SENATE RESOLUTION HONORING REV. DR. BERNARD LAFAYETTE JR. FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, the official text

S3341 2026 -- S 3341 ======== LC006541 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N HONORING REV. DR. BERNARD LAFAYETTE JR. FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND Introduced By: Senators Mack, LaMountain, Urso, Appollonio, Famiglietti, DiPalma, Felag, Tikoian, Lauria, and Rogers Date Introduced: June 02, 2026 Referred To: Recommended for Immediate Consideration 1 WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr. was a distinguished civil rights leader, 2 educator, and global advocate for nonviolence, whose life and work advanced the principles of 3 justice, reconciliation, and peaceful social transformation; and 4 WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. LaFayette was a key figure in the American Civil Rights 5 Movement, serving as a leader in the Nashville sit-ins, a Freedom Rider, a member of the Student 6 Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), an associate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. within 7 the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and the National Coordinator of the 1968 8 Poor People s Campaign; and 9 WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. LaFayette played a critical organizing and strategic role in the 10 Selma Movement, including work in the years preceding the national focus on Selma, helping to 11 lay the groundwork for the campaign that contributed to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 12 1965; and 13 WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. LaFayette dedicated his life to the teaching and practice of Kingian 14 Nonviolence, extending his work nationally and internationally to train leaders, communities, and 15 institutions in the philosophy and application of nonviolence; and 16 WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. LaFayette made a profound and lasting impact on the State of 17 Rhode Island, first through nonviolence trainings conducted in Providence, and subsequently 18 through his service as Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at the University of Rhode Island; and 19 WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. LaFayette served as the inaugural Director of the University of 1 Rhode Island s Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies from 1999 to 2009, where he helped 2 build one of the nation s leading academic centers dedicated to the study and practice of 3 nonviolence; and 4 WHEREAS, Through his leadership, teaching, and mentorship, Rev. Dr. LaFayette 5 helped shape generations of students, educators, and community leaders in Rhode Island and 6 beyond, including through the development of the International Nonviolence Summer Institute; 7 and 8 WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. LaFayette further served the State of Rhode Island as Chair of the 9 Governor s Select Commission on Race and Police-Community Relations, helping to guide 10 critical statewide dialogue and reflection on issues of race, justice, and public safety; and 11 WHEREAS, His work in Rhode Island helped catalyze the growth of nonviolence 12 education, leadership, and community-based peacebuilding efforts across the state, influencing 13 institutions and individuals dedicated to advancing peace and justice; and 14 WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. LaFayette s legacy continues to live on through the many lives he 15 touched, the institutions he strengthened, and the enduring principles of nonviolence he faithfully 16 advanced; now, therefore be it 17 RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby honors the life, legacy, 18 and contributions of Rev. Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr., and expresses its deepest gratitude for his 19 profound impact on the State of Rhode Island, the nation, and the world; and be it further 20 RESOLVED, That this Senate extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, 21 colleagues, and all those whose lives were enriched by Rev. Dr. LaFayette s extraordinary life and 22 work; and be it further 23 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 24 transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the family of Rev. Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr. ======== LC006541 ======== LC006541 - Page 2 of 2