H.R. No. 451
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The city of Dallas lost a dynamic and compassionate
community leader with the death of Bishop Omar Jahwar on March 11,
2021, at the age of 47; and
WHEREAS, Omar Jahwar was born on April 3, 1973, to Larry and
Rosetta Jefferson, and he grew up in the Oak Cliff neighborhood with
four siblings, Leon, Roman, Larry, and Fayth; from an early age, he
was an avid reader and a gifted musician, and he attended Lancaster
High School, where he was the first Black student body president;
after narrowly avoiding a prison sentence as a troubled teenager,
he committed himself at the age of 17 to helping other young people,
volunteering to conduct intervention sessions with gang members at
Gainesville State School; and
WHEREAS, In 1997, Bishop Jahwar was honored at the White
House for his efforts in Gainesville and became the youngest person
ever to win the national Achievement Against the Odds award from the
Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, and the following year, he
founded the nonprofit group Urban Specialists, which works to
eliminate urban violence; in 2000, he negotiated a peace treaty
between the Blood and Crip gangs in Dallas, and in 2002, he traveled
to Russia to consult about gang violence there; in 2019, Urban
Specialists launched the OGU program, which trains former gang
leaders to mentor at-risk youth, and that same year, Bishop Jahwar
embarked upon the national Heal America Tour, which has reached
70,000 people in cities across America; and
WHEREAS, A man of deep religious faith, Bishop Jahwar was
presiding bishop of the Kingdom Covenant of Churches and senior
pastor of Kingdom WAR Legacy Church in South Dallas; in 2016, he was
a guest of Speaker of the House Paul Ryan at the State of the Union
Address, and the following year, Urban Specialists was recognized
with the International Humanitarian Award in Dallas; in 2019,
Bishop Jahwar received the Rise and Shine Award from WFAA, the
Dallas ABC news affiliate; and
WHEREAS, Family was paramount to Bishop Jahwar, and he was a
loving husband to his wife, Anita, and the proud father of four
children, Omar, Tabia, Omni, and Anaya; and
WHEREAS, Omar Jahwar lived a full and generous life devoted
to his family, his community, and his faith, and his legacy of
leadership and his commitment to justice and nonviolence will
continue to inspire all those who were fortunate enough to know him;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Bishop Omar Jahwar
and extend heartfelt sympathy to his family, his congregation, and
his many friends and colleagues; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Bishop Omar
Jahwar.
Sherman, Sr.
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 451 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on April 1, 2021.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House