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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Many civic-minded Texans are gathering in Austin on |
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February 5, 2019, in celebration of Urban Leagues of Greater Texas |
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Day at the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, In the early 20th century, African Americans |
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migrating to northern cities soon discovered that they had not |
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escaped racial discrimination; good jobs were denied them, and most |
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were forced to live in substandard housing; the National Urban |
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League formed in 1911 to address those issues, and the organization |
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trained African American social workers to help migrant families |
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attain educational and employment opportunities; and |
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WHEREAS, By the end of World War I, the league had established |
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operations in 30 cities and had evolved to take on new challenges; |
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in the 1930s, it advocated powerfully for the inclusion of African |
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Americans in the New Deal and fought to desegregate labor unions; |
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the Urban League later played a major role in the Civil Rights Era, |
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and it hosted Martin Luther King Jr., A. Philip Randolph, and other |
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leaders at planning meetings for the March on Washington; and |
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WHEREAS, The league continued to expand its mission, and in |
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the 1970s, it adopted a broader focus on such contemporary problems |
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as environmental protection and energy conservation, as well as on |
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the many aspects of poverty; today, members of the league continue |
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to work tirelessly in behalf of economic empowerment, educational |
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opportunity, and the guarantee of civil rights; and |
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WHEREAS, For more than a century, Urban League members have |
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dedicated themselves to securing social and economic justice for |
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all, and the organization continues to play a vital role in |
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communities across our state and nation; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 5, 2019, as Urban Leagues of |
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Greater Texas Day at the State Capitol and extend to participants |
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sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable visit to Austin. |