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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, For three decades, Austin attorney Gary Bledsoe has |
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| 6 | 7 | | rendered exceptional service as president of the Texas NAACP; and |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Bledsoe earned his juris doctor degree from The |
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| 8 | 9 | | University of Texas School of Law, where he was president of the |
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| 9 | 10 | | Class of 1976; his practice areas have included public interest, |
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| 10 | 11 | | employment, and civil rights law, and in recognition of his legal |
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| 11 | 12 | | acumen, he received a coveted AV professional rating from |
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| 12 | 13 | | Martindale-Hubbell; he has also been awarded Lawyer of the Year |
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| 13 | 14 | | honors from the Travis County Bar Association and several other |
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| 14 | 15 | | organizations; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, This well-respected legal professional has long |
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| 16 | 17 | | championed the work of the NAACP, and he has held the office of |
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| 17 | 18 | | president of the Texas NAACP since being elected in 1991; he has |
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| 18 | 19 | | additionally served on the NAACP's national board since 2003, and |
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| 19 | 20 | | he currently chairs the organization's National Criminal Justice |
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| 20 | 21 | | Committee; and |
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| 21 | 22 | | WHEREAS, Through his affiliation with the NAACP, Mr. Bledsoe |
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| 22 | 23 | | has been a staunch defender of civil rights; he handled cases |
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| 23 | 24 | | involving allegations of discrimination against the Texas |
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| 24 | 25 | | Department of Public Safety, and he further lent his expertise to |
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| 25 | 26 | | the Austin Cedar Avenue case that led to widespread changes in how |
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| 26 | 27 | | instances of police brutality are addressed; the landmark |
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| 27 | 28 | | settlement for that case was used to create a scholarship program |
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| 28 | 29 | | for college-bound minority youth, and Mr. Bledsoe also went on to |
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| 29 | 30 | | successfully negotiate with the H-E-B supermarket chain to |
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| 30 | 31 | | establish a scholarship program for African American students |
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| 31 | 32 | | attending historically Black universities; and |
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| 32 | 33 | | WHEREAS, In honor of his many achievements, Mr. Bledsoe has |
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| 33 | 34 | | received the Kelly Alexander State President of the Year Award, the |
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| 34 | 35 | | Juanita Jackson Mitchell Award for Legal Advocacy, and the Benjamin |
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| 35 | 36 | | Hooks Keeper of the Flame Award, and he was inducted into the |
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| 36 | 37 | | Houston Hall of Fame at Riverside General Hospital; and |
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| 37 | 38 | | WHEREAS, Over the course of his exemplary tenure with the |
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| 38 | 39 | | NAACP, Gary Bledsoe has done much to advance the causes of equality |
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| 39 | 40 | | and justice in his community, state, and nation, and it is a |
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| 40 | 41 | | pleasure to join his peers in recognizing him for his lifelong |
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| 41 | 42 | | commitment to these ideals; now, therefore, be it |
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| 42 | 43 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 43 | 44 | | Legislature hereby honor Gary Bledsoe for his contributions as |
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| 44 | 45 | | president of the Texas NAACP and extend to him sincere best wishes |
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| 45 | 46 | | for continued success; and, be it further |
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| 46 | 47 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 47 | 48 | | prepared for Mr. Bledsoe as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 48 | 49 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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