1 HR276
2 214062-1
3 By Representative McClammy
4 RFD:
5 First Read: 06-MAY-21
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1 214062-1:n:05/04/2021:SM/sm LSA2021-1309
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8 MOURNING THE DEATH OF THE REVEREND E. BAXTER MORRIS.
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10 WHEREAS, it is with profound sorrow that we note the
11 death on May 2, 2021, of the Reverend E. Baxter Morris, Senior
12 Pastor of Montgomery's historic First Baptist Church on North
13 Ripley Street and Chaplain of the Montgomery Police
14 Department; and
15 WHEREAS, his passing leaves a void in the lives of
16 his loving family, many friends, and the entire community,
17 where he was highly regarded; and
18 WHEREAS, Reverend Morris served as one of
19 Montgomery's first African-American leaders in the Civil
20 Rights Era and played a prominent role in sheltering the
21 Freedom Riders from a mob; a gifted and impassioned speaker,
22 he delivered the message of nonviolence, peace, and activism,
23 for nearly 50 years at the First Baptist Church on North
24 Ripley Street where mass meetings were held during the
25 Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Reverend Martin Luther King,
26 Jr. was speaking when he learned that his home had been
27 bombed; and
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1 WHEREAS, for over five decades, Reverend Morris held
2 roles with religious leadership organizations across the
3 nation, including moderator of the Montgomery-Antioch
4 Association of Baptist Churches, lecturer of the National
5 Baptist Congress of Christian Education, lecturer of the State
6 Congress of Christian Education, missionary for the Alabama
7 Baptist South East District State Convention, and lecturer of
8 the Alabama Baptist State East District State Convention
9 Women's Department; and
10 WHEREAS, for over two decades, Reverend Morris also
11 served as the chaplain of the Montgomery Police Department; he
12 was dedicated to the officers and their families; the
13 servitude that he provided will be cherished forever and
14 greatly missed; he was a comforting presence within their
15 ranks and always provided a word of encouragement to everyone;
16 he was an essential link that joined the Montgomery Police
17 Department with Montgomery's clergy and community leaders; and
18 WHEREAS, as a keeper of the flame in the struggle
19 for civil rights, Reverend Morris's voice was steady,
20 persuasive, and historically authentic; as one who knew
21 firsthand the desires and commitment of the partakers of the
22 Civil Rights Era, he became a powerful, respected, and much
23 loved part of Montgomery's community and history; it is
24 appropriate that his life be honored and remembered; now
25 therefore,
26 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF
27 THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, That the death of the Reverend E.
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1 Baxter Morris is recorded with deep sadness, and this
2 resolution is offered in tribute to his prolific and selfless
3 life's work with admiration and utmost respect, along with
4 heartfelt sympathy to his family, whose grief is shared by
5 many.
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