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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of Gainesville are joining with citizens |
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across the nation on January 21, 2019, to remember and honor the |
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extraordinary life and inspiring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King |
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Jr.; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. King was a Baptist minister and social activist |
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whose dedication to peaceful protest had a profound impact on the |
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nation's civil rights movement; and |
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WHEREAS, In the mid-1950s, Dr. King was chosen to lead the |
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historic 381-day bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, placing him at |
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the forefront of the struggle for racial equality in the United |
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States; along with other activists of the day, he founded the |
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Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957 and served as its |
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president for the remainder of his life; and |
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WHEREAS, Under Dr. King's leadership, the SCLC played a key |
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role in many of the pivotal civil rights events of the 1960s, |
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including the Birmingham campaign of 1963, the March on Washington, |
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where Dr. King delivered his "I Have a Dream" address, and the |
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demonstrations in Selma, Alabama, in 1965; and |
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WHEREAS, Despite the hardships that accompanied Dr. King's |
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important work, including being jailed for his involvement in |
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protest activities, he persevered in the fight for social justice; |
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named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963, he also became the |
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youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; Dr. King's |
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influence has continued to resonate with subsequent generations, |
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and in 1983 the U.S. Congress enacted a federal holiday |
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commemorating his birth; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. King devoted his life to promoting unity where |
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there was division, peace where there was violence, and fairness |
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where there was injustice, and he embodied the highest ideals of a |
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nation founded on the principle that "all men are created equal"; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
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celebration hosted by the City of Gainesville and extend sincere |
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best wishes to all those taking part in the event. |