Children, Youth and Families (CYF) Policy Committee

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Resolution CYF-17-22

A RESOLUTION CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF PRINCE

WHEREAS, Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 7, 1958;

WHEREAS, at the age of 17, Prince followed in his jazz musician father’s footsteps and signed a recording; contract with Warner Brothers’ Records, and would go on to sell over 100 Million albums worldwide;

WHEREAS, Prince became a household name with his innovative sounds, eccentric dress, and ability to write, arrange, produce and play an estimated 20+ instruments for his songs;

WHEREAS, in 1984 Prince starred in the blockbuster and loosely autobiographical film Purple Rain and accompanying soundtrack—becoming the first person to simultaneously hold a number one album and film;

WHEREAS, Prince’s music, a combination of funk, R&B, Rock, and gospel created what is known as the “Minneapolis Sound” which influenced other Twin City artists and producers such as Morris Day and the Time, Mint Condition, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis;

WHEREAS, Prince wrote and produced many songs for noted artists such as Patti Labelle, Chaka Khan, Tevin Campbell, Sheila E., and his songs have been sampled or covered by Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, 2Pac, Tom Petty, and Madonna;

WHEREAS, Prince has received numerous awards for his groundbreaking work including NAACP Image Awards, an Academy Award for Purple Rain, 7 Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and more;

WHEREAS, Prince’s passion extended beyond his artistry to many philanthropic activities and a strong commitment to social justice. He donated his time and wealth to a host of issues that he was passionate about including Environmental Justice, Economic Empowerment, and overall social justice initiatives and campaigns;

WHEREAS, in 2015 in response to the protests surrounding the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Prince held a benefit concert in the city and donated a portion of the proceeds to the NAACP ACT-SO program;

WHEREAS, Prince’s influence can be heard in countless newer artists including Esperanza Spalding, Janelle Monáe, Andy Allo, Miguel, and Frank Ocean;

WHEREAS, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Prince into its esteemed institution in 2004, the first year that he was eligible for induction after more than 25 years in the music industry; and

WHEREAS, on April 21, 2016, Prince passed away at his home in Chanhassen, Minnesota. In the days and weeks after his premature passing, family, friends, and millions of adoring fans around the world took to the airwaves and streets to express their grief on this tremendous loss.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) pauses to celebrate the life and music of Prince and extends its heartfelt and deepest condolences to his family, friends, and fans around the world; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution will be placed in the NBCSL archives and given to Prince’s family.

  • SPONSOR: Representative Brenda Gilmore (TN)
  • Committee of Jurisdiction: Children, Youth, Families Policy Committee Policy Committee
  • Certified by Committee Co-Chair: Representative Raumesh Akbari (TN)
  • Ratified in Plenary Session: Ratification Date is December 3, 2016
  • Ratification is certified by: Senator Catherine Pugh (MD), President
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Resolution CYF-17-33

A RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT OF PEOPLE SUFFERING WITH DYSLEXIA

WHEREAS, low literacy and functional illiteracy is reaching crisis levels across the United States;

WHEREAS, according to the United States Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy, fourteen percent of the population cannot read, twenty-one percent of adults in the United States read below a 5th grade level, and nineteen percent of high school graduates cannot functionally read;

WHEREAS, literacy impacts educational attainment, economic status and self-respect;

WHEREAS, low literacy levels can be responsible for unemployment, poverty, academic failure, failed personal relationships, increased criminal behavior, and poor health outcomes;

WHEREAS, Dyslexia is often hereditary and the most common reading disability, yet many individuals remain undiagnosed, untreated and struggle with the impact of their Dyslexia;

WHEREAS, Dyslexia is neurological in origin characterized by problems with accurate or fluent word recognition, poor decoding, and poor spelling abilities and is the only medical condition with an educational treatment and solution;

WHEREAS, in order to become successful readers, writers and spellers, students with Dyslexia require reading instruction or specialized reading intervention and therapy that is explicit, structured, multi-sensory, cumulative, cumulative, sequential, and hierarchical;

WHEREAS, according to the Yale Dyslexia and Creativity Center, Dyslexia crosses racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines and with proper instruction and accommodations it can be re-mediated;

WHEREAS, according to research, undiagnosed and untreated reading disabilities increase the risk of youth involvement in the juvenile justice systems and perpetuates the school-to-prison pipeline; and

WHEREAS, many teachers are generally not trained to successfully screen, identify, teach, and provide reading prevention, intervention, and remediation to the twenty percent of students across the United States who is struggling with Dyslexia.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) reaffirms their support of those living with dyslexia;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, NBCSL supports making correct, consistent, and routine screening and identification of students who have dyslexia an educational priority and supports offering all students across the United States who have been screened and identified as having dyslexia with evidence and research-based educational treatment options proven to improve literacy rates;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, NBCSL recognizes the need for more literacy services and resources in schools so that all students receive Dyslexia screening and the need for appropriate classroom reading instruction, proper tutoring, therapy and remediation to combat the educational literacy crisis;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, NBCSL recognizes the need to close the reading achievement gap by requiring appropriate teacher training for teaching reading to students with Dyslexia;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, NBCSL stands with those impacted by Dyslexia by supporting increased public awareness of Dyslexia, by urging all Legislators and Citizens to learn about Dyslexia and its impact on students and by educating the public about the adverse effects untreated reading disabilities can have on their communities.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, Vice president of the United States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials as appropriate.

  • SPONSOR: Representative Mike Shelton (OK)
  • Committee of Jurisdiction: Children, Youth, Families Policy Committee Policy Committee
  • Certified by Committee Co-Chair: Representative Raumesh Akbari (TN)
  • Ratified in Plenary Session: Ratification Date is December 3, 2016
  • Ratification is certified by: Senator Catherine Pugh (MD), President
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