| 1 | 1 | | 89R25402 TBO-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Reynolds H.R. No. 912 |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Legal Defense Fund Advocacy Day is taking place on |
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| 9 | 9 | | April 23, 2025; and |
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| 10 | 10 | | WHEREAS, The first civil rights law organization in the |
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| 11 | 11 | | nation, LDF was founded in 1940 by legendary attorney Thurgood |
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| 12 | 12 | | Marshall, who later became the first Black U.S. Supreme Court |
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| 13 | 13 | | justice; the organization was initially a part of the NAACP, but it |
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| 14 | 14 | | began operating independently in 1957; and |
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| 15 | 15 | | WHEREAS, Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, |
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| 16 | 16 | | LDF has worked to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and |
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| 17 | 17 | | protect the constitutional and civil rights of all Americans, |
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| 18 | 18 | | especially Black people and other communities of color; today, the |
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| 19 | 19 | | organization continues to address key issues such as voting rights, |
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| 20 | 20 | | education equity, economic justice, and criminal justice reform; |
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| 21 | 21 | | and |
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| 22 | 22 | | WHEREAS, LDF has played an instrumental role in some of the |
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| 23 | 23 | | most significant legal victories in American history, including |
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| 24 | 24 | | Smith v. Allwright in 1944, which eliminated whites-only primary |
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| 25 | 25 | | elections in Texas, and Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, the |
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| 26 | 26 | | landmark Supreme Court decision that outlawed racial segregation in |
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| 27 | 27 | | public schools nationwide; in addition, the organization |
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| 28 | 28 | | represented leaders of the civil rights movement such as Dr. Martin |
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| 29 | 29 | | Luther King Jr. as well as countless grassroots activists, |
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| 30 | 30 | | resulting in litigation that overturned state-sanctioned |
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| 31 | 31 | | segregation of public buildings, parks and recreation facilities, |
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| 32 | 32 | | hospitals, and restaurants; more recently, the organization has led |
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| 33 | 33 | | efforts to restore and strengthen voting protections in the |
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| 34 | 34 | | aftermath of Shelby County v. Holder, the 2013 case that struck down |
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| 35 | 35 | | parts of the Voting Rights Act; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | WHEREAS, Over the past eight and a half decades, the Legal |
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| 37 | 37 | | Defense Fund has championed racial justice and equality, and it is a |
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| 38 | 38 | | pleasure to join in recognizing the organization for its many |
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| 39 | 39 | | contributions to the civil rights movement; now, therefore, be it |
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| 40 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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| 41 | 41 | | Legislature hereby recognize April 23, 2025, as Legal Defense Fund |
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| 42 | 42 | | Advocacy Day and extend to all those affiliated with the |
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| 43 | 43 | | organization sincere best wishes for continued success in their |
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| 44 | 44 | | important work; and, be it further |
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| 45 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 46 | 46 | | prepared for the Legal Defense Fund as an expression of high regard |
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| 47 | 47 | | by the Texas House of Representatives. |
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