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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, For close to a century, during the years of |
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segregation, African American high schools in Texas rendered an |
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immeasurable service to their communities and to the state; and |
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WHEREAS, Staffed by exceptionally talented and dedicated |
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teachers and coaches, many of whom held graduate degrees from |
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highly regarded universities in the North, these schools embraced |
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and molded generations of students; the youth who entered their |
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doors learned not only academics but important life lessons that |
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helped them to build rewarding and productive lives; and |
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WHEREAS, The alumni of African American high schools went on |
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to become respected members of their communities; their ranks have |
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included doctors, lawyers, judges, elected officials, educators, |
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principals, administrators, counselors, coaches, dentists, |
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ministers, nurses, and businesspeople; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States, led |
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by Chief Justice Earl Warren, ruled that racially segregated public |
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schools were unconstitutional; slowly, during the 1950s and 1960s, |
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Texas towns and cities began to integrate their educational |
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systems, and in this process, many African American high schools |
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were closed; and |
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WHEREAS, Those in Texas that ceased to operate include O. L. |
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Price in Taylor, Blackshear in Hearne, Freeman in Caldwell, O. J. |
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Thomas in Cameron, Carter G. Woodson in Abilene, Emmitt Scott in |
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Tyler, E. J. Campbell in Nacogdoches, Charlie Brown in West |
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Columbia, Marshall in Angleton, Lanier in Freeport, E. H. Henry in |
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Eagle Lake, M. R. Wood in Sugarland, A. W. Jackson in Rosenberg, |
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Lorraine Crosby in Hitchcock, George Washington Carver in Lockhart, |
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George Washington Carver in Baytown, and George Washington Carver |
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in Sweeny, Fidelity Manor in Galena Park, Charles Drew in Crosby, |
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Colbert in Dayton, Emma Wallace in Orange, Riverside in Columbus, |
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Randolph in LaGrange, Solomon M. Coles in Corpus Christi, I. M. |
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Terrell in Fort Worth, and Wharton Training High School in Wharton; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, A number of distinguished graduates of other African |
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American high schools that were closed are visiting the State |
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Capitol on this day; among those present in the house of |
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representatives chamber are: Lynn Ray Ellison and Clarence |
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Caldwell, alumni of Booker T. Washington High School in Texas City; |
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Shameria Barber and Delores Bell, alumni of Paul Laurence Dunbar |
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High School in Dickinson; Edward Ross, representing the |
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Woodland-Lincoln Association in West Texas City, an area that was |
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formerly a part of La Marque; Michael Martindale, Gloria Harris, |
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and Verlee Henderson, alumni of E. A. Greer High School in El Campo; |
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Willie Giles, Casaleen Batts, and Outlar Simmons, alumni of T. L. |
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Pink High School in Glen Flora; Jesse Price Lyons, an alumnus of |
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Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Livingston; David Henson, |
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Barbara James, Emma Johnson, and Betty Bruno, alumni of Lincoln |
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High School in La Marque; Johnny Adams, an alumnus of Hungerford |
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High School in Hungerford; Vera Adams, an alumnus of Ralph Bunche |
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High School in Crockett; Barbara Reese and Vera Gary, alumni of |
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Central High School in Galveston; Delores Gregg Duffie, an alumnus |
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of L. C. Anderson High School in Austin; Joan Brown, an alumnus of |
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Phillis Wheatley High School in San Antonio; William and Doris |
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Howard, alumni of E. A. Kemp High School in Bryan; Jonas Brinkley, |
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an alumnus of Herman High School in Van Vleck; Patricia Wiggins, an |
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alumnus of A. G. Hilliard High School in Bay City; Marjorie |
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Middleton, an alumnus of Powell Point High School in Kendleton; and |
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Helen Rhem, an alumnus of Aycock High School in Rockdale; and |
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WHEREAS, African American high schools were revered within |
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their communities for the deeply profound commitment they brought |
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to their mission and for the powerful influence they had in |
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inspiring countless young men and women; the contributions of these |
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schools to their students and to society at large are truly beyond |
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measure; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the African American high schools |
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of Texas for their heroic achievements before the advent of |
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integration and honor the alumni who are helping to keep alive the |
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memory of those beloved institutions. |