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SENATE RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Texas Senate takes great pleasure in |
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recognizing Mrs. Opal Lee, the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," who |
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is being honored at the Texas Capitol on February 8, 2023, at a |
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special event to celebrate the unveiling of her portrait, which |
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will be placed on permanent display in the Senate Chamber; and |
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WHEREAS, Commissioned by the Texas Senate and created by |
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native Texas artist Jess W. Coleman, the portrait of Mrs. Opal |
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Lee honors her remarkable life and achievements and commemorates |
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the indelible mark her contributions have made in the history of |
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our great state and nation; and |
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WHEREAS, A native Texan born in Marshall and raised in Fort |
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Worth, Mrs. Opal Lee was inspired from an early age to seek to |
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better the world around her and to become an advocate for social |
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justice and civil rights; rising above many of the challenges of |
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racial oppression, she embarked on a career in education, and she |
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became a tireless champion for civil rights and an esteemed |
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community leader whose positive impact is recognized throughout |
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the nation and has been acknowledged around the globe; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2016, at the age of 89, Mrs. Opal Lee launched |
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a campaign to create a wider awareness across the country about |
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the meaning of Juneteenth, the annual day commemorating the end |
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of slavery in Texas; Mrs. Lee began observing the June 19 holiday |
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while she was still a young girl living in Marshall, and for |
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decades, she has organized events in Fort Worth in celebration of |
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Juneteenth; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Opal Lee long dreamed of making the annual |
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observance of Juneteenth in Texas into a national holiday, and in |
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her efforts to achieve this goal, she spoke to the media and |
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numerous groups about her cause and gathered one-and-a-half |
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million signatures on a petition that she delivered to the United |
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States Congress; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2021, Mrs. Opal Lee accomplished her mission |
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when legislation designating Juneteenth as a federal holiday was |
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passed; she joined President Joe Biden at the White House to |
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witness the signing of the Juneteenth legislation, and with this |
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historic achievement, the nation gained its first new federal |
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holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was signed into law in |
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1983; and |
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WHEREAS, Long admired for her exceptional contributions to |
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her community and state, Mrs. Lee has created an enduring legacy |
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in the State of Texas and in the nation; in 2022, she was |
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nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by 33 members of the United |
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States Congress in recognition of her outstanding efforts in |
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gaining national recognition for Juneteenth; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Opal Lee's steadfast dedication to a vision |
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of liberty and justice is a source of tremendous inspiration to |
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all, and it is indeed fitting that a portrait of her be displayed |
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permanently in the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th |
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Legislature, hereby pay tribute to Mrs. Opal Lee and extend to |
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her its sincere respect, admiration, and appreciation; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in |
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honor of this very special occasion. |