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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Bestselling author ReShonda Tate Billingsley has |
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enjoyed remarkable success as a writer, and she is truly deserving |
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of special recognition; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Ms. Billingsley |
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graduated from Madison High School in Houston in 1987, and after |
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earning her bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at |
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Austin in 1991, she began her career in broadcast journalism, |
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working as a television anchor and reporter in Port Arthur, |
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Oklahoma City, and Houston before becoming a full-time author; she |
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has also worked as a reporter and editor at the Houston Defender and |
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as a professor of broadcast journalism at Langston University; and |
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WHEREAS, After receiving multiple rejections from |
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publishers, Ms. Billingsley founded her own company to publish her |
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first novel, My Brother's Keeper, in 2001; the book was |
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subsequently republished by Simon and Schuster, and it received the |
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Gold Pen Award for Best New Author from the Black Writer's Alliance |
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and the Nova Lee Nation Award from the Greater Dallas Writing |
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Association; since then, she has published dozens of books, |
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including Say Amen, Again, which received the NAACP Image Award for |
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Outstanding Literature; her national bestseller Let the Church Say |
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Amen was cited in Library Journal's list of the best Christian |
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fiction of 2004, and it was made into a film directed by Regina |
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King; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Billingsley is also the author of the Good Girlz |
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series for teen readers and two nonfiction works, The Motherhood |
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Diaries and The Motherhood Diaries 2, and she has written four |
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successful books in collaboration with Victoria Christopher |
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Murray, Sinners and Saints, Friends and Foes, A Blessing and a |
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Curse, and Fortune and Fame; in addition, she is a sought-after |
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motivational speaker, and she has appeared in minor roles in two of |
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the films based on her books; and |
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WHEREAS, In all her endeavors, Ms. Billingsley enjoys the |
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love and support of her husband, Dr. Miron Billingsley, and her |
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three children, Mya, Morgan, and Myles; and |
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WHEREAS, For the past 20 years, ReShonda Tate Billingsley has |
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delighted and inspired readers of all ages with her lively and |
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engaging books, and she may indeed take great pride in her |
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impressive record of literary achievement; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commend ReShonda Tate Billingsley on her many |
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accomplishments as a writer and extend to her sincere best wishes |
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for continued success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Billingsley as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |