MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2003 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Jordan, Walls, Harden, Frazier, Simmons, Turner, Dawkins, Furniss, Blackmon, Nunnelee, Smith, Williamson, Gollott, Tollison, Browning, Dearing, Minor
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE ILLUSTRIOUS SOCIAL SERVICE CAREER OF LEGENDARY CLEVELAND BROWN FOOTBALL RUNNING BACK JIM BROWN AND RECOGNIZING HIM AS FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE AMER-I-CAN PROGRAM THAT TEACHES RESPONSIBILITY AND SELF-DETERMINATION.
WHEREAS, James Nathaniel Brown was born in 1936 at St. Simons Island on the southern Georgia coastline. He was raised by his grandmother until age 7, when he joined his mother near Long Island, New York. He later enrolled in nearby Manhasset High School, where his sensational athletic career began averaging 14.9 yards per carry on the football field and 38 points on the basketball court; and
WHEREAS, Jim Brown was educated at Syracuse University, where he was named as an All-American running back, averaging 6.2 yards in his senior year and later was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was also an All-American in Lacrosse and is considered one of the best players ever in that sport. Jim Brown also excelled academically and was honored as one of five recipients of the "NCAA Silver Anniversary Outstanding Students of the Past 25 Years"; and
WHEREAS, Jim Brown played professional football with the Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1966. During his illustrious and legendary career, Mr. Brown established many records, including a one-year career total of 12,312 yards gained. His 5.2 yards per carry average has never been broken. He was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame and is considered by many as the greatest running back in football history. He retired at the peak of his professional football career after winning the NFL Championship and MVP of the League to become a motion picture actor; and
WHEREAS, as a screen actor, Mr. Brown has appeared in over 20 motion pictures, including The Dirty Dozen (1967), El Condor (1970), Slaughter and Black Gunn (1972), Original Gangsta's (1996) and Mars Attacks (1996); and
WHEREAS, in 1966, he and some of the finest African-American minds in the country formally established the NIEU, from which over 100 African-American businesses benefited from the Union's capital support and expertise; and
WHEREAS, in 1980, Jim Brown set his aspirations toward helping empower the disenfranchised, and became involved with Coor Golden Door and Barriers, both job creation programs for ex-convicts to properly reintroduce them to society's mainstream; and
WHEREAS, in 1988, Jim Brown founded and became President of the Amer-I-Can Program, Inc. The core of the program is a self-esteem/life management skills curriculum that teachers responsibility and self-determination. Combined with a strong aftercare component, the Amer-I-Can Program is considered as a premium prevention and intervention tool in reaching the "hard core" and the at-risk population. A powerful weapon in accomplishing this task is that 95% of the Amer-I-Can staff is composed of former gang members and/or ex-convicts. Mr. Brown's Herculean efforts helped keep peace among warring gang sets during the Los Angeles uprising; and
WHEREAS, Amer-I-Can operations have been in Schools, Adult and Juvenile Correctional Facilities and Communities in California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Nevada, Colorado, Louisiana, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Florida. Tens of thousands of correctional inmates, law enforcement officers, students, community residents and others have been trained; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize and welcome to our state this legendary football star who has channeled his energy and fame into extending intervention services to inner-city juveniles and their families who are normally deprived of such services because of economic hardship:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend the illustrious social service career of legendary Cleveland Brown football running back Jim Brown, and recognize him as founder and President of the Amer-I-Can Program, Inc., that teaches responsibility and self-determination for at-risk juveniles, and extend to him our welcome to the State of Mississippi and best wishes for future successes.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Jim Brown and representatives of The Amer-I-Can Program, and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.