85S12742 JCD-D
By: Rodriguez of Travis H.R. No. 477
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Louis Black is retiring in 2017 as editor and
publisher of the Austin Chronicle, which he cofounded 36 years ago;
and
WHEREAS, A New Jersey native, Louis Black relocated to Austin
in the 1970s, and after earning a film degree from The University of
Texas at Austin, he launched the Austin Chronicle with cofounder
Nick Barbaro in September 1981; since then, he has remained at the
paper's helm as copublisher and coeditor, authoring the popular
Page Two column, in which he has covered a broad range of personal,
political, and cultural topics; through the years, his visionary
guidance and expertise have helped the publication remain one of
the few independently owned alternative weeklies in a rapidly
changing print media industry; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Black has also played a vital role in shaping
the Austin entertainment scene; since 1982, he has produced the
annual Austin Music Awards to honor local musicians, and in 1987, he
cofounded South by Southwest, which has gone on to become one of the
most prominent music, film, and interactive festivals in the world,
giving a platform to countless artists in its three-decade history;
moreover, he is a founding member of the Austin Film Society, and
following his retirement, he plans to continue working creatively
through his two production companies, Production for Use and Louis
Black Productions; and
WHEREAS, Although Louis Black's departure from the Chronicle
marks the end of an era, his contributions to journalism and to the
arts will long resonate in the Austin community and beyond, and he
may indeed reflect with justifiable pride on his many achievements;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby congratulate Louis Black on
his retirement from the Austin Chronicle and extend to him sincere
best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Black as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.