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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The people of San Antonio lost a dedicated champion |
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of civil rights and an inspiring religious and community leader |
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with the death of the Reverend Claude William Black, Jr., on March |
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13, 2009, at the age of 92; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in San Antonio on November 28, 1916, Claude |
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Black, Jr., was the oldest child of Cora and Claude Black, Sr.; he |
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graduated from Morehouse College and subsequently earned a master |
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of divinity degree from Andover Newton Theological School; exposed |
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to political organizing through his father, who served as vice |
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president of the local Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, he |
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became active in the community in the early 1940s; he founded the |
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San Antonio Mother's Service Organization to encourage positive |
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youth development, and it became the first African American group |
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of Christian women to get a state charter for a local club; and |
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WHEREAS, Reverend Black continued his activism as the civil |
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rights movement got under way, leading and organizing marches |
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around the state; in March 1960, he urged city officials to |
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integrate local lunch counters, and San Antonio became the first |
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major city in the South to break this barrier without |
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demonstrations; he was an associate of Martin Luther King, Jr., |
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Thurgood Marshall, A. Philip Randolph, and Adam Clayton Powell, |
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Jr., and he was invited by President Lyndon B. Johnson to attend the |
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White House Conference on Civil Rights in 1966; and |
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WHEREAS, Even as many of the movement's goals were realized, |
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this esteemed Texan remained a vital advocate for San Antonio's |
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African American population; he was elected to the city council in |
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the early 1970s and went on to become the city's first African |
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American mayor pro tem; a decade later, he founded a corporation to |
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help east side residents obtain suitable housing, and in 1995, he |
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was appointed a delegate to the White House Council on Aging by |
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President Bill Clinton; and |
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WHEREAS, Reverend Black further distinguished himself as the |
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pastor of San Antonio's historic Mount Zion First Baptist Church |
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and, under his guidance, the church became known for its numerous |
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public outreach efforts; his legacy includes the development of two |
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neighborhood day-care centers, an apartment complex for seniors, |
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and the city's only financial institution owned by an African |
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American church; moreover, when the Mount Zion sanctuary was |
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destroyed by arson in 1974, Reverend Black led members through the |
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rebuilding process, and a new sanctuary was completed the next |
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year; by the time of his retirement in 1998, he had served the |
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church for nearly half a century; and |
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WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Reverend Black enjoyed the |
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love and support of his beloved wife, ZerNona, with whom he shared |
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59 years before her death in 2005; the couple raised two children, |
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Stewart and Joyce, and welcomed six grandchildren and four |
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great-grandchildren into their family; and |
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WHEREAS, Reverend Black was recognized for his commitment to |
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civil rights with the 1991 MLK Distinguished Achievement Award from |
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the City of San Antonio, and the city also named an east side |
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community center in his honor; before his death, he was notified of |
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his selection for the prestigious Testament of Hope Award, given in |
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tribute to an outstanding community leader; his grandson, Taj |
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Matthews, and other family members, accepted the award on his |
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behalf at the second annual Realizing the Dream Award Celebration, |
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hosted by Martin Luther King III; and |
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WHEREAS, With his lifelong devotion to justice and equality, |
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Claude Black made a profound difference in the city of San Antonio |
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and beyond, and he leaves behind a record of achievement that will |
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continue to resonate for many years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor the memory of the Reverend Claude William |
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Black, Jr., and extend sincere sympathy to his family: to his |
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grandchildren, Taj Matthews, Chantey Matthews, and Claude |
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Williams, and their families; to his sister, Mary Etta Black Deas; |
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and to his many admirers across the Lone Star State; 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 his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Reverend |
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Black. |
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McClendon |
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Alvarado |
Gonzales |
Miller of Comal |
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Anchia |
Gonzalez Toureilles |
Miller of Erath |
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Aycock |
Gutierrez |
Morrison |
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Branch |
Harper-Brown |
Ortiz, Jr. |
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Brown of Kaufman |
Hartnett |
Otto |
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Brown of Brazos |
Heflin |
Parker |
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Callegari |
Hilderbran |
Peña |
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Cohen |
Howard of Fort Bend |
Quintanilla |
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Coleman |
Howard of Travis |
Raymond |
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Craddick |
Jackson |
Rodriguez |
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Crownover |
Keffer |
Sheffield |
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Davis of Harris |
King of Parker |
Smith of Tarrant |
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Davis of Dallas |
King of Taylor |
Smith of Harris |
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Deshotel |
King of Zavala |
Smithee |
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Driver |
Kleinschmidt |
Solomons |
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Eiland |
Leibowitz |
Thompson |
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Elkins |
Lucio III |
Turner of Tarrant |
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England |
Madden |
Turner of Harris |
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Farias |
Mallory Caraway |
Veasey |
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Farrar |
Marquez |
Villarreal |
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Flores |
Martinez Fischer |
Walle |
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Gallego |
McReynolds |
Zerwas |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 905 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on May 28, 2009. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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