SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 84
In Memory
of
Annie Mae Hunt
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins the
citizens of Dallas in mourning the loss of Annie Mae Hunt, who
died September 25, 2003, at the age of 94; and
WHEREAS, Annie Mae Hunt was a woman of humble beginnings
and had only an elementary school education; she gained fame by
writing a memoir on being a black woman in the South and on her
struggles and her mistreatment; and
WHEREAS, Born in Washington County in 1909, she was raised
in the Southern sharecropping system and married at the age of
15; she picked cotton with her husband, and following a divorce,
she moved to Dallas, where she performed domestic work for a
time; in the 1950s, she managed to own an eatery and a cleaning
business and went on to work as a seamstress and sell Avon
cosmetics; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Hunt believed she was limited because she was
a woman and she was black, but after experiencing numerous acts
of discrimination, she began asserting herself, writing letters
to political leaders and becoming involved with many
organizations that worked on improving conditions for blacks;
and
WHEREAS, She coauthored I Am Annie Mae: An Extraordinary
Woman in Her Own Words, which was published in 1983; in the book,
Mrs. Hunt wrote with typical straightforwardness of her
experiences in Dallas and the history of women in Texas; the book
was made into a musical and a film; and
WHEREAS, While Mrs. Hunt suffered the struggles of growing
up black in the South, she worked hard, and through much
perseverance, she made a name for herself as an author and an
educator of young women; the T. R. Hoover Multipurpose Center in
South Dallas houses bookshelves named in her honor; and
WHEREAS, Throughout her life, she maintained her
determination, her good humor, and her genteel spirit;
Annie Mae Hunt was a woman of self-confidence and generosity who
gave unselfishly of her time to others, and her wisdom, warmth,
and valued counsel will not be forgotten by those who knew her;
and
WHEREAS, She was a source of inspiration to many and was a
devoted mother and grandmother, and she leaves behind memories
that will be treasured forever by her family and many friends;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
78th Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby extend sincere
condolences to the family of Annie Mae Hunt: her daughters,
Esther Prosper, Dorris Bullard, and Othella Hunt; her son,
George Darden; and her 30 grandchildren and numerous
great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
the members of her family as an expression of deepest sympathy
from the Texas Senate, and that when the Senate adjourns this
day, it do so in memory of Annie Mae Hunt.
West
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on October 2, 2003, by
a rising vote.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate