Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

      
            H.R. No. 97
         
               R E S O L U T I O N
            
                   WHEREAS, The city of Dallas lost an esteemed professor, 
         
            author, storyteller, and entrepreneur with the passing of Dr. Njoki 
         
            McElroy on October 16, 2023; and
         
                   WHEREAS, Born in Sherman in 1925, Njoki McElroy grew up in the 
         
            Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas; she attended segregated, 
         
            under-resourced public schools, but credited her supportive Black 
         
            teachers with enabling her to enroll in Xavier University in New 
         
            Orleans at the age of 16; after beginning her career as a public 
         
            school teacher, she earned her master's and doctoral degrees in 
         
            performance studies from Northwestern University; she went on to 
         
            teach there for over three decades, creating groundbreaking courses 
         
            in the performance of Black literature; in 1987, she joined the 
         
            Master of Liberal Studies program at Southern Methodist University; 
         
            adoring students nicknamed her "Queen Professor," and many of them 
         
            went on to become leaders in the entertainment world and other 
         
            fields; and
         
                   WHEREAS, Dr. McElroy was a prolific writer, and The Dallas 
         
            Morning News hailed in particular her autobiographical 1012 
         
            Natchez: A Memoir of Grace, Hardship and Love; her short story was 
         
            anthologized in the critically acclaimed From Daughters to Mothers: 
         
            I've Always Meant to Tell You, and her plays were produced on 
         
            university and professional stages alike; a master storyteller, she 
         
            performed and conducted workshops throughout the U.S., Europe, and 
         
            the Caribbean, training educators in ways to engage students by 
         
            incorporating storytelling in their instruction; she directed 
         
            several productions centered on overcoming the legacy of racism in 
         
            Dallas, most notably 2019's From Freedman's Town to Botham Jean: 
         
            Stories of Racial Healing; as founder of the annual Back Home with 
         
            the Folks Festival, she provided a platform for artists in 
         
            marginalized neighborhoods, and she was a generous mentor to 
         
            countless people and raised money to support their creative 
         
            endeavors; and
         
                   WHEREAS, Abundantly talented, Dr. McElroy was also a 
         
            photographer and a television producer, and she and her husband 
         
            launched Black Fox Enterprises, a beauty company with major-market 
         
            distribution; following his death in 1978, she took over as 
         
            president/CEO; among myriad accolades, she received the 
         
            President's Council on Youth Opportunity Award, the NAACP Living 
         
            Legend Award, and a Ford Foundation Fellowship; moreover, she was 
         
            the treasured matriarch of a fine family that included six children 
         
            and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and 
         
            great-great-grandchildren; and
         
                   WHEREAS, Njoki McElroy led a rich and purposeful life, and 
         
            her legacy as a champion of Black culture will continue to resonate 
         
            for years to come; now, therefore, be it
         
                   RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas 
         
            Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory 
         
            of Dr. Njoki McElroy and extend sincere sympathy to all who mourn 
         
            her passing; and, be it further
         
                   RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
         
            prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of 
         
            Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Dr. Njoki 
         
            McElroy.
         
            Davis
         
            ______________________________
         
            Speaker of the House     
         
                   I certify that H.R. No. 97 was unanimously adopted by a rising 
         
            vote of the House on November 1, 2023.
         
            ______________________________
         
            Chief Clerk of the House



	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The city of Dallas lost an esteemed professor,
	author, storyteller, and entrepreneur with the passing of Dr. Njoki
	McElroy on October 16, 2023; and
	WHEREAS, Born in Sherman in 1925, Njoki McElroy grew up in the
	Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas; she attended segregated,
	under-resourced public schools, but credited her supportive Black
	teachers with enabling her to enroll in Xavier University in New
	Orleans at the age of 16; after beginning her career as a public
	school teacher, she earned her master's and doctoral degrees in
	performance studies from Northwestern University; she went on to
	teach there for over three decades, creating groundbreaking courses
	in the performance of Black literature; in 1987, she joined the
	Master of Liberal Studies program at Southern Methodist University;
	adoring students nicknamed her "Queen Professor," and many of them
	went on to become leaders in the entertainment world and other
	fields; and
	WHEREAS, Dr. McElroy was a prolific writer, and The Dallas
	Morning News hailed in particular her autobiographical 1012
	Natchez: A Memoir of Grace, Hardship and Love; her short story was
	anthologized in the critically acclaimed From Daughters to Mothers:
	I've Always Meant to Tell You, and her plays were produced on
	university and professional stages alike; a master storyteller, she
	performed and conducted workshops throughout the U.S., Europe, and
	the Caribbean, training educators in ways to engage students by
	incorporating storytelling in their instruction; she directed
	several productions centered on overcoming the legacy of racism in
	Dallas, most notably 2019's From Freedman's Town to Botham Jean:
	Stories of Racial Healing; as founder of the annual Back Home with
	the Folks Festival, she provided a platform for artists in
	marginalized neighborhoods, and she was a generous mentor to
	countless people and raised money to support their creative
	endeavors; and
	WHEREAS, Abundantly talented, Dr. McElroy was also a
	photographer and a television producer, and she and her husband
	launched Black Fox Enterprises, a beauty company with major-market
	distribution; following his death in 1978, she took over as
	president/CEO; among myriad accolades, she received the
	President's Council on Youth Opportunity Award, the NAACP Living
	Legend Award, and a Ford Foundation Fellowship; moreover, she was
	the treasured matriarch of a fine family that included six children
	and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and
	great-great-grandchildren; and
	WHEREAS, Njoki McElroy led a rich and purposeful life, and
	her legacy as a champion of Black culture will continue to resonate
	for years to come; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
	Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory
	of Dr. Njoki McElroy and extend sincere sympathy to all who mourn
	her passing; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of
	Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Dr. Njoki
	McElroy.

	Davis

	______________________________
	Speaker of the House

	I certify that H.R. No. 97 was unanimously adopted by a rising
	vote of the House on November 1, 2023.

	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House