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79R5151 JLZ-D

By:  Giddings                                                     H.R. No. 2302



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, From the beginning and throughout this proud state's 
history, blacks have played a role in the discovery, exploration, 
and development of Texas; and
	WHEREAS, In 1528, less than 10 years after explorers claimed 
Texas in the name of King Charles I of Spain, a member of Cabeza de 
Vaca's expedition named Estevanico became the first black to set 
foot in what is modern-day Texas; and
	WHEREAS, Other expeditions that followed also included 
blacks among their numbers, some of whom were instrumental in the 
establishment of new settlements in the territory, and by the close 
of the 18th century, blacks comprised approximately 15 percent of 
the population in Texas; and
	WHEREAS, The first blacks had come to Texas from Mexico, but 
by the early 1800s a wave of immigration from the United States had 
begun to swell Texas' black population; many of these newcomers 
came as slaves, but some were able to purchase their freedom and 
eventually prospered as freemen and established members of their 
respective communities; on the eve of the Texas Revolution, there 
were about 3,000 blacks, both freemen and slaves, in Texas; and
	WHEREAS, Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, blacks 
played key roles in nearly every aspect of Texas' economic and 
cultural development, including ranching, one of the pillars not 
only of the state's economy but of its near-mythic identity; for 
example, of the estimated 35,000 cowboys that worked the ranches 
and rode on the epic trail drives of the Old West, between 5,000 and 
9,000 were black cowboys; and
	WHEREAS, From the famed Buffalo Soldiers to groundbreaking 
activists such as Hemann Sweatt to political figures such as 
Barbara Jordan, many blacks have become icons in the state's long 
history, and they have left a legacy of courage, pride, 
self-determination, and noteworthy achievement that continues to 
inspire and motivate Texans everywhere regardless of ancestry or 
origin; and
	WHEREAS, Recognizing the importance of preserving this 
legacy and the state's multicultural heritage, several Texas 
universities offer black studies programs, among them Baylor 
University, Southern Methodist University, the University of 
Houston, and The University of Texas at Austin; it is noteworthy 
that all of the black studies programs in the state are offered only 
at four-year institutions; and
	WHEREAS, In recent years, however, enrollment at community 
colleges and junior colleges has been increasing at a greater rate 
than enrollment at four-year colleges and universities, and more 
than half of all students in the state attending public 
institutions of higher education during the 2004-2005 academic year 
are community college students; and
	WHEREAS, In light of the growing role that public community 
colleges are playing in educating the citizens of Texas, it is vital 
that they expand their offerings to include important programs now 
available only to students at senior colleges and universities; 
now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby urge Texas community colleges to offer an 
associate's degree with an emphasis on African American/Black 
Studies.