Senate Resolution 17

A RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE RECOGNITION OF THE MISSISSIPPI SENATE TO WIDELY PUBLISHED AND LAUDED MISSISSIPPI AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST RALPH EUBANKS FROM MOUNT OLIVE AS THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2023 GOVERNOR'S ARTS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN LITERATURE AND CULTURAL AMBASSADOR.

WHEREAS, the Governor's Arts Awards Program has announced its 2023 recipients, which include renowned author, journalist and public speaker Ralph Eubanks from Mount Olive as the 2023 Governor's Arts Award recipient for Excellence in Literature and Cultural Ambassador; and

WHEREAS, established in 1988, Governor's Arts Awards are given to individuals and organizations to recognize outstanding work in the artistic disciplines, as well as arts-based community development and arts patronage in Mississippi. The awards are presented in partnership with the Governor's Office and signify the important relationship between government and the arts; and

WHEREAS, hailing from Mount Olive, Mississippi, Warren Ralph Eubanks is a widely published and lauded author, journalist, professor, public speaker, and business executive. He knows Mississippi well; the good and the bad aspects of his home state have often been subjects of his writings; and

WHEREAS, Eubanks attended the University of Mississippi where he led the literary honor society, Sigma Tau Delta; and

WHEREAS, Eubanks began his career as a copy editor at the American Geophysical Union. He then moved on to Hemisphere Publishing where he oversaw the production of over 75 books and scholarly journals as Managing Editor. In 1990, Eubanks began working with the American Psychological Association, where he served as the Director of Book Publishing for five years; and

WHEREAS, in 1995, he joined the staff of the Library of Congress as the Director of Publishing. While Eubanks was working with the American Psychological Association, he simultaneously served as a faculty advisor for Howard University's summer book publishing program; and

WHEREAS, in addition to editing, Eubanks continued to write his own works, often focusing on deeply personal stories that examined his home state. His books Ever Is a Long Time and The House at the End of the Road are both personal accounts of coming of age as a Black Mississippian and coming to terms with our state's complicated history. The year 2021 saw the release of A Place Like Mississippi, which looks at the state's many talented writers, the landscapes that shaped them, and their impact on our nation; and

WHEREAS, Eubanks is a sought-after public speaker and has won numerous accolades and awards for his writings including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Radcliffe Fellowship from the Harvard Radcliffe Institute. He has written articles for some of the nation's leading newspapers including the Washington Post and Chicago Tribune; and

WHEREAS, throughout his career in letters, Eubanks has taken the time to pass along his vast knowledge by teaching or guest lecturing at institutions around the country including the University of Virginia and Millsaps College; and

WHEREAS, since 1989, Eubanks has been married to Colleen Delaney Eubanks. They have three children; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we pay tribute and express appreciation for the literary talent of a Mississippi author and journalist who has made Mississippi a better place and exemplifies the artistic and literary traditions of our great state:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we hereby extend the recognition of the Mississippi Senate to widely published and lauded Mississippi author and journalist Ralph Eubanks from Mount Olive as the recipient of the 2023 Governor's Arts Award for Excellence in Literature and Cultural Ambassador and extend our congratulations to a literary leader on this auspicious occasion.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Ralph Eubanks as part of the Governor's Arts Awards presentation and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.