Senate Resolution 33

A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND PAYING TRIBUTE TO DR. L.C. DORSEY, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, DELTA RESEARCH AND CULTURAL INSTITUTE, MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY, FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS AS EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR 2005.

WHEREAS, on February 17, 2005, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning recognized Dr. L.C. Dorsey, Associate Director, Delta Research and Cultural Institute, Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU), as the Black History Month Educator of the Year 2005; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Dorsey was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta to tenant farmer parents. She dropped out of Drew Colored School in the 11th grade to care for her family and later returned to school at the age of 31 to earn her GED. Today, she holds a Doctorate Degree in Social Work from Howard University in Washington, D.C., a Master's Degree in Social Work from State University of New York in Stony Brook, New York, and a Certificate in Health Systems Management from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Dorsey's employment experiences include working as a laborer on several cotton plantations; as a local community organizer during the Civil Rights movement of the sixties; as a teacher in Operation Head Start (Bolivar County); and as a community organizer with Tuft's Delta Health Center (Bolivar County). She helped to organize and was selected Director of the 427-acre farm cooperative (North Bolivar County Farm Cooperative, A.A.L.) which was developed by Tuft's Delta Health Center, Inc., Mound Bayou, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, in addition to community development activities, Dr. Dorsey has also been involved in the following social services/educational activities: Director of Social Services, Washington County Opportunities, Inc. (Greenville, Mississippi); Director of Administration and community advocate for prison reform, Mississippi Prisoners' Defense Committee; Associate Director, Southern Coalition on Jails and Prisons (Jackson, Mississippi); Program Director, Offender Services, Lutheran Social Services (Washington, D.C.); Assistant to the Chief Health Officer, Memphis Health Center, Inc. (Memphis, Tennessee); Assistant Research Professor, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi (Goodman, Mississippi); Executive Director, Delta Health Center, Inc. (Mound Bayou, Mississippi); Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Jackson State University (Jackson, Mississippi); Director, Mississippi Area Health Education Centers and Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center (Jackson, Mississippi); and

WHEREAS, in 2001, Dr. Dorsey joined the staff of the Delta Research and Cultural Institute (DRCI) at Mississippi Valley State University, where she has been very instrumental in leading the cause for diversity at the "Valley of Scholars"; and

WHEREAS, Dr Dorsey is recognized as one of Mississippi's living legends and is a true advocate of community involvement; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Dorsey has been recognized for her longtime civil rights activism and commitment to education by the following recognitions: recipient, The Lifetime Achievement Award, Mississippi Chapter, National Association of Social Workers, Jackson, Mississippi; recipient, The Harriet Tubman Award, The Magnolia Bar Association, Jackson, Mississippi; recipient, "Long Distance Runner Award," "Distinguished Social Award," The Jackson Chapter, National Association of Black Social Workers, Jackson, Mississippi; induction into the Hall of Fame, National Museum of the Voting Rights, Selma, Alabama; recipient of Certificate of Appreciation Mississippi Community Foundation during the Freedom Summer 30th Year Anniversary; recipient of the Mississippi State Health Officers Award for Outstanding Services in Health Promotion; and a member of The President's Health Care Reform Professional's Review Committee, William Jefferson Clinton, President; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Dorsey is a renowned author of numerous books, including, but not limited, to Southern Journey; Local People, This Little Light of Mine and Free at Last; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Dorsey's commitment to academic and professional excellence and her willingness to share her own story to encourage others of all races and backgrounds to succeed makes her an extremely valuable resource at MVSU and for the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we take great pride in recognizing Dr. L.C. Dorsey for her tireless efforts in the pursuit of excellence in education and commitment to positive advancement of diversity at MVSU, in the Delta Community, and in the State of Mississippi.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Dr. Dorsey in recognition of her commitment to diversity and higher education, be forwarded to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and the President of Mississippi Valley State University, and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.