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S3341
2026 -- S 3341
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LC006541
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N
HONORING REV. DR. BERNARD LAFAYETTE JR. FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
Introduced By:
Senators Mack, LaMountain, Urso, Appollonio, Famiglietti, DiPalma,
Felag, Tikoian, Lauria, and Rogers
Date Introduced:
June 02, 2026
Referred To:
Recommended for Immediate Consideration
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WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr. was a distinguished civil rights leader,
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educator, and global advocate for nonviolence, whose life and work advanced the principles of
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justice, reconciliation, and peaceful social transformation; and
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WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. LaFayette was a key figure in the American Civil Rights
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Movement, serving as a leader in the Nashville sit-ins, a Freedom Rider, a member of the Student
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Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), an associate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. within
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the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and the National Coordinator of the 1968
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Poor People's Campaign; and
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WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. LaFayette played a critical organizing and strategic role in the
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Selma Movement, including work in the years preceding the national focus on Selma, helping to
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lay the groundwork for the campaign that contributed to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of
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1965; and
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WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. LaFayette dedicated his life to the teaching and practice of Kingian
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Nonviolence, extending his work nationally and internationally to train leaders, communities, and
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institutions in the philosophy and application of nonviolence; and
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WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. LaFayette made a profound and lasting impact on the State of
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Rhode Island, first through nonviolence trainings conducted in Providence, and subsequently
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through his service as Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at the University of Rhode Island; and
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WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. LaFayette served as the inaugural Director of the University of
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Rhode Island's Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies from 1999 to 2009, where he helped
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build one of the nation's leading academic centers dedicated to the study and practice of
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nonviolence; and
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WHEREAS, Through his leadership, teaching, and mentorship, Rev. Dr. LaFayette
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helped shape generations of students, educators, and community leaders in Rhode Island and
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beyond, including through the development of the International Nonviolence Summer Institute;
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and
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WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. LaFayette further served the State of Rhode Island as Chair of the
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Governor's Select Commission on Race and Police-Community Relations, helping to guide
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critical statewide dialogue and reflection on issues of race, justice, and public safety; and
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WHEREAS, His work in Rhode Island helped catalyze the growth of nonviolence
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education, leadership, and community-based peacebuilding efforts across the state, influencing
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institutions and individuals dedicated to advancing peace and justice; and
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WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. LaFayette's legacy continues to live on through the many lives he
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touched, the institutions he strengthened, and the enduring principles of nonviolence he faithfully
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advanced; now, therefore be it
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RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby honors the life, legacy,
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and contributions of Rev. Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr., and expresses its deepest gratitude for his
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profound impact on the State of Rhode Island, the nation, and the world; and be it further
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RESOLVED, That this Senate extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends,
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colleagues, and all those whose lives were enriched by Rev. Dr. LaFayette's extraordinary life and
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work; and be it further
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RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to
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transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the family of Rev. Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr.
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LC006541
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