87R30161 BPG-D
By: Gervin-Hawkins H.R. No. 1963
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Aaronetta Pierce of San Antonio has greatly
benefited her fellow citizens as a dynamic advocate for African
American art, culture, and history; and
WHEREAS, In early 2021, Mrs. Pierce was appointed as one of
the tri-chairs of the Alamo Citizens Advisory Committee; the
committee was established by the city council to create a vision and
guiding principles for the redevelopment of Alamo Plaza and the
surrounding area; traditionally serving as the city's central
public forum, the plaza includes a civil rights landmark, the
100-year-old Woolworth Building, which was the site of the South's
first peaceful desegregation of a lunch counter; Mrs. Pierce has
championed its preservation as a prominent member of the Coalition
for the Woolworth Building; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Pierce has been active in the community for
decades; in 1985, she became the first Black woman appointed to the
Texas Commission on the Arts; she chaired the Martin Luther King
City/County Commission as it organized the city's inaugural Martin
Luther King Jr. Day celebrations, and she also chaired a
blue-ribbon committee that led to the creation of the city's
Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs; as a member of the San
Antonio Museum Association board, she was instrumental in bringing
the first important survey of African American art to the city; she
and her husband, Dr. Joseph A. Pierce Jr., founded Premier Artworks
to promote the work of African American artists and authors across
the country; and
WHEREAS, Over the years, Mrs. Pierce has served on the boards
of a host of worthy organizations, including the San Antonio
Performing Arts Association, the San Antonio Area Foundation, the
Witte Museum, the Spurs Foundation, and United Way; among numerous
accolades, she was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame in
1993; and
WHEREAS, Aaronetta Pierce has made a lasting, positive
imprint on San Antonio through her wide-ranging contributions, and
she continues to dedicate herself to the betterment of the city;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Aaronetta Pierce for her civic leadership
and extend to her sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mrs. Pierce as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.