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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A respected comedian who has not only commented on |
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the world around him but actively worked to change it for the |
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better, Dick Gregory has spent more than a half-century as an |
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entertainer and activist; and |
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WHEREAS, Born October 12, 1932, in St. Louis, Missouri, Mr. |
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Gregory began performing comedy in the 1950s in predominantly |
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African American nightclubs; he first received national attention |
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when he replaced an Anglo comedian at the Playboy Club in Chicago in |
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1961, and by the following year he was headlining shows, appearing |
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on national television, and recording comedy albums; and |
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WHEREAS, Part of the new generation of African American |
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comedians that included Bill Cosby, Nipsey Russell, and Godfrey |
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Cambridge, Mr. Gregory rejected stereotypes and addressed racial |
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issues with a dry and satiric wit during his performances, and his |
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brilliant and insightful comedy has been an ongoing source of |
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inspiration to generations of comedians; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Gregory began his activism at an early age, |
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leading a march that protested school segregation when he was still |
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in high school in St. Louis; in the 1960s, he was a major supporter |
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of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Student Nonviolent |
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Coordinating Committee, and he was an early and outspoken critic of |
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the Vietnam War; and |
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WHEREAS, Since that time, Dick Gregory has remained a leading |
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advocate for peace and justice, and he has also taken up a range of |
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other social and political initiatives; an authority on nutrition |
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and health since the 1970s, he has more recently focused his |
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attention on alternative medicine as part of his own successful |
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battle against cancer; moreover, he has carried forth the American |
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tradition of free speech and protest in upholding his convictions; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, With the love and support of Lillian, his wife of 48 |
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years, and their 10 children, Dick Gregory has continued to devote |
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himself to the well-being of his fellow citizens, using his insight |
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and his trademark wit to inspire and enlighten; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Dick Gregory for his remarkable career and |
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extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Gregory as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |