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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Citizens across Texas and the nation mourn the |
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untimely loss of Yolanda King, the eldest daughter of Coretta Scott |
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King and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who died on May 15, 2007, at |
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the age of 51; and |
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WHEREAS, Born November 17, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Ms. |
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King earned a bachelor's degree with honors from Smith College and a |
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master of fine arts degree in theater from New York University; and |
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WHEREAS, An actress as well as an activist devoted to |
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carrying on her father's work, she performed and directed for the |
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theater in New York and elsewhere and taught at the Martin Luther |
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King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, where she was a board |
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member; with Atallah Shabazz, the daughter of Malcolm X, she |
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founded a theater company, Higher Ground Productions; and |
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WHEREAS, In her stage production Achieving the Dream, Ms. |
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King played several characters in the civil rights movement; she |
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skillfully portrayed historical figures on film as well, playing |
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Rosa Parks in the TV movie King, the wife of Malcolm X in the film |
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Death of a Prophet, and Medgar Evers' daughter in the film Ghosts of |
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Mississippi; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. King regularly gave inspirational and |
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motivational lecture-performances for Fortune 500 corporations and |
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at church and civic events, conferences, and universities; she |
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served on the Partnership Council of Habitat for Humanity and was a |
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member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the |
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NAACP; she was associated with the Martin Luther King Support Group |
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of Southeast Texas, founded by Hargie Faye Savoy at the request of |
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Coretta Scott King, and through this group Ms. King helped to carry |
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on her father and mother's legacy in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. King exemplified the goals and ideals of her |
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father's message of nonviolent change and racial equality, and |
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through her work as a performer, activist, and speaker she touched |
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the lives of many; 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 life and work of Yolanda King |
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and extend sincere condolences to her family: to her brothers, |
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Dexter Scott King and Martin Luther King III; to her sister, the |
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Reverend Bernice King; and to her other relatives and many friends; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Yolanda |
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King. |
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Deshotel |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 2571 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on May 25, 2007. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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