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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 189
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WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to |
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join the National Aviation Education Center and the |
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Commemorative Air Force in recognizing 125 years of Black |
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aviation history; and |
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WHEREAS, Black innovators and aviators overcame seemingly |
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insurmountable barriers during the Jim Crow era to help lay the |
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foundation for modern advanced aviation, yet their contributions |
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to the field have been largely overlooked and underappreciated; and |
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WHEREAS, This storied history can be traced back to 1899, |
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when John Frederick Pickering of Haiti applied for an aviation |
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patent for his flight machine, and he was awarded United States |
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Patent Number 643,975 on February 20, 1900; Charles Frederick |
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Page, a former slave of Pineville, Louisiana, also applied for an |
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aviation patent for his invention in 1903, and he was awarded |
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United States Patent Number 817,442 on April 10, 1906; both of |
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these men's original innovations were designed and tested before |
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the Wright brothers made their famous first flight; and |
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WHEREAS, Black pilots continued breaking barriers in the |
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early 1900s, and during World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen garnered |
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public attention as the nation's first Black military pilot group; |
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these extraordinary servicemen persevered amid discriminatory |
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policies and prejudice to protect the nation with exceptional skill |
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and bravery in aerial combat, and their achievements established |
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the groundwork for racial integration of the United States Armed |
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Forces and the civil rights movement; and |
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WHEREAS, On February 21 and 22, 2025, guests gathered at |
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the Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center to honor |
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the positive impact and enduring legacy of Black trailblazers in |
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the field of aviation as part of the center's Black History Month |
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celebration; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 89th |
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Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the pioneering Black men who |
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helped to shape modern aeronautics and join all in celebrating |
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125 years of Black aviation history; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in |
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honor of this special occasion. |
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West |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on March 4, 2025. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |