88R15746 TBO-D
By: Eckhardt, Alvarado S.R. No. 345
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The 26th annual Barbara Jordan National Forum took
place in Austin in February 2023, providing a fitting opportunity
to recognize the outstanding students who organized the event; and
WHEREAS, A native Houstonian, Barbara Jordan was the first
African American to hold a seat in a state Senate since 1883 and the
first African American woman from the Deep South to serve in the
U.S. House of Representatives; during her time in Congress, she
distinguished herself as a dedicated and influential advocate for
civil rights; she also served on the Judiciary Committee, and she
gained national recognition for her remarks on the Watergate
scandal; in 1979, she accepted a position as the Lyndon B. Johnson
Centennial Chair in National Policy at the LBJ School of Public
Affairs, and she held that role until her passing in 1996; and
WHEREAS, Each February, the LBJ School of Public Affairs
hosts a monthlong forum in honor of this trailblazing lawmaker, and
the event is organized by students who are elected by their peers;
the 2023 Barbara Jordan National Forum student leaders include
Morgan Brown, Jordan Nellums, and Jennifer Perales, who are all
completing graduate studies in public affairs; and
WHEREAS, This year's forum featured a day of volunteerism as
well as a number of lectures and other events, such as a keynote
speech by former congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, a ceremony to
present the Barbara Jordan Public Service Award, and the Barbara
Jordan Freedom Foundation Luncheon; and
WHEREAS, Through their efforts to make the Barbara Jordan
National Forum a success, the event's student organizers are
helping to ensure that Barbara Jordan's legacy of activism and
public service is carried on by future generations of civic
leaders; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature
hereby commemorate the 26th annual Barbara Jordan National Forum
and extend to the event's student leaders sincere best wishes for
the future.