| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
| |
|
|
WHEREAS, Steven Moss is winning critical acclaim as co-author |
|
|
of a new book, We Could Not Fail: The First African Americans in the |
|
|
Space Program; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, An associate professor in the English department at |
|
|
Texas State Technical College in Waco, Mr. Moss first explored this |
|
|
subject in his master's thesis, "NASA and Racial Equality in the |
|
|
South, 1961-1968"; several years ago, he met public radio producer |
|
|
Richard Paul, who was pursuing a similar project, and the two men |
|
|
shared their research and turned it into a book, which has just been |
|
|
published by The University of Texas Press; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The book focuses on the personal stories of 10 |
|
|
African Americans who were associated with the space program, |
|
|
including the first black technician at Cape Canaveral, an engineer |
|
|
who built the first extraterrestrial observatory to be installed on |
|
|
the moon, and a black test pilot who took part in the first round of |
|
|
astronaut training; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, We Could Not Fail has received positive reviews from |
|
|
the New York Times, Booklist, Library Journal, and the BBC World |
|
|
News; Esquire magazine has featured it among its list of "Six Books |
|
|
You Absolutely Can't Miss This May," and the book has also received |
|
|
glowing comments from the director of the Smithsonian National |
|
|
Museum of African American History and Culture and from former NASA |
|
|
astronaut Mae Jemison; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, With this engaging account, Professor Moss shines a |
|
|
long overdue spotlight on a group of individuals who were both civil |
|
|
rights pioneers and contributors to one of the greatest scientific |
|
|
and technological efforts in human history, and he is to be |
|
|
commended for telling this unique story; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby congratulate Professor Steven Moss on the |
|
|
publication of We Could Not Fail: The First African Americans in the |
|
|
Space Program and extend to him sincere best wishes for the book's |
|
|
success; and, be it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
|
prepared for Professor Moss as an expression of high regard by the |
|
|
Texas House of Representatives. |
| |
|
|
Anderson of McLennan |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Speaker of the House |
| |
|
|
I certify that H.R. No. 3197 was adopted by the House on May |
|
|
30, 2015, by a non-record vote. |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
| |