheets
Cook Kuempel Sheffield Cook Kuempel Sheffield
Cook Kuempel Sheffield
Craddick Landgraf Simmons Craddick Landgraf Simmons
Craddick Landgraf Simmons
Crownover Larson Simpson Crownover Larson Simpson
Crownover Larson Simpson
Cyrier Laubenberg Smith Cyrier Laubenberg Smith
Cyrier Laubenberg Smith
Dale Leach Smithee Dale Leach Smithee
Dale Leach Smithee
Darby Longoria Spitzer Darby Longoria Spitzer
Darby Longoria Spitzer
Davis of Dallas Lozano Springer Davis of Dallas Lozano Springer
Davis of Dallas Lozano Springer
Davis of Harris Lucio III Stephenson Davis of Harris Lucio III Stephenson
Davis of Harris Lucio III Stephenson
Deshotel Márquez Stickland Deshotel Márquez Stickland
Deshotel Márquez Stickland
Dukes Martinez Thompson of Brazoria Dukes Martinez Thompson of Brazoria
Dukes Martinez Thompson of Brazoria
Dutton Martinez Fischer Thompson of Harris Dutton Martinez Fischer Thompson of Harris
Dutton Martinez Fischer Thompson of Harris
Elkins McClendon Tinderholt Elkins McClendon Tinderholt
Elkins McClendon Tinderholt
Faircloth Menéndez Turner of Collin Faircloth Menéndez Turner of Collin
Faircloth Menéndez Turner of Collin
Fallon Metcalf Turner of Harris Fallon Metcalf Turner of Harris
Fallon Metcalf Turner of Harris
Farias Meyer Turner of Tarrant Farias Meyer Turner of Tarrant
Farias Meyer Turner of Tarrant
Farney Miles VanDeaver Farney Miles VanDeaver
Farney Miles VanDeaver
Farrar Miller of Comal Villalba Farrar Miller of Comal Villalba
Farrar Miller of Comal Villalba
Fletcher Miller of Fort Bend Vo Fletcher Miller of Fort Bend Vo
Fletcher Miller of Fort Bend Vo
Flynn Moody Walle Flynn Moody Walle
Flynn Moody Walle
Frank Morrison White of Bell Frank Morrison White of Bell
Frank Morrison White of Bell
Frullo Muñoz, Jr. White of Tyler Frullo Muñoz, Jr. White of Tyler
Frullo Muñoz, Jr. White of Tyler
Galindo Murphy Workman Galindo Murphy Workman
Galindo Murphy Workman
Geren Murr Wray Geren Murr Wray
Geren Murr Wray
Giddings Naishtat Wu Giddings Naishtat Wu
Giddings Naishtat Wu
Goldman Nevárez Zedler Goldman Nevárez Zedler
Goldman Nevárez Zedler
Gonzales Oliveira Zerwas Gonzales Oliveira Zerwas
Gonzales Oliveira Zerwas
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 647 was adopted by the House on March 4,
2015, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Straus González Otto
Allen Guerra Paddie
Alonzo Guillen Parker
Alvarado Gutierrez Paul
Anchia Harless Peña
Anderson of Dallas Hernandez Phelan
Anderson of McLennan Herrero Phillips
Ashby Howard Pickett
Aycock Huberty Price
Bell Hughes Raney
Bernal Hunter Raymond
Blanco Isaac Reynolds
Bohac Israel Riddle
Bonnen of Brazoria Johnson Rinaldi
Bonnen of Galveston Kacal Rodriguez of Bexar
Burkett Keffer Rodriguez of Travis
Burns Keough Romero, Jr.
Burrows King of Hemphill Rose
Button King of Parker Sanford
Canales King of Taylor Schaefer
Capriglione King of Uvalde Schofield
Clardy Klick Schubert
Coleman Koop Shaheen
Collier Krause Sheets
Cook Kuempel Sheffield
Craddick Landgraf Simmons
Crownover Larson Simpson
Cyrier Laubenberg Smith
Dale Leach Smithee
Darby Longoria Spitzer
Davis of Dallas Lozano Springer
Davis of Harris Lucio III Stephenson
Deshotel Márquez Stickland
Dukes Martinez Thompson of Brazoria
Dutton Martinez Fischer Thompson of Harris
Elkins McClendon Tinderholt
Faircloth Menéndez Turner of Collin
Fallon Metcalf Turner of Harris
Farias Meyer Turner of Tarrant
Farney Miles VanDeaver
Farrar Miller of Comal Villalba
Fletcher Miller of Fort Bend Vo
Flynn Moody Walle
Frank Morrison White of Bell
Frullo Muñoz, Jr. White of Tyler
Galindo Murphy Workman
Geren Murr Wray
Giddings Naishtat Wu
Goldman Nevárez Zedler
Gonzales Oliveira Zerwas