HJ 756 — Commending Amina Luqman-Dawson.

SESSION INTRODUCEDENROLLED 23106440D I HOUSE JOfferedJOINT FebruaryRESOLUTION 17,NO. 2023 N Commending Amina Luqman-Dawson.

––––––––––756 TE Patrons––Lopez,N Bennett-Parker,Commending Carr,Amina Guzman,Luqman-Dawson. Hope, Kory, Murphy, Rasoul, Seibold, Simonds, R Sullivan and Watts;

Senators:Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 24, 2023 R Agreed to by the Senate, February 25, 2023 O L Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Book Award, both from the American Library Association, in 2023 for her debut novel, Freewater;

Boysko, Ebbin, Edwards, Favola, Howell and SpruillL O –––––––––– WHEREAS, Aminathe Luqman-Dawson,John anNewbery accomplishedMedal authoris basedannually inpresented Arlington,by wonthe bothAssociation thefor JohnLibrary DService into 2023E forcontribution herto debutAmerican novel,literature Freewater;for children";

andok Award, both from the AmericanCoretta LibraryScott AssociationUKing WHEREAS,Book theAward John Newbery Medal is given annually presentedD by"to theoutstanding AssociationAfrican for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Libraryauthors Association,and toillustrators "the author of thebooks mostfor distinguishedchildren contributionand toyoung Americanadults"; literature for children";

the Coretta Scott King Book Award is given aEnually "to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults";

and DWHEREAS, communityfollowing oftwo formerly enslaved peoplechildren andwho freebornescape children,their Aminaplantation Luqman-Dawson'sand Freewaterultimately isdiscover a novel of historical fiction for middle-grade students that tells an inspiring story of love, courage, and survival;

and WHEREAS, Amina Luqman-Dawson's Freewater is inspired by the history of Maroons, formerly H enslaved individuals who escaped slavery and formed their own communities in previously uninhabited areas5 likeoverlooked thechapter Greatfrom Dismal Swamp in the Commonwealth,past; shining light on this important and often oveWHEREAS, after coming to the idea for Freewater during a Latin American studies class in college and writing a few chapters, Amina Luqman-Dawson set the project aside for more than a decade, at which point the urge to share the story and the history of the Maroons with her son led her to pick it up again;

andthe Commonwealth, shining light on this important and often E WHEREAS, after coming to the idea for Freewater during a Latin American studies class in college R and writing a few chapters, Amina Luqman-Dawson set the project aside for more than a decade, at which point the urge to share the story and the history of the Maroons with her son led her to pick it up agaWHEREAS, prior to her success as an author, Amina Luqman-Dawson earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Vassar College and a master's degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley, then worked for some time as a policy professional, researcher, and consultant on issues of education and criminal justice;

andme as a policy professional, researcher, and consultant on WHEREAS, Freewater is Amina Luqman-Dawson's first novel after authoring numerous newspaper op-eds, magazine articles, works of travel writing, book reviews, and the pictorial history book, Images of America:

and WHEREAS, Amina Luqman-Dawson's extraordinary accomplishments in her early attempts at :illuminate countless young minds;

34now, children'stherefore, literaturebe foretellitareer a bright and promising career writing stories that will entertain and 36RESOLVED illRESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby 37 commend Amina Luqman-Dawson for receiving both the John Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott 38 King Book Award in 2023;

and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Amina Luqman-Dawson as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for her achievements and best wishes for her continued success.