By Lewis of Tarrant H.R. No. 632
74R10547 KMP-D
R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, It is the custom of the Texas House of
1-2 Representatives to pay tribute to those exceptional individuals who
1-3 have made this world a better place in which to live, work, and
1-4 raise a family; and
1-5 WHEREAS, The Reverend Jesse Jackson is one such person who
1-6 has, as a clergyman, civic leader, and international peacemaker,
1-7 championed the values of equality, understanding, and cooperation
1-8 throughout the course of an impressive career that has spanned more
1-9 than three decades; and
1-10 WHEREAS, Born October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina,
1-11 this extraordinary man spent much of his early life surrounded by
1-12 the poverty, racism, and hopelessness that is still all too common
1-13 in our nation; as a young boy, he strove to build a better future
1-14 for himself by working at a lumberyard, shining shoes, waiting on
1-15 tables, working as a golf caddy, and representing his local Baptist
1-16 church at Sunday school conventions; and
1-17 WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson was also a star quarterback who
1-18 helped guide the Sterling High School football team to the state
1-19 championship, and following his graduation in 1959, he attended the
1-20 University of Illinois and later North Carolina Agricultural and
1-21 Technical State College in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he
1-22 quickly made a name for himself as the star quarterback, the
1-23 student body president, and an honor student in both sociology and
1-24 economics; and
2-1 WHEREAS, It was during his time at North Carolina A&T that he
2-2 embarked on his lifelong journey as one of our nation's most
2-3 articulate and influential civil rights leaders; while still
2-4 attending college, this remarkable individual organized sit-ins and
2-5 picket lines at local hotels, theaters, and restaurants that
2-6 refused to admit blacks, and the demonstrations not only helped to
2-7 integrate Greensboro but were such a resounding success that
2-8 Reverend Jackson soon found his leadership and expertise in demand
2-9 throughout the South; and
2-10 WHEREAS, After obtaining his degree in 1964, this
2-11 distinguished American attended graduate school at the Chicago
2-12 Theological Seminary and was ordained as a minister in the Baptist
2-13 Church in 1968; he also continued to be a driving force in the
2-14 civil rights movement, and in 1966 was selected by Martin Luther
2-15 King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to lead
2-16 the Chicago branch of Operation Breadbasket, an innovative program
2-17 that under his leadership helped thousands of black citizens to
2-18 secure jobs and better conditions through the strategic use of
2-19 boycotts and picketing; and
2-20 WHEREAS, Appointed national director of Operation Breadbasket
2-21 in 1967, this exemplary leader also served as executive director of
2-22 Operation PUSH, an organization he founded in 1971 to win greater
2-23 economic and political power for America's poorest residents; since
2-24 that time he has launched PUSH-Excel, a related program targeted at
2-25 preventing vandalism, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, and truancy among
2-26 inner-city students; and
2-27 WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson's crusade to create opportunity,
3-1 prosperity, and equality within our nation's communities led him in
3-2 1984 to seek the presidency of the United States, and, two years
3-3 later, to found the National Rainbow Coalition, a progressive
3-4 organization dedicated to empowering Americans traditionally left
3-5 out of the political process; his presidential bid is considered by
3-6 many experts to be a milestone in American politics, and in Texas
3-7 it helped African-American voter registration to reach
3-8 unprecedented heights; and
3-9 WHEREAS, Internationally admired for his exceptional skills
3-10 as a mediator and negotiator, the Reverend Jackson has been an
3-11 important figure in world affairs for more than 15 years; as early
3-12 as 1979 he traveled to the Republic of South Africa to lead crowds
3-13 in church services and nonviolent protests and, in later years, his
3-14 expertise and guidance proved invaluable to the leaders of that
3-15 country in their struggle against apartheid; and
3-16 WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson's courage and compassion have
3-17 helped him to succeed where American diplomatic efforts have
3-18 failed; in 1984 he persuaded Syria to release captured Navy
3-19 lieutenant Robert Goodman, Jr., whose plane had been shot down over
3-20 central Lebanon, and he also convinced Cuban president Fidel Castro
3-21 to release 22 imprisoned Americans and 26 Cuban political
3-22 prisoners; and
3-23 WHEREAS, His efforts over the years have garnered him awards
3-24 and honors from innumerable countries, organizations, and
3-25 institutions; the winner of the National Medical Association's
3-26 presidential award, he also has been selected in the past as
3-27 Humanitarian Father of the Year by the National Father's Day
4-1 Committee and is consistently recognized as one of the most admired
4-2 and influential men in the United States; and
4-3 WHEREAS, Above all else, Reverend Jackson is a devoted
4-4 family man who has enjoyed a richly rewarding marriage with his
4-5 wife of 31 years, Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson, and who takes immense
4-6 pride in his five children, Santita, Jesse Louis, Jr., Jonathan
4-7 Luther, Yusef DuBois, and Jacqueline Lavinia; and
4-8 WHEREAS, In recognition of this exceptional man's ability to
4-9 find solutions to our most pressing social, economic, and political
4-10 problems through nonviolent means, it is indeed appropriate that
4-11 this distinguished minister and world leader be given special
4-12 commendation and praise; now, therefore, be it
4-13 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
4-14 Legislature hereby honor the Reverend Jesse Jackson for the
4-15 countless contributions he has made toward securing peace,
4-16 prosperity, and justice for all Americans and extend to him warmest
4-17 best wishes for continued happiness and success in his future
4-18 endeavors; and, be it further
4-19 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
4-20 prepared for the Reverend Jackson as an expression of highest
4-21 regard by the Texas House of Representatives.