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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Pioneering broadcast journalist Elma Barrera is |
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receiving the Woman of the Year Award from the Houston chapter of |
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the League of United Latin American Citizens on February 12, 2007; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Born and raised in Texas, Elma Barrera graduated |
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from the University of Houston with a degree in English and Spanish |
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literature; after working in Mexico City for several years, she |
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returned to Houston and helped to organize the first National |
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Hispanic Women's Conference, an important event in the Chicano |
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movement of the 1970s; and |
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WHEREAS, This talented professional has been a |
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groundbreaking broadcast journalist for many years; at radio |
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station KAUM she hosted the first weekly program about Hispanics on |
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an English-language station in Houston, and on Channel 8, Houston's |
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PBS station, she anchored the city's first television news program |
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in Spanish; she was also a cofounder of Channel 45, Houston's first |
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Spanish-language television station; and |
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WHEREAS, Starting as an intern at KTRK, Houston's Channel 13, |
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in the early 1970s, Ms. Barrera was promoted to the post of reporter |
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three months later, becoming Houston's first female Hispanic TV |
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journalist; as one of the most respected reporters in Houston |
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broadcasting, she has covered earthquakes and the visits of |
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dignitaries, but her chief focus has always been issues of concern |
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to the Hispanic community of Houston; and |
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WHEREAS, Her engagement with the community has been further |
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deepened by her active participation in many organizations; she was |
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a cofounder of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the |
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Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals, and Hispanic |
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Women in Leadership; she has also served on the boards of the |
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Houston Alzheimer's Association, the Baylor College of Medicine |
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Children's Vaccination Project, and Teatro Bilingue; moreover, she |
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was chosen by the White House as one of four local organizers of the |
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first International Women's Conference; and |
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WHEREAS, Her myriad accomplishments and contributions to |
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Houston have been honored by numerous awards; she was one of the |
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first inductees into the National Association of Hispanic |
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Journalists Hall of Fame, and she is also the recipient of a |
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Lifetime Achievement Award from her alma mater, Jack Yates Senior |
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High School; and |
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WHEREAS, For more than 30 years, Elma Barrera has been a |
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groundbreaking broadcaster, a welcome presence in the homes of |
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Houston's TV viewers, and a committed champion for her community |
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and her profession; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Elma Barrera on being named Woman |
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of the Year by the Houston Chapter of the League of United Latin |
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American Citizens and extend best wishes to her for continued |
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success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Barrera as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |