TITLE: Honoring Carolyn White-Mosley for her efforts to end teen dating violence.

SUMMARY: Honoring Carolyn White-Mosley for her efforts to end teen dating violence.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Two decades have passed since the tragic death of Ortralla Mosley, and her mother, Carolyn White-Mosley, has since done extraordinary work to prevent other families from suffering the loss of a loved one to teen dating violence; and WHEREAS, Ortralla Mosley was only 15 years old when she lost her life on May 28, 2003, at the hands of her ex-boyfriend; her death left a deep void in the lives of her family and friends, and in the midst of tremendous grief, Ms. White-Mosley dedicated herself to honoring her daughter's memory and becoming a catalyst for change; she began working with a community safety task force to recommend safety measures to the Austin Independent School District, which led to the development of the first policies to prevent teen dating violence in the state of Texas; and WHEREAS, Ortralla Mosley's story inspired the creation of the Texas Advocacy Project's Teen Justice Initiative, which provides free legal services to students experiencing dating violence, and the passage of House Bill 121 by the 80th Texas Legislature, which requires all school districts in the state to adopt dating violence policies like those developed by Austin ISD; this groundbreaking piece of legislation has since served as a model for laws in other states; and WHEREAS, In 2010, Carolyn White-Mosley joined together with a group of young activists, including her daughter's friend RaeAnne Spence, to advocate for the establishment of February as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month; Ms. White-Mosley continued to push for legislative action on the issue, and in 2013, she met with then-Vice President Joe Biden to support the inclusion of language addressing teen violence in the Violence Against Women Act; recently, she has remained active in her community by overseeing afterschool programs for youth; and WHEREAS, Carolyn White-Mosley has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to building a future where all young people are safe, secure, and free from fear and abuse, and she has touched the lives of countless people through her tireless dedication to this important cause; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th Legislature, hereby honor Carolyn White-Mosley for her efforts to end teen dating violence and pay tribute to the legacy of her daughter, Ortralla Mosley, on the 20th anniversary of her death; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be prepared for Ms. White-Mosley as an expression of high regard from the Texas Senate. Eckhardt President of the Senate I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on May 16, 2023.