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2007 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 538
Commending Antioch Baptist Church for the establishment of the Mathews County African American History Exhibit at the L.W. Wales Center.
 
Agreed to by the Senate, February 22, 2007
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 23, 2007
 

WHEREAS, in 2007, Virginia and America commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Commonwealth and the origins of our nation; and

WHEREAS, Mathews County joins other communities in Virginia in celebrating this historic event; and

WHEREAS, the goals of the Mathews County 2007 Community Program are to engage citizens in local events and activities that reflect the significant role played by the land that is now Mathews County and to expand tourism by sharing with others its traditions and history; and

WHEREAS, the Antioch Baptist Church, established in Mathews County in 1869 and led by its pastor, L. W. Wales, formed a school in 1870 in a log cabin adjacent to the church, which remained open until the late 1940s; and since 1998, the church has served as a library with information on African American history; and

WHEREAS, committed to preserving African American history and culture, Antioch Baptist Church created the L.W. Wales Center Museum and invited other churches in Mathews County to contribute to the history collection, which includes artifacts and documents that reveal the rich history of the Mathews County African American community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly commend Antioch Baptist Church for its establishment of the Mathews County African American History Exhibit at the L. W. Wales Center and as an important preserver of Virginia's legacy and the important role played by its African American citizens; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Antioch Baptist Church, as well as transmit copies of this resolution to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, the Secretary of Education, the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Executive Director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Virginia State Chapter, suggesting that they may further disseminate copies of this resolution to their respective constituents so that they may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly on the importance of the Mathews County African American History Exhibit.