H.R. No. 872
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The observance of Social Work Month in March 2023
provides a welcome opportunity to raise awareness of the important
contributions made by members of this profession; and
WHEREAS, Acknowledging the long history of this vocation, the
National Association of Social Workers has adopted the theme
"Social Work Breaks Barriers" for 2023; early pioneers in the field
include Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Star, who opened Hull House in
Chicago in 1889 for the benefit of the city's large immigrant
population; other transformational figures have been George Edmund
Haynes, who cofounded the National Urban League, and Ida B. Wells,
the heroic women's rights and anti-lynching activist; during the
Great Depression, Frances Perkins, the first female secretary of
labor, was instrumental in the advent of the 40-hour workweek,
minimum wage, and Social Security; Whitney M. Young Jr., NASW
president in the Civil Rights era, collaborated with President
Lyndon B. Johnson and other leaders to end racial employment
discrimination; and
WHEREAS, Today, social work is among the fastest-growing
careers in the United States, with more than 700,000 professionals
employed in a wide variety of settings, from schools, hospitals,
and corporations to the criminal justice system and government
agencies; each day, they help people at both the individual level
and the systems level; while some assist with immediate needs such
as food, shelter, and medical care, others are involved in
advocating for laws and policies to effect long-term solutions;
they have pushed for the adoption of livable wages, workplace
safety measures, and other reforms; and
WHEREAS, Social workers play a crucial role in battling the
opioid crisis, and they are among the leading providers of mental
health care; they serve in the wake of natural disasters and in the
midst of family tragedies; each day, their code of ethics prompts
them to fight injustice and champion equal rights for all people;
and
WHEREAS, For well over a century, social workers have
dedicated themselves to improving the well-being of their fellow
Americans, and their tireless endeavors have empowered individuals
and strengthened communities all across the nation; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize March 2023 as Social Work Month.
Bernal
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 872 was adopted by the House on April
14, 2023, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House