1-1     By:  Thompson (Senate Sponsor - West)                H.C.R. No. 245
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 2001;
 1-3     May 7, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural
 1-4     Resources; May 11, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 11, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                         HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-7           WHEREAS, The Underground Railroad was one of the most
 1-8     significant expressions of the African American quest for freedom
 1-9     and equality, a courageous and resolute struggle that has spanned
1-10     more than three centuries; and
1-11           WHEREAS, The significance of the Underground Railroad has
1-12     been recognized by the U.S. Congress, which in 1998 passed an act
1-13     directing the National Park Service to establish the National
1-14     Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program, to commemorate
1-15     both those who used this network and those who helped them; and
1-16           WHEREAS, Between 1820 and 1865, some 5,000 enslaved people in
1-17     Texas escaped to Mexico; although most would have needed help in
1-18     making their way, the existence of an Underground Railroad in the
1-19     state has never been documented; since 1998, Naomi Carrier Grundy
1-20     and Allen Grundy, retired Houston educators, have been working to
1-21     substantiate the existence of such a network; and
1-22           WHEREAS, Toward this end, the Grundys have organized two
1-23     forums to explore evidence of the Texas Underground Railroad; in
1-24     addition, the Grundys' theater company includes in its repertoire
1-25     of Texas history programs an educational performance devoted to
1-26     this covert undertaking; and
1-27           WHEREAS, It is highly desirable that a study be conducted of
1-28     any activity that helped persons enslaved in Texas escape to
1-29     Mexico; such a study would add a significant new dimension to our
1-30     understanding of Texas history, and it would constitute a first,
1-31     indispensable step in opening a new area for heritage tourism; and
1-32           WHEREAS, An intensive research effort would make it possible
1-33     to identify routes that could become part of an African American
1-34     Heritage Corridor from Texas to Mexico; moreover, it would help to
1-35     identify and document sites and structures that are eligible for
1-36     inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places and eligible
1-37     for inclusion in the National Underground Railroad Network to
1-38     Freedom program; information collected could also serve as the
1-39     basis for educational material; and
1-40           WHEREAS, Recovering the history of the Underground Railroad
1-41     in Texas would lead to a more comprehensive, nuanced account of our
1-42     past, and would further illuminate the complex society that gave
1-43     rise to this multi-ethnic resistance movement; now, therefore, be
1-44     it
1-45           RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
1-46     hereby recognize Naomi Carrier Grundy and Allen Grundy for their
1-47     outstanding efforts to document the Texas Underground Railroad and
1-48     extend to them sincere best wishes for success in this worthy
1-49     endeavor; and, be it further
1-50           RESOLVED, That the Texas Historical Commission and the Parks
1-51     and Wildlife Department be respectfully encouraged to support
1-52     research on the Texas Underground Railroad; and, be it further
1-53           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
1-54     copy of this resolution to the Texas Historical Commission and the
1-55     Parks and Wildlife Department.
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