House Resolution 111

(As Adopted by House)

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE ROBINSON-WATSON BOOK COMPANY AND ITS FOUNDERS MS. CAROL ROBINSON AND REVEREND SHIRLEY WATSON HARRINGTON AND FOR PROMOTING ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI FOR OVER 29 YEARS.

WHEREAS, the Robinson-Watson Book Company was founded by Shirley Watson Harrington and Carol Robinson to promote entrepreneurs and economic development in Jackson and this state 29 years ago and has remained a positive and effective staple of the Mississippi business community; and

WHEREAS, since its inception, the company has honored more than 800 entrepreneurs at its annual honors banquet and inspired countless young people to venture out into business ownership; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Harrington and Ms. Robinson are also co-founders of the first Minority Business Phone Directory of Jackson, Mississippi, and Hinds County, Mississippi, which they created to assist minority businesses in networking with each other, and continue to print to this day in various forms with more than 1,000 names, businesses and historical sites and churches; and

WHEREAS, these ladies are not only a dynamic duo together, both Carol Todd Robinson and Reverend Shirley Harrington are community activists and powerhouses in their own right, as well; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Carol Todd Robinson is a Flint, Michigan, native who ventured to Mississippi to attend Jackson State University in 1973, to obtain her master's degree in guidance counseling, pursuing further studies at Mississippi College, Clinton, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, her passion for helping people has driven all of her phenomenal community and professional activities, which include helping incarcerated young men in Oakley Training School, working as an academic counselor at Hinds Community College, developing a Families First Parent Resources Center at the West Jackson Community Development Corporation, assisting older adults returning to college; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Shirley Harrington, is a native Mississippian, who has always been a woman of firsts: she was one of the first African Americans to graduate from Provine High School, the first African American hired in Mississippi at the National Weather Service, Climatology Division, Department of Commerce, the first woman to head the seven-state EEOC Local 3699 AFGE Union, and she negotiated the first contract under the Civil Service Reform Act; and

WHEREAS, most notably, she is the first female associate in the 140 year history of Cade Chapel Baptist Church's seven-member pastoral team conducting marriages, serving funerals and delivering sermons as assigned by Senior Pastor Reginald Buckley; and

WHEREAS, Reverend Harrington is also a business owner of Watson, Porter and Associates, with her dear sister, Orbra, and they use their business platform to promote other small businesses along with conducting feasibility studies for school districts and many other entities; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to commend women who empower others in their communities, while boosting economic development in the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend the Robinson-Watson Book Company and its founders Reverend Shirley Watson Harrington and Ms. Carol Robinson for promoting entrepreneurship and economic development in the State of Mississippi for over 29 years.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Ms. Carol Robinson and Reverend Shirley Watson Harrington and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.