Bill Text: VA SJR13 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Honorable Yvonne Bond Miller's service in the Virginia G.A
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 21-13)
Status: (Passed) 2024-01-29 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ13ER) [SJR13 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-SJR13-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, forty years ago, the Honorable Yvonne Bond Miller was sworn in as a member of the House of Delegates, becoming the first Black female legislator to serve in the Virginia General Assembly; and
WHEREAS, Yvonne Miller was born on July 4, 1934, in Edenton, North Carolina, the eldest child of 13 born to John and Pency Bond; and
WHEREAS, Yvonne Miller was raised in Norfolk after her family moved to the city and attended local segregated public schools; and
WHEREAS, Yvonne Miller continued her education at the historically Black college Norfolk Division of Virginia State College (now known as Norfolk State University) for two years, then attended the historically Black college Virginia State College (now known as Virginia State University), graduating with her bachelor's degree in 1956; and
WHEREAS, Yvonne Miller began her career as a teacher in the segregated Norfolk Public Schools; witnessing the effects of Massive Resistance sparked her interest in the Civil Rights Movement and equal treatment; and
WHEREAS, Yvonne Miller earned a master's degree at Teachers College, Columbia University in 1962 and a doctorate in education from the University of Pittsburgh in 1973; she subsequently joined the education faculty at Norfolk State, becoming a professor and head of the Department of Early Childhood/Elementary Education; and
WHEREAS, desirous to be of further service to the community and the Commonwealth, Yvonne Miller ran for and was elected to the House of Delegates in 1983 and became the first Black woman to serve in the House of Delegates when she began her first term in 1984; and
WHEREAS, in 1988, Yvonne Miller began serving in the Senate of Virginia, also becoming the first Black woman to serve in the Senate; and
WHEREAS, during her tenure, Yvonne Miller was a steadfast champion for civil rights and education, fighting against the radiating effects of poverty; she stood up for voting rights, opposing the Voter ID law in 2012, which she compared to Jim Crow-era efforts to suppress minority votes; and
WHEREAS, in 1996, Yvonne Miller became the first woman to chair a Senate committee when she became chair of the Transportation Committee; and
WHEREAS, at the time her service in the General Assembly ended in 2012, Yvonne Miller was the longest-serving woman in the General Assembly, having served 28 years, and was ranked fourth in overall seniority; and
WHEREAS, Yvonne Miller died while in office on July 3, 2012; and
WHEREAS, Yvonne Miller set an example for those who came after her; 40 years later, her legacy of fighting for equity and fairness, calling out injustice, and working tirelessly toward solutions to issues faced by Virginia's communities continues to be remembered and upheld both within the legislature and among those she inspired across the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the 40th anniversary of the Honorable Yvonne Bond Miller's service in the Virginia General Assembly hereby be commemorated; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of the Honorable Yvonne Bond Miller and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for her legacy.
