House Resolution 34

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MRS. KATIE M. RICHARDSON FOR BEING RECOGNIZED AS A "DELTA JEWEL" AND A LIVING LEGACY OF BLACK HISTORY.

WHEREAS, on Sunday, February 23, 2020, Mrs. Katie M. Richardson, at the tender age of 93 years of age, will be honored by her church, Commerce Boulevard Christian Church, as a living legacy of black history and a "Delta Jewel" of Tunica; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Katie M. Richardson's life's story of survival, love and resilience is memorialized in an acclaimed book entitled "Delta Jewels, In Search of my Grandmother's Wisdom"; and

WHEREAS, this book captures the stories of several beloved elder women who have lived through the most historic time of segregation in the Mississippi Delta; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Richardson's story is one of commitment and resilience as she began as a private cook in 1947 with a family and remained with that family for over 67 years; and

WHEREAS, she married the love of her life, Nathaniel Richardson, to whom she remained married for 49 years until he passed this life, blessing her with 12 children, more than 30 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren, and numerous great-great-grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, like any other jewel, her shine and brilliance was carved by abrasive events; and

WHEREAS, during her time on this earth, she has survived many trials and tribulations and suffered losses, but she has still found the strength to smile, be kind to others and guide her family; and

WHEREAS, as a child, she picked cotton with her siblings and parents, enduring heat, exhaustion and spoiled water that animals had crawled in or her employer's children had bathed in; and

WHEREAS, most horrific was the tragedy of the tornado in 1955, which took the lives of three of her children, who she witnessed take their last breaths; and

WHEREAS, in spite of these tragedies, she kept her faith in God, continuing to be a servant in any way she could; and

WHEREAS, her passion for God's word motivated her to start a singing group with her husband and surviving children performing from 1965 to 1994; and

WHEREAS, she has used her experiences to inspire others to overcome tragedies and survive in spite of heartache; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to honor the lives of women in Mississippi, whose life's story is one of hope and perseverance:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That we do hereby honor the life and legacy of Mrs. Katie M. Richardson and congratulate her on being a living legacy of Black History and Tunica's "Delta Jewel."

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Mrs. Katie M. Richardson, the Pastor Evelyn Hubbard of Commerce Boulevard Christian Church and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.