H.R. No. 452 R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Dick Gregory is coming to San Antonio to serve as 1-2 the keynote speaker for the 1995 Quality of Life Champions banquet, 1-3 and the occasion provides a fitting opportunity to honor this 1-4 esteemed gentleman for the extensive contributions he has made to 1-5 citizens the world over as an entertainer, an activist, and a true 1-6 humanitarian; and 1-7 WHEREAS, Mr. Gregory began his multifaceted career in the 1-8 1960s as an overweight, chain-smoking, stand-up comedian who 1-9 quickly made a name for himself with his outspoken, provocative 1-10 brand of humor; having found comedy an expedient means by which to 1-11 make people think as well as laugh, he soon put his talents to good 1-12 use as an advocate of many worthy causes that were in critical need 1-13 of increased support and attention; and 1-14 WHEREAS, For many years, he has worked diligently to advance 1-15 the cause of civil rights, to promote world peace, and to combat 1-16 world hunger and, most recently, has put his considerable energy 1-17 behind eliminating drugs in our society by such innovative means as 1-18 camping out in dealer-ridden public parks and rallying community 1-19 leaders to shut down "head shops"; and 1-20 WHEREAS, Throughout his many endeavors, Mr. Gregory has often 1-21 had to pay a stiff price for his activism; virtually barred from 1-22 the entertainment industry, he has been jailed on numerous 1-23 occasions for his willingness to stand up for what he believes to 1-24 be right, and his strong sense of justice has led him to visit such 2-1 diverse places as Louisiana and Iran to bring about the cherished 2-2 goal of equality for all people; and 2-3 WHEREAS, In keeping with his determination to seek positive 2-4 solutions to difficult problems, Mr. Gregory embraced his own 2-5 personal challenge to lose weight and taught himself the basics of 2-6 nutrition; after years of research and development, he went on to 2-7 market the diet that helped him to shed his excess pounds while 2-8 promoting better nutrition, and the Bahamian diet has since become 2-9 a resounding success; and 2-10 WHEREAS, Mr. Gregory has used his extensive research in this 2-11 regard to help hunger strikers from around the world to forward 2-12 their cause without risking their lives, and he also has played a 2-13 pivotal role in helping a number of hugely obese people to reclaim 2-14 their normal lives; and 2-15 WHEREAS, A highly acclaimed author and speaker as well, 2-16 Mr. Gregory's works include his autobiography and Dick Gregory's 2-17 Natural Diet for Folks Who Eat, and his speaking engagements 2-18 continue to inspire in his audiences a renewed commitment toward 2-19 making a difference in the lives of others; and 2-20 WHEREAS, With a winning combination of compassion and 2-21 charisma, Dick Gregory has taken an active stand on a number of 2-22 critical issues facing this nation today and has offered his time 2-23 and talents to make the world around him a better place in which to 2-24 live; it gives the members of this chamber great pleasure to 2-25 welcome Mr. Gregory to Texas at this time and to commend him for 2-26 his remarkable contributions in this regard; now, therefore, be it 2-27 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas 3-1 Legislature hereby honor Dick Gregory for his exceptional 3-2 achievements as an entertainer, activist, and humanitarian and 3-3 extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success and 3-4 happiness in the years to come; and, be it further 3-5 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-6 prepared for Mr. Gregory as an expression of high regard by the 3-7 Texas House of Representatives.