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2012 SPECIAL SESSION I

12200193D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 5028
Offered May 10, 2012
Commending Horace Julian Bond.
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Patrons—Toscano, BaCote, Bulova, Carr, Dance, Filler-Corn, Herring, Hope, Howell, A.T., James, Joannou, Johnson, Keam, LeMunyon, Lewis, Lopez, McClellan, McQuinn, Morrissey, Rust, Scott, J.M., Sickles, Spruill, Surovell, Tyler, Ward, Ware, O., and Watts; Senators: Barker, Colgan, Deeds, Ebbin, Edwards, Favola, Herring, Howell, Locke, Marsden, Marsh, McEachin, Miller, J.C., Miller, Y.B., Northam, Petersen, Puckett, and Puller
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WHEREAS, Horace Julian Bond was born in Nashville, Tennessee, in January 1940; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bond’s involvement in pursuing equal rights and opportunities for all people can be traced back to his time as a leader and student at Morehouse College in the 1960s, when he led nonviolent sit-ins that eventually resulted in the integration of businesses such as movie theaters and restaurants; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bond’s contributions to advancing Civil Rights include many leadership roles, including as a founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, chairman and chairman emeritus of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and president emeritus of the Southern Poverty Law Center; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bond is a member of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American  History and Culture Civil Rights History Project Advisory Panel, an Associate in Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African-American Research, and a member of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights Global Advisory Board; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bond served as host and commentator on America’s Black Forum, the oldest black-owned show in television syndication, has been a commentator on the Today show, and authored “Viewpoint,” a nationally syndicated newspaper column; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bond was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1965 but not allowed to take his seat because of his opposition to the Vietnam War; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bond was reelected twice more before the United States Supreme Court unanimously decided he should be allowed to assume his seat, and ultimately served four terms in the House of Representatives and six terms in the Georgia State Senate; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bond successfully fought in the legislature and courts to create a majority black congressional district in Atlanta and organized the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bond began teaching at the University of Virginia in 1990 and became a full professor in 1998, serving as a professor of history in the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bond’s students have learned firsthand about the American Civil Rights Movement from one of its most dedicated and influential members; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bond’s teaching experience includes serving as a fellow, visiting professor, and Distinguished Scholar at institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Harvard University, Williams College, and American University; and

WHEREAS, in 2009 Mr. Bond received the Spingarn Medal, the highest honor given by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a recognition of distinguished merit and achievement by an African American, which has previously been bestowed on Carter G. Woodson, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., and others; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bond also has been named a “Living Legend” by the United States Library of Congress and has received the National Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bond retired from the University of Virginia on May 1, 2012; and

WHEREAS, the University will establish the Julian Bond Professorship in Civil Rights and Social Justice, a permanent position that will continue Mr. Bond’s legacy; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Horace Julian Bond for his many contributions as a pioneer in the United States Civil Rights Movement; an educator and author; and an individual who has distinguished the University of Virginia, the Commonwealth, and the nation; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Horace Julian Bond as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect and gratitude for his many years of service and his steadfast and unwavering commitment to the betterment of all individuals.