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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Mesquite Tri-East NAACP and the City of Mesquite |
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sponsored the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration |
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on January 14, 2023, to commemorate the legacy of this pioneering |
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civil rights leader; and |
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WHEREAS, A Baptist minister and social activist, Dr. Martin |
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Luther King Jr. played a leading role in many of the pivotal civil |
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rights events of the 1950s and 1960s, from the historic bus boycott |
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in Montgomery, Alabama, to the founding of the Southern Christian |
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Leadership Conference, to the March on Washington in 1963, where he |
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delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech before some 200,000 |
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people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial; and |
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WHEREAS, In recognition of his immense influence, Dr. King |
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was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964, and in 1983, a |
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federal holiday commemorating his birth was created by the |
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U.S. Congress; this holiday was first formally observed in 1986 and |
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was celebrated in all 50 states for the first time in 2000; and |
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WHEREAS, The 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Community |
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Celebration began with a parade through downtown, followed by a |
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tribute to Dr. King at the Mesquite Arts Center, which featured |
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speeches, as well as choir and dance performances; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. King's enduring message continues to motivate |
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and encourage countless individuals working for peace, freedom, and |
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equality around the world, and the federal holiday dedicated to his |
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lifelong struggle for social justice provides a welcome opportunity |
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to redouble our commitment to the noble ideals for which he gave his |
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life; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. |
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Community Celebration in Mesquite and extend to all those involved |
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with the event sincere best wishes for the future. |