HR275 - In memory of Judge Zinetta Arceneaux Burney of Houston.

      H.R. No. 275       R E S O L U T I O N          WHEREAS, The Honorable Zinetta Arceneaux Burney of Houston   passed away on September 22, 2024, at the age of 83, leaving her   loved ones to reflect on her remarkable life and achievements; and          WHEREAS, A Houston native, the former Zinetta Arceneaux was   born on February 24, 1941, to John and Thelma Arceneaux; although   she left high school to raise her daughter, Sharon Maria Burney, she   later earned her GED and completed training to begin her career as a   licensed vocational nurse; in 1968, she received a bachelor's   degree in mathematics from Texas Southern University, and she went   on to graduate from TSU's Thurgood Marshall School of Law on her way   to becoming an attorney; and          WHEREAS, Alongside four other women, Ms. Burney founded the   first African American female-led law practice in the country,   known as the "Sisters in Law," which served the Acres Homes   community; she took on cases even when her clients were unable to   pay, and her generosity extended to helping others in the   neighborhood with groceries and other necessities; she later became   the senior partner of the law firm of Burney & Foreman, and in 2004,   she was elected presiding judge of Harris County Justice of the   Peace Court, Precinct 7, Place 2; she served in that capacity for a   decade and a half until she had the satisfaction of seeing her   daughter succeed her in her long-held position in 2019; and          WHEREAS, Active in her professional community, Judge Burney   belonged to the Houston Lawyers Association, the Gulf Coast Black   Women Lawyers Association, the State Bar of Texas, and the Houston   and National Bar Associations, among others; in addition, she was   appointed by Governor Ann Richards to the University of Houston   System Board of Regents; she benefited her fellow residents through   her work as a board member for the Third Ward Redevelopment Council   and the Greater Houston Women's Foundation, as chair of the board of   commissions for the Houston Housing Authority, and as a member of   such local organizations as the Houston Area Urban League;   throughout her life, she was recognized for her accomplishments by   the City of Houston, the NAACP, the United Negro College Fund, the   Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and numerous other groups; and          WHEREAS, Zinetta Burney was a pioneering legal professional   and a true pillar of her community, and although she will be greatly   missed, she leaves behind a legacy that will long be treasured by   all who held her dear; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas   Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of the Honorable Zinetta   Arceneaux Burney and extend deepest sympathy to her family and   friends; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be   prepared for her family and that when the Texas House of   Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Zinetta   Burney.     Jones of Harris     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 275 was unanimously adopted by a   rising vote of the House on June 1, 2025.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House