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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, Proud members of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity |
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| 6 | 7 | | gathered at the State Capitol on February 25, 2019, providing a |
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| 7 | 8 | | fitting opportunity to celebrate the fraternity's exceptional |
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| 8 | 9 | | legacy of civic engagement; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Established at Cornell University on December 4, |
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| 10 | 11 | | 1906, Alpha Phi Alpha was the first intercollegiate Greek-letter |
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| 11 | 12 | | fraternity established by African Americans; founded by seven men |
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| 12 | 13 | | who came to be known as the "Jewels" of the organization, Alpha Phi |
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| 13 | 14 | | Alpha initially served as a study and support group for minority |
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| 14 | 15 | | students who were struggling against racial prejudice; these early |
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| 15 | 16 | | leaders laid the foundation for the fraternity's principles of |
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| 16 | 17 | | scholarship, fellowship, character, and the uplifting of humanity; |
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| 17 | 18 | | and |
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| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, In the years that followed, Alpha Phi Alpha chapters |
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| 19 | 20 | | were formed at other colleges across the nation; while the |
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| 20 | 21 | | fraternity placed a strong emphasis on the academic excellence of |
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| 21 | 22 | | its members, it also expanded its focus to address the educational, |
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| 22 | 23 | | economic, political, and social injustices faced by African |
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| 23 | 24 | | Americans and people of color around the world; over the decades, |
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| 24 | 25 | | many former Alpha Phi Alpha members have stood at the forefront of |
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| 25 | 26 | | the fight for civil rights, including W. E. B. Du Bois, Paul |
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| 26 | 27 | | Robeson, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Adam |
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| 27 | 28 | | Clayton Powell Jr., Edward Brooke, Andrew Young, and William Gray; |
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| 28 | 29 | | and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha has been an interracial group since |
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| 30 | 31 | | 1945 and now encompasses chapters across the United States; the |
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| 31 | 32 | | fraternity has an especially rich history in the Lone Star State, |
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| 32 | 33 | | which has been home to three of the organization's general |
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| 33 | 34 | | presidents, and a number of prominent Texas leaders are Alpha Phi |
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| 34 | 35 | | Alpha alumni; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, For more than a century, Alpha Phi Alpha has worked |
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| 36 | 37 | | to foster a brotherhood of concerned citizens who devote themselves |
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| 37 | 38 | | to the greater good, and its members may indeed reflect with pride |
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| 38 | 39 | | on their organization's noteworthy tradition of activism and |
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| 39 | 40 | | achievement; now, therefore, be it |
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| 40 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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| 41 | 42 | | Legislature hereby recognize February 25, 2019, as Alpha Phi Alpha |
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| 42 | 43 | | Fraternity Day at the State Capitol and extend to all those |
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| 43 | 44 | | associated with the organization sincere best wishes for the |
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| 44 | 45 | | future; and, be it further |
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| 45 | 46 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 46 | 47 | | prepared for the fraternity as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 47 | 48 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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