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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The James D. Burrus Alumni Association, the Harris |
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County Historical Commission, the Independence Heights |
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Conservancy, and the James D. Burrus Elementary School celebrated |
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the dedication of an Official Texas Historical Marker at the school |
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on February 8, 2023; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1908, African American families began settling in |
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the Independence Heights community, and in an effort to meet the |
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educational needs of area children, the Independence Heights School |
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was established in a local church; following a petition to the |
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Harris County Commissioners Court in 1911, a two-room house was |
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moved from Sunset Heights to East 39th Street to serve as the |
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official schoolhouse; in addition, the building functioned as an |
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important cultural center and hosted many political and community |
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meetings; Oliphant Lockwood Hubbard, the school's first teacher, |
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later became principal and mayor of Independence Heights; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1923, the Colored Citizens Committee addressed |
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the Houston school board about inequalities and proposed bond |
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allocation for the construction of a new school, which was |
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completed in 1928 at its current location on East 33rd Street; the |
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school was renamed after James Dallas Burrus, an educator who was |
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born into slavery and was a professor of mathematics at Fisk |
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University for 47 years; during its first year in operation, Burrus |
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Elementary had 5 teachers and served 185 students; by the 1930s, |
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enrollment had grown to more than 600 students, with 13 teachers on |
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staff; it became a junior high school for a time, but due to |
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rezoning, desegregation, and the addition of other middle schools, |
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the campus was later returned to an elementary school; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the course of its history, James D. Burrus |
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Elementary School has made a positive difference in the lives of |
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many Houston youth, and the dedication of this historical marker |
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provides a fitting tribute to the essential role it has played in |
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educating several generations of area residents; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the dedication of an Official Texas |
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Historical Marker for the James D. Burrus Elementary School and |
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commend all those involved in securing this honor for their |
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efforts. |
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J. Johnson of Harris |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 2292 was adopted by the House on May |
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29, 2023, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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