Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and legacy of Captain Thaddeus (Thad) Raven, who served our city in the Fort Worth Fire Department for 25 years. Captain Raven was an exemplary firefighter and leader and served as the Head of Recruitment during his decades of service to our community.

He was also known as a steadfast champion of diversity in firefighting. In 2022, as the result of his hard work, the most diverse class of fire recruits in the Department's 129-year history graduated. His work helped include more diverse voices and backgrounds into the firefighter ranks, reinforcing the department's commitment to inclusivity and representation in the community it serves.

Captain Raven's legacy with the Fort Worth Fire Department and service to our community will not soon be forgotten. I am praying for his loved ones and the Fort Worth Fire Department during this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate an amazing Fort Worth, Texas, and now U.S. hero, Ms. Opal Lee, better known as the grandmother of Juneteenth. She is an incredible gift to not just Fort Worth but, again, the entire Nation.

This past Friday, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her efforts in establishing Juneteenth as a national holiday. When I say effort, I mean effort. Ms. Opal Lee, literally, at 90-plus years of age, walked across the country and took many steps, literally, to make this happen.

At 97, not only did she receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but she will also be receiving an honorary doctorate from Southern Methodist University at their upcoming commencement. I am so glad to see all this work that Ms. Opal Lee is doing be rewarded and recognized.

I also want to touch on a few of the other things that she is doing. She has an amazing community garden that feeds people all over Tarrant County and Fort Worth. She also has an incredible food bank that is doing similar work.

I know that everyone is watching what Ms. Lee is doing and proud of her accomplishments and just all of the fame that she has brought to Fort Worth. The United Riverside community is also proud of her, as they get to call her a neighbor.

Keep up the good work. We are proud of Ms. Lee and cannot wait until we get that museum done.

Celebrating Champion Track Athletes Across Fort Worth

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of some of our young people in Fort Worth.

In 2024, at the Texas Relays, we had three State champions. You may have heard these names before, and it is because they were also State champions in previous meets.

First, I want to highlight Kalani Lawson from Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, who defended her State championship in the girls 4A 100- meter hurdles. She is only a junior. Not only that, she broke last year's record that had been on the books since the 1990s, and she broke her own record again this year in taking home the gold running the 100- meter hurdles in 13.89 seconds.

I also want to take the time to highlight another back-to-back champion, Fort Worth's O.D. Wyatt's Malik Franklin, who won the State championship in the class 5A boys' 400-meter, with a winning time of 47.23. Again, Malik won back-to-back championships. He is also a great student and star of the football team. You should check out some of his videos on MaxPreps. Malik is going to take his talents and continue his track career at Arizona State University. Again, we are very proud of his accomplishments.

I also want to give a shout-out to A.P. Ranch and Greg Sholars, and the coaches out there that are just bringing home those championships for north Texas and working with so many of our kids, really making north Texas one of the great areas for sprinters and distance runners.

Last but not least, I want to recognize Angel Sanchez of Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School. He had an injury last year, but he won the State championship his sophomore year. He claimed the boys 4A 3200- meter and also the mile championship.

During the 3200 meters, he posted a time of 9:14.44, which was nearly five seconds faster than the second-place finisher. In the 1600, he posted a 4:13.08, which is a new class 4A record. Angel has literally raced all around the country. He has been highlighted running in Oregon and running in many other high school meets. Upon his graduation here in a couple weeks, he is going to be headed to Oklahoma State to continue to run. Go Pokes.

We will continue to watch Angel run while he is at Oklahoma State. I really want to congratulate him for everything that he has done for Diamond Hill-Jarvis. That entire community on the north side of Diamond Hill is just extremely proud of Mr. Sanchez and what he is doing and can't wait to continue to see him run.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of Waco's longest serving lawyers for over seven decades, Clyde Vance Dunnam. He was part of a venerable legal family in the Waco community who saw his career last for seven decades and was part of a family law firm that dates back almost 100 years.

Clyde Vance Dunnam graduated from Baylor with his undergrad in business administration and Baylor Law School and was proud to be part of a law firm that included not only his sons but also his grandchildren.

He practiced law literally his entire adult life and gained a reputation as one of the most skilled and most successful trial attorneys in the history of

central Texas. Mr. Dunnam also mentored just a countless number of attorneys in central Texas in the Waco area, and his memory will live for a long time through those many attorneys.

In addition to being a very successful attorney, he also held leadership positions in the Masonic Lodge, the Scottish Rite, and so many other organizations.

