House Resolution 13

A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI UPON HAVING THE NATION'S LARGEST ELECTED BODY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN OFFICIALS AND COMMENDING THESE ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR THEIR PERSEVERANCE, DILIGENCE AND COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE.

WHEREAS, in the culmination of support for the resurrection of the Civil Rights Museum and the history that embraces the trails of every hill and valley of this state, from the uttermost northern edge, to the infinite rows of Delta fields, to the clay lands of the rolling hills, to the sand, water and waves of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, all of which contain the secrets, thoughts and sights, both seen and unseen, of the blood and sweat to strengthen humanity, we salute the State of Mississippi and its entourage of African American elected officials; and

WHEREAS, as the silent halls of all patrons and communities' activists, heroines and heroes, forgotten and unrecorded of past generations resonate with the memories of their courage under fire, as they travailed to obtain the most basic of civil liberties, we salute this day, in the presence of this legislative fraternal order, these elected officials and the State of Mississippi as a whole, for its continued prevalence and willingness to embrace, with understanding, our true needs and conditions of our entire communities; and

WHEREAS, as displays of true humanity that rest in the acts of man and a civil society, we honor and embrace the presence of every good thought and deed that transcends within this day; and

WHEREAS, for the bodies of government represented by this prestigious class, we embrace 950 elected officials, the largest body of African American elected officials in the United States; and

WHEREAS, by right of this state, its citizenry and the acts of the Civil Rights movement, these officers of integrity and guardians of the people's interests have, through rights bestowed upon an individual by virtue of citizenship, especially the fundamental freedoms and privileges guaranteed by the 13th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and subsequent acts of Congress, including civil liberties, due process, equal protection of the laws and freedom from discrimination, led the charge to attend the needs of the citizen electorate, which sought to bestow upon them titles, duties and responsibilities associated with each of their respected offices; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to highlight the great strides this state has made by coming together as one Mississippi, pulling itself up by the bootstraps, to ensure that a climate once wrought with civil improprieties and the hub of social activism for civil rights will never again experience the turmoil of prejudicial treatment and disparate acts, intimidation and violence:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby recognize the State of Mississippi upon having the nation's largest elected body of African American officials and commend these elected officials for their perseverance, diligence and commitment to public service.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the Board of Supervisors for each Mississippi county and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.