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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Residents of Grand Prairie gather each year on |
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| 6 | 7 | | Martin Luther King Jr. Day to celebrate the important legacy of the |
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| 7 | 8 | | civil rights leader at a parade sponsored by the Grand Prairie |
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| 8 | 9 | | NAACP, the City of Grand Prairie Parks, Arts & Recreation |
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| 9 | 10 | | Department, and the Grand Prairie Police Department; and |
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| 10 | 11 | | WHEREAS, In 1983, the King Holiday Bill was signed into law, |
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| 11 | 12 | | making the third Monday in January a federal holiday; the |
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| 12 | 13 | | observance later became the only federal holiday also designated as |
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| 13 | 14 | | a national day of service with the signing of legislation to |
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| 14 | 15 | | encourage Americans to follow Dr. King's example by working |
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| 15 | 16 | | together to improve their communities; and |
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| 16 | 17 | | WHEREAS, The son of a Baptist minister, Martin Luther |
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| 17 | 18 | | King Jr. earned his doctoral degree in theology; in 1955, he |
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| 18 | 19 | | organized the Montgomery bus boycott, the first major protest of |
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| 19 | 20 | | the civil rights movement, and he devoted himself wholeheartedly to |
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| 20 | 21 | | the cause; he led marches across the South to direct America's |
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| 21 | 22 | | attention to injustice and oppression, and although physical |
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| 22 | 23 | | attacks were a constant threat, he upheld the powerful principle of |
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| 23 | 24 | | nonviolent civil disobedience; and |
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| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, Dr. King's soaring oratory inspired people across |
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| 25 | 26 | | the country, and in 1963, at the massive March on Washington, he |
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| 26 | 27 | | delivered an address for the ages, outlining his vision of a better |
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| 27 | 28 | | America as the words "I have a dream" rang out over the crowd and |
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| 28 | 29 | | into history; the following year brought the ratification of the |
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| 29 | 30 | | 24th Amendment, which abolished the poll tax, and the Civil Rights |
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| 30 | 31 | | Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination in employment and |
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| 31 | 32 | | education and outlawed segregation in public facilities; that |
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| 32 | 33 | | October, Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; and |
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| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, In observing this holiday, we focus not only on the |
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| 34 | 35 | | legacy of Dr. King, but also on the need to continue his work in |
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| 35 | 36 | | behalf of justice, peace, and equal rights for all; now, therefore, |
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| 36 | 37 | | be it |
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| 37 | 38 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 38 | 39 | | Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby commemorate the annual |
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| 39 | 40 | | Grand Prairie Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade and extend to the |
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| 40 | 41 | | organizers and participants sincere appreciation for their |
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| 41 | 42 | | contributions. |
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