As serious a demeanor as Mr. Dunnam had, he was first and foremost a family man. I will never forget how proud he was at his granddaughter's wedding.

My prayers go out to his wife, children, grandchildren, and great- grandchildren during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and accomplishments of Mr. Anthony DeWayne Baker, Sr.--a pillar of our Dallas community.

Mr. Baker was a graduate of David W. Carter High School in Dallas, Texas before rising through the ranks of Airbus helicopters. Anthony then went back to school, graduating from Dallas Baptist University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business in 2005. Anthony's first job was employment at Walls Services delivering sheet rock and in 1991 his career in the aerospace industry began when he landed a job working in the Bond shop at Vought Aircraft, formerly known as LTV. However, after 3 years with his newfound skills he accepted a temporary position as a blade repairman at American Eurocopter (Airbus), and due to his hard work and determined mindset he was later offered a permanent position. Mr. Baker eventually capped off his illustrious career as Vice President for Customer Support at Airbus Helicopters, the first African-American to hold the position.

Throughout his lifetime he overcame many barriers both personally and professionally, while always looking for ways to help others. He was a man of faith who proudly served our community for many years in his capacity as a Deacon, a member of the Cedar Hill Volunteer Fire Brigade; he was the current President of Summit at Lake Ridge HOA; he served on the UTA Engineering Board of Advisors; a member of the Grand Prairie United Charities Board of Directors, and was involved in countless other charitable endeavors.

My thoughts and prayers are with all those who knew and loved Anthony, particularly his wife, Stacie, and his two children, Anthony DeWayne Baker, Jr. and Avery Alexander Baker. May his memory last forever.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the extraordinary life of Valerie Denise Campbell--a pillar of the Lake Como community, who was better known as Denise to the people who loved her. Denise attended Como Elementary School and then went on to Arlington Heights High School to support the desegregation of schools in Fort Worth. She then went on after high school graduation to attend Texas Women's University in 1975, where she majored in music education. After college, she began her career at General Dynamics and later had a 32-year career serving North Texas children with Fort Worth ISD, teaching at Burton Hill Elementary.

Denise, a staunch woman of faith, was baptized by the late Pastor G.W. Burton. As a young girl, Denise began playing piano at the Zion Baptist Church in Church School and eventually on Sunday mornings. She also was a loving wife, mother, and family member to many. She was the wife of Wendell Campbell for 47 years, was the mother to three beautiful children, a grandmother, a family member, and was also a loving pet owner.

Denise was sometimes referred to as ``The Music Librarian'' because she was a gifted and talented musician. She loved music, and her life was dedicated to the Lord, family, and sacred music. For years, she played at the Zion Baptist Church under the pastoral leadership of the Reverends J.W. Briscoe and Maurice E. Barnes. Later, she went on to join her husband at the West Mount Moriah Baptist Church, where she was greeted with joy and accolades. Without taking a break, she began to play the piano and organ there.

I rise again to commemorate her memory and wish my deepest condolences to everyone whose lives she touched.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the life and legacy of the amazing Deralyn Riles Davis. She was born in Corsicana, Texas, graduated from college in Tyler as valedictorian, and made her way to Fort Worth where she became a legend in education.

While she was in college, she joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, and she rose over the years to the position of south central regional director, which is a very prestigious position.

Deralyn did so much throughout her life and activism. She helped found the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats. She was an entrepreneur. She did so much, and I will tell you one of the most amazing things that Deralyn did, which makes me sad that she passed when she did, was when the AKAs had their annual convention in Dallas back in 2000, Deralyn said the AKAs are going to come and see Fort Worth, too. She pulled together three or four busses full of AKAs and brought them to the Stockyards and historical Black communities in Fort Worth. As someone said, Deralyn was a doer and knew how to get things done.

I give my deepest condolences to her daughter, Jefflyn, and all of her friends and family that loved her so much. We are going to miss Deralyn. I thank her for all of her greatness in everything that she did.

Mr. Chair, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall No. 74.

Stated against:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and legacy of Raul Reyes, Jr., a leader in west Dallas.

Raul fought every day to make west Dallas a better place. He was a fierce advocate for cleaning up a lot of the environmental issues in west Dallas. He believed in affordable housing, and he absolutely loved Pinkston High School and helping the kids there.

Raul was born in Dallas in the 1970s. He grew up with loving parents who instilled in him the belief that he should help others and help the neighborhood.

He graduated from Pinkston High School in 1992 and then went to Dallas College and ultimately the University of Texas at Arlington.

