2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26108484D

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 384

Offered March 10, 2026

Commending Estelle Newby.

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Patron—Hayes

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WHEREAS, Estelle Newby, a distinguished resident of the City of Portsmouth, celebrated her 90th birthday on February 2, 2026; and

WHEREAS, Estelle Newby was born in 1936 in the City of South Norfolk, now Chesapeake, and grew up during a defining era in American history; and

WHEREAS, Estelle Newby came of age under Jim Crow laws and segregation and bore witness to the transformative milestones of the Civil Rights Movement, including the landmark Supreme Court of the United States case Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955–1956, and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965; and

WHEREAS, Estelle Newby has lived through historic advancements in the pursuit of equality and justice, from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 to the election of Barack Obama, the first Black president of the United States, in 2008; and

WHEREAS, Estelle Newby has been guided by her steadfast faith and has remained an active and devoted member of St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church; and

WHEREAS, Estelle Newby has demonstrated an insatiable passion for education, shaping the hearts and minds of young people both through her service at St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church and as a teacher with Portsmouth Public Schools; and

WHEREAS, Estelle Newby is a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., and wears the colors blue and gold with distinction and pride; and

WHEREAS, Estelle Newby enriches her community through her love of cooking, baking, music, and her well-known and cherished fruit salad; and

WHEREAS, Estelle Newby's lifelong commitment to faith, education, service, and community has made her a pillar of Portsmouth and an enduring inspiration to all who know her; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Estelle Newby hereby be commended on the occasion of her 90th birthday for her legacy of contributions to the Portsmouth community; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Estelle Newby as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for her achievements and best wishes.