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SENATE RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas joins the people |
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of Tarrant County in mourning the loss of the Honorable L. |
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Clifford Davis, who died February 15, 2025, at the age of 100; and |
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WHEREAS, Born October 12, 1924, and raised amidst the |
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Great Depression and Jim Crow segregation in Wilton, Arkansas, L. |
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Clifford Davis dedicated his life to fighting for civil rights |
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and ensuring justice for all; as a young man, he moved to Little |
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Rock with his older siblings to attend high school, and he went on |
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to earn a bachelor's and master's degree before pursuing his |
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ambition to study law; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Davis was accepted to Howard University |
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School of Law, but due to Howard's expense, he attended the |
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University of Arkansas Law School under conditions of complete |
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segregation; although he would complete his law degree at Howard |
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University, he paved the way for other Black students to enter |
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graduate programs in Arkansas, and he returned to his home state |
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to begin his law practice; and |
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WHEREAS, Using Brown v. Board of Education as a |
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foundation, Mr. Davis fought to desegregate schools in Arkansas, |
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and in 1954, he passed the Texas bar exam and became one of the |
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few Black attorneys working in Fort Worth; his efforts resulted |
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in the integration of the Mansfield and Fort Worth school |
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districts; in 1977, he organized the Fort Worth Black Bar |
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Association; and |
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WHEREAS, Judge Davis became the first appointed and |
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elected Black district court judge in Tarrant County, which he |
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served from 1983 until 1988; he presided over the first drug |
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diversion court in Tarrant County and spent three decades as a |
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visiting judge in North Texas before returning to practice law; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, During his 75 years as a licensed attorney, |
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Mr. Davis garnered many local, state, and national accolades for |
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his contributions to his community and to the legal field, |
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including the prestigious Blackstone Award from the Tarrant |
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County Bar Association and an honorary doctorate of law degree |
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from the University of Arkansas; a legal association and a Fort |
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Worth elementary school were named in his honor; and |
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WHEREAS, Above all, Mr. Davis found much fulfillment in |
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his role as a husband to his late wife, Ethel, for more than 50 |
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years and as a loving father to his daughters, Avis and Karen; he |
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was a devoted member of Saint Andrew's United Methodist Church; |
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his enthusiasm for mentoring lawyers and judges, providing pro |
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bono services, and encouraging young people in his community to |
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pursue higher education contributed to his legacy of community |
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service and advancing justice; and |
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WHEREAS, A man of integrity, courage, and generosity, L. |
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Clifford Davis's extraordinary contributions to civil rights |
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will long be remembered by our nation and by the people of the |
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Lone Star State; his remarkable life, his outstanding |
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achievements, and his dedication to serving others are a source |
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of inspiration to many, and his memory will be forever treasured |
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by his loved ones and by all who were privileged to share in his |
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life; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th |
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Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved |
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family of L. Clifford Davis; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for |
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his family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas |
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Senate, and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in |
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memory of Judge Davis. |