After graduating, he became an agent for change who believed that the community and the people played the most important role in progress. He was a founding member and president of West Dallas 1, which is a coalition of neighbors and neighborhood associations. His community service involvement was captured through numerous public service and private advisory boards and steering committees which focused on things like education and housing. He was also a very proud West Dallas Little League coach from 2001 through 2007.

More importantly, he was a family man. He was the eldest child. He was known as la guia to his siblings. He was an incredible father to his children whom he talked about all the time and a loving uncle to his nieces, his nephews, and everyone who loved him.

My prayers go out to his family, especially his children, during this difficult time. May Raul's legacy live on forever.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the extraordinary life of Sanders Alexander Marshall, Jr. He was a pharmacist, community leader, and a staunch advocate for the integration of public places in Fort Worth.

Sanders was a Fort Worth native who had both a deep love of country and giving back to the community. He graduated from I.M. Terrell High School in 1951 and immediately enlisted in the United States Air Force to serve honorably for four years overseas in the Korean War. After completing his military service, he returned to Fort Worth for a few years before enrolling at Texas Southern University in Houston to pursue his passion for helping people through being a pharmacist.

Sanders went on to become a civil rights trailblazer in North Texas. He broke barriers in hiring practices by becoming the first black pharmacist to serve non-black customers in Fort Worth. Among his many accomplishments, he was recognized as a Pioneer in North Texas Pharmacy by the University of North Texas System College of Pharmacy. He went on to serve his community for multiple decades, and even after retirement, he continued giving back by mentoring many other young pharmacists.

He was also a man of faith. He was baptized at an early age and was a life servant of the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth, where he served as a deacon and head of the Brotherhood for over 50 years. Most importantly, he was a devoted family man.

Sanders will forever be remembered for his commitment to justice and the love he shared with his family and community. My prayers are with his loved ones and with the countless community members whose lives he profoundly impacted.

Mr. Speaker, I want to, first of all, say to my dear friend, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), that I just really admire her perseverance in making sure this stays in the forefront.

It is important that we continue to talk about this because this atrocity that took place on October 7 can't be forgotten. One of the most important and critical pieces of what happened on October 7 that can't be forgotten is, obviously, the hostages that have been taken captive.

It has been 4 months since twin brothers Ziv and Gali Berman were brutally taken from their home to be held in Gaza.

Mr. Speaker, it has been nearly 4 months, and as a dad, I cannot imagine the pain and anguish that Ziv and Gali's mother, father, and their loved ones feel each day when they wake up knowing that those twin boys aren't at home.

I say twin boys, but they are both 26 years old. We all remember what it was like when you were 26 years old because you are still really in the infancy of your adulthood. You want to go and hang out with friends. You want to go to concerts, go out and eat, celebrate momentous occasions with your close friends and family.

Sadly, they are not able to do that because their lives were shattered and their family's lives were shattered when they were taken hostage.

I know that this particular subject about what happened, about the horrendous tragedy that happened on October 7 has been divisive for this country, but I will say that regardless of how you feel about what is happening, we should all be able to come together. We should all be able to come together and say enough is enough. All of the hostages need to be returned now. All of the hostages need to be returned today, regardless of how you feel.

That is something that each and every one of us should be able to come together to say and be resolute about that loved ones need to be reunited with their families.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida, my dear friend, for putting this together. I am going to keep talking about this. I hope each and every Member of Congress, regardless if you are in the progressive caucus, the New Dems, if you are a Republican, or conservative, whatever it may happen to be that we continue to talk about this.

I am going to because it is important. We cannot stop until these 26- year-old twins are home, and each and every person that was taken hostage on October 7 are returned to their families.

Mr. Speaker, I want to sort of paint a picture for everybody about what Dallas, Texas, was like. Like most other cities in Texas, when Eddie Bernice Johnson came from Waco and decided to settle in Dallas, it was not a great place for Black people

to grow and prosper. It was very segregated, so much to the point to where if you were Black and you went into clothing stores in downtown Dallas, Mr. Speaker, you couldn't even try the clothes on.

Nonetheless, that didn't stop Eddie Bernice Johnson. When she had the opportunity from Stanley Marcus to go and work at Neiman Marcus, instead of being happy and content to have an opportunity to work at what at the time was one of the premiere retail centers in the entire world, Eddie Bernice Johnson decided that she was going to shake some trees to make sure that no one else had to live through that indignity.

She made changes when it came to retail in Dallas that led to the integration of stores and retail establishments in the city of Dallas.

