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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The "First Things First" Juneteenth Kick Off |
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Celebration, an event designed to encourage members of the African |
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American and Hispanic communities to make their health a personal |
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priority, is being held in Waco on June 18, 2011; and |
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WHEREAS, "First Things First" is being sponsored by the |
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Empowerment Driven by Knowledge Coalition, whose motto is |
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"Rebuilding Communities One Family at a Time," and by KWBT radio |
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station; organizers hope to educate attendees specifically about |
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diabetes, stroke, and prostate cancer, three of the leading causes |
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of death among minority populations; and |
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WHEREAS, African American and Hispanic adults are twice as |
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likely as non-Hispanic white adults to have been diagnosed with |
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diabetes; the prevalence of the disease among Latino adults is |
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estimated at 30 percent, with perhaps as many as half of those |
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affected not knowing that they have the condition; a major health |
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threat, diabetes can lead to such serious complications as stroke, |
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heart disease, and kidney failure; and |
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WHEREAS, Stroke is the third-leading cause of death among |
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African Americans and the fourth-leading cause of death among |
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Hispanics; in addition, both African Americans and Latinos suffer |
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strokes at an earlier age, on average, than non-Hispanic whites; |
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among Latinos, that age is 67, as opposed to 80 among non-Hispanic |
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whites; African Americans are twice as likely to die from stroke as |
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white adults and are more likely to become disabled by stroke if |
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they survive; and |
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WHEREAS, Prostate cancer, the second most common cancer |
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diagnosed among men, affects African Americans at twice the rate |
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that it affects white males; while Mexican American men are less |
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likely to develop the disease than non-Hispanic whites, they are |
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more likely to die from it; and |
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WHEREAS, By informing African American and Latino citizens |
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about the dangers of these illnesses and the risk factors |
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associated with them, the sponsors of "First Things First" are |
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performing an invaluable public service, one whose benefits may |
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extend far into the future; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the "First Things First" Juneteenth |
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Kick Off Celebration and express appreciation to all those |
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responsible for bringing this outstanding event to fruition. |