HR305: HR305 Sagers, Richard B.; condolences

This resolution is a ceremonial tribute passed by the Georgia House of Representatives. It recounts the life of Richard B. Sagers, who was born in Stockbridge, Georgia in 1933, served in the U.S. Army's 11th Airborne Division as part of the first all-Black regiment to integrate Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and later became the first Black over-the-road truck driver in the Southern Conference in 1969. The resolution notes that Sagers filed a landmark class-action lawsuit, Sagers v. Yellow Freight System, in 1972 under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, challenging discriminatory hiring practices in the trucking industry. The House formally honors his memory and directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for delivery to his family. It does not change any Georgia law.

• Formally honors the life and memory of Richard B. Sagers through a House resolution with no legal or regulatory effect.
• Recounts Sagers's military service and his role as the first Black over-the-road driver in the Southern Conference.
• Recognizes his 1972 lawsuit, Sagers v. Yellow Freight System, as a landmark civil rights case in the trucking industry.
• Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Sagers's family.

This resolution directly affects the family of Richard B. Sagers, including his wife Betty, daughter Veronica, and grandchildren, who will receive a copy. It does not impose obligations on the public, businesses, or government agencies.

While the resolution carries no legal force and changes no Georgia law, it serves as an official public acknowledgment by the state legislature of Sagers's role in challenging racial discrimination in the trucking industry and his broader civil rights legacy.

• The whereas clauses detail Sagers's birth in 1933, military service in an integrated Army regiment, and his 1952 commercial driver's license.
• The resolution notes his 1969 breakthrough as the first Black over-the-road driver in the Southern Conference.
• It cites his 1972 lawsuit, Sagers v. Yellow Freight System, filed under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
• The resolving clause has the House honor his memory on the 32nd anniversary of his death on February 24, 1993.
• A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to provide a copy of the resolution to his family.

1. 2025-02-19House Read and Adopted (House)
2. 2025-02-19House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-02-19House Hopper (House)

• Phil Olaleye (D, HD-059)Primary sponsor
• Teddy Reese (D, HD-140)
• David Sampson (D, HD-153)
• Omari Crawford (D, HD-089)
• Robert Dawson (D, HD-065)
• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)

• civil rights history
• Georgia House resolution
• trucking industry discrimination
• honoring individuals