Recognizing April 23, 2025, as Legal Defense Fund Advocacy Day.

89(R) HR 912 - Enrolled version - Bill Text

H.R. No. 912

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Legal Defense Fund Advocacy Day is taking place on

April 23, 2025; and

WHEREAS, The first civil rights law organization in the

nation, LDF was founded in 1940 by legendary attorney Thurgood

Marshall, who later became the first Black U.S. Supreme Court

justice; the organization was initially a part of the NAACP, but it

began operating independently in 1957; and

WHEREAS, Through litigation, advocacy, and public education,

LDF has worked to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and

protect the constitutional and civil rights of all Americans,

especially Black people and other communities of color; today, the

organization continues to address key issues such as voting rights,

education equity, economic justice, and criminal justice reform;

and

WHEREAS, LDF has played an instrumental role in some of the

most significant legal victories in American history, including

Smith v. Allwright
in 1944, which eliminated whites-only primary

elections in Texas, and
Brown v. Board of Education
in 1954, the

landmark Supreme Court decision that outlawed racial segregation in

public schools nationwide; in addition, the organization

represented leaders of the civil rights movement such as Dr. Martin

Luther King Jr. as well as countless grassroots activists,

resulting in litigation that overturned state-sanctioned

segregation of public buildings, parks and recreation facilities,

hospitals, and restaurants; more recently, the organization has led

efforts to restore and strengthen voting protections in the

aftermath of
Shelby County v. Holder
, the 2013 case that struck down

parts of the Voting Rights Act; and

WHEREAS, Over the past eight and a half decades, the Legal

Defense Fund has championed racial justice and equality, and it is a

pleasure to join in recognizing the organization for its many

contributions to the civil rights movement; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas

Legislature hereby recognize April 23, 2025, as Legal Defense Fund

Advocacy Day and extend to all those affiliated with the

organization sincere best wishes for continued success in their

important work; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

prepared for the Legal Defense Fund as an expression of high regard

by the Texas House of Representatives.

Reynolds

______________________________

Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 912 was adopted by the House on May

23, 2025, by a non-record vote.

______________________________

Chief Clerk of the House