She did the same thing in nursing where there were not any nurses of color who worked at the VA. So every step of the way when Eddie Bernice Johnson went into a room, she always made sure that not only did she break glass ceilings, but she blazed trails for others who were going to follow behind her.

She did the same thing in the Texas Senate. I will tell you, Mr. Speaker, because so much has been said about the feats that she accomplished when it came to transportation, a lot of people don't realize this, but Dallas, Texas, has probably the premiere light rail commuter rail system in the entire South. Had it not been for Eddie Bernice Johnson who had the vision that, hey, this DART system can actually work and be something, it is hard to imagine that DART would be what it is today. I can remember when I was a small child, a lot of people thought that there was no way that you could connect Dallas County and the surrounding counties by light rail. They said that it was too spread out.

Nonetheless, Eddie Bernice Johnson knew better, and she became a champion for DART. That is why the downtown station is named after her.

We had regional disputes between our two airports, and Eddie Bernice Johnson played a very key role and ultimately helped work out a decision that has helped both DFW and Love Field grow and prosper and become two of the busiest airports in the entire country. That was Eddie Bernice Johnson who played a role in that.

When you think about where transportation is going tomorrow, Mr. Speaker, and where it currently is today, so much of the technology that is going to be needed to power the next generation of technology and the next generation of transportation, it was the Chips and Science Act and it was Eddie Bernice Johnson on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee who really put all that together.

Mr. Speaker, I want you to think about her career when she first got into politics working on the more traditional means of transportation and the more traditional modes that we are all familiar with; and think about this new technology and how the new chips are going to tie in the old ways of how we move around and bring the new ways and empower America to a cleaner and better future of being able to move people. That was Eddie Bernice Johnson who played a huge role in that.

We can't say enough about this woman and what she did to overcome, stay focused, and blaze trails for so many other people. Her legacy will live on forever, and the people of Dallas will always hold on to her legacy and her memories because what she did was just absolutely amazing and worthy of all of the great things that you will hear about her this evening.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Dallas for putting this hour together.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church's 120th anniversary.

For over 120 years on the north side of Fort Worth near the stockyards, this church has been a pillar of the community where people of all backgrounds can come and worship and gather.

In 1902, Mrs. Cenie Campbell Stovall, a dedicated Christian woman, organized the church's first Sunday school classes held in the backyard of Mr. and Mrs. John Kennedy on the southwest corner of 24th and Ross Avenue.

For years, this church has been such a pivotal part of the Fort Worth community. They have organized so many different events and activities that benefit the north side and all of Fort Worth.

From 1958 until 2015, they were under the direction of the venerable Reverend Albert E. Chew, Jr. Now, they are under the direction of Kraig Lowell Pullam, and they continue to do great things.

Again, Shiloh, congratulations on 120 years, and here is wishing you a great 120 more.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor the life and legacy of Bessie Rodriguez of Dallas. Bessie was a loving mother who used a tragic experience to effect meaningful change in the name of Justice here in North Texas.

On July 24, 1973, Bessie's life changed forever, when her 12-year-old son, Santos, was fatally shot by Dallas law enforcement. Santos meant everything to Bessie. However, she turned tragedy into action. She used the death of her son to start a movement to boost accountability and transparency in the police and community relations here that is still being felt in North Texas today. Just this year, Dallas commemorated the 50th anniversary of Santos' murder by holding multiple events to push for justice. The commemoration of this solemn anniversary would not have been possible without Bessie's work.

I once again rise today to commemorate Bessie's legacy. I am praying for her extended family during this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the extraordinary life of Trinidad Garza, better known in our community as ``Trini.''

Trini was just a tremendous individual, a great person. I cannot say enough about this man. He loved trying to help kids when it came to education in the community. He was an incredible businessman. He served our country in the U.S. Navy. He did so much for the city of Dallas. I love the Oak Cliff neighborhood that he lived in.

He was just such a tremendous leader. He was part of the city's first Mexican-American Leadership Conference.

He was also educated here in the north Texas area.

He was the first Hispanic member of the board of trustees at one of our local colleges. He was also appointed as a regional director of the U.S. Department of Education under President Clinton.

The life and legacy of Trini Garza just goes on and on and on. He is going to be deeply missed by so many because of everything he has done and accomplished. Everything that is going to be said about him and how it will be commemorated will be well deserved.

Great job, Trini. Please rest in peace. My condolences to his entire family.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on rollcall No. 676, and YEA on rollcall No. 677.