On the recordJuly 10, 2015
Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the four surviving charter members of the Tarrant County Black Historical & Genealogical Society, those being Ms. Erma Johnson Hadley, Ms. Opal Lee, Mr. Frank Moss, and Reverend Arthur Slaughter. The Tarrant County Black Historical & Genealogical Society began as a need for material relating to the Black history that was available to Tarrant County universities and libraries. In 1974, the late Ms. Lenora Rolla began to collect personal papers, scrapbooks, clippings, photographic collections, artwork, and other relevant materials to create this society and, also, what is an incredible archive. Following its inception, Ms. Hadley, Opal Lee, Frank Moss, and Reverend Slaughter continued the organization's work to educate Tarrant County residents about its rich African American history, and they will be honored during this month's Tarrant County Black Historical & Genealogical Biannual Member Luncheon at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens. Today, with the help of these four charter members, the society continues to collect, preserve, and enrich our community, and I applaud their efforts. ____________________
