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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The city of Dallas lost a renowned civic leader with |
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| 6 | 7 | | the passing of Roy H. Williams on March 18, 2017, at the age of 74; |
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| 7 | 8 | | and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, A native of Longview, Roy Williams became involved |
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| 9 | 10 | | in the civil rights movement at an early age; as a teenager, he |
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| 10 | 11 | | protested segregated lunch counters and bus stations in East Texas, |
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| 11 | 12 | | and in 1959, he was named president of the Longview NAACP Youth |
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| 12 | 13 | | Council; and |
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| 13 | 14 | | WHEREAS, After graduating from high school, he attended |
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| 14 | 15 | | Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado, and he went on |
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| 15 | 16 | | to join the U.S. Army and serve his country in Germany; following |
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| 16 | 17 | | his return to civilian life, he moved to New York and then to |
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| 17 | 18 | | Dallas, where he began working with other activists to address |
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| 18 | 19 | | crucial issues facing local minority groups; he guided the Police |
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| 19 | 20 | | and Paramedic Complaints Committee as its treasurer and vice chair, |
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| 20 | 21 | | and he took a stand against apartheid by helping to sever the city's |
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| 21 | 22 | | ties with South Africa; he also gave back to the community as the |
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| 22 | 23 | | founder of Rainbow Bridge, a nonprofit youth organization; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, Although his long career in civil rights advocacy |
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| 24 | 25 | | was filled with many accomplishments, Mr. Williams is perhaps best |
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| 25 | 26 | | known for his role in rectifying the lack of minority |
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| 26 | 27 | | representation on the Dallas City Council; he and fellow activist |
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| 27 | 28 | | Marvin Crenshaw were plaintiffs in a landmark 1988 federal lawsuit |
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| 28 | 29 | | that eventually led to the establishment of the city's 14-1 plan, |
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| 29 | 30 | | under which council members are chosen in district rather than |
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| 30 | 31 | | citywide elections; the new boundaries went into effect for the |
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| 31 | 32 | | November 1991 election, resulting in a marked increase in the |
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| 32 | 33 | | number of minority candidates voted into office; and |
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| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, An inspiration to all who knew him, Roy Williams |
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| 34 | 35 | | devoted his life to advancing the mission of the civil rights |
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| 35 | 36 | | movement, and his contributions to the cause of social justice will |
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| 36 | 37 | | long resonate in Dallas, the Lone Star State, and beyond; now, |
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| 37 | 38 | | therefore, be it |
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| 38 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 39 | 40 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Roy H. Williams and |
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| 40 | 41 | | extend sincere sympathy to all those who mourn his passing; and, be |
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| 41 | 42 | | it further |
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| 42 | 43 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 43 | 44 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 44 | 45 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Roy |
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| 45 | 46 | | Williams. |
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