89R13711 BK-D
By: Jones of Harris H.R. No. 275
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Honorable Zinetta Arceneaux Burney of Houston
passed away on September 22, 2024, at the age of 83, leaving her
loved ones to reflect on her remarkable life and achievements; and
WHEREAS, A Houston native, the former Zinetta Arceneaux was
born on February 24, 1941, to John and Thelma Arceneaux; although
she left high school to raise her daughter, Sharon Maria Burney, she
later earned her GED and completed training to begin her career as a
licensed vocational nurse; in 1968, she received a bachelor's
degree in mathematics from Texas Southern University, and she went
on to graduate from TSU's Thurgood Marshall School of Law on her way
to becoming an attorney; and
WHEREAS, Alongside four other women, Ms. Burney founded the
first African American female-led law practice in the country,
known as the "Sisters in Law," which served the Acres Homes
community; she took on cases even when her clients were unable to
pay, and her generosity extended to helping others in the
neighborhood with groceries and other necessities; she later became
the senior partner of the law firm of Burney & Foreman, and in 2004,
she was elected presiding judge of Harris County Justice of the
Peace Court, Precinct 7, Place 2; she served in that capacity for a
decade and a half until she had the satisfaction of seeing her
daughter succeed her in her long-held position in 2019; and
WHEREAS, Active in her professional community, Judge Burney
belonged to the Houston Lawyers Association, the Gulf Coast Black
Women Lawyers Association, the State Bar of Texas, and the Houston
and National Bar Associations, among others; in addition, she was
appointed by Governor Ann Richards to the University of Houston
System Board of Regents; she benefited her fellow residents through
her work as a board member for the Third Ward Redevelopment Council
and the Greater Houston Women's Foundation, as chair of the board of
commissions for the Houston Housing Authority, and as a member of
such local organizations as the Houston Area Urban League;
throughout her life, she was recognized for her accomplishments by
the City of Houston, the NAACP, the United Negro College Fund, the
Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and numerous other groups; and
WHEREAS, Zinetta Burney was a pioneering legal professional
and a true pillar of her community, and although she will be greatly
missed, she leaves behind a legacy that will long be treasured by
all who held her dear; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable Zinetta
Arceneaux Burney and extend deepest sympathy to her family and
friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Zinetta
Burney.