--- title: HR 1011. Founders Day; 01/13/26; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; 113 Years of Service; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1011 cite_as: HR 1011, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1011 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1011.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1011/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72190 date: 2026-01-13 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1010.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1012.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1011.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1011 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-01-13 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Viola Davis - Rhonda Burnough - Edna Jackson - Sheila Jones - Mekyah McQueen - Terry Cummings text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1011/2025 upstream_id: 2074002 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Delta Sigma Theta Sorority - Founders Day - Georgia House resolutions - civic organizations --- # HR 1011. Founders Day; 01/13/26; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; 113 Years of Service; recognize ## Text House Resolution 1011 By: Representatives Davis of the 87th, Burnough of the 77th, Jackson of the 165th, Jones of the 60th, McQueen of the 61st, and others A RESOLUTION Commending Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., for 113 Years of Service and Recognizing January 13, 2026, as Founders Day; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., was founded on January 13, 1913, by 22 visionary collegiate women at Howard University in Washington, D.C., dedicated to sisterhood, scholarship, and public service; and WHEREAS, the Founders of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., include Osceola Macarthy Adams, Marguerite Young Alexander, Winona Cargile Alexander, Ethel Cuff Black, Bertha Pitts Campbell, Zephyr Chisom Carter, Edna Brown Coleman, Jessie McGuire Dent, Frederica Chase Dodd, Myra Davis Hemmings, Olive Jones, Jimmie Bugg Middleton, Pauline Oberdorfer Minor, Vashti Turley Murphy, Naomi Sewell Richardson, Mamie Reddy Rose, Eliza P. Shippen, Florence Letcher Toms, Ethel Carr Watson, Wertie Blackwell Weaver, Madree Penn White, and Edith Motte Young; and WHEREAS, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., has grown into a global sisterhood of over 300,000 initiated members with more than 1,000 collegiate and alumnae chapters across the United States and internationally, including in England, Japan, Germany, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and South Korea; and WHEREAS, the Sorority's Five-Point Programmatic Thrust focuses on economic development, educational development, international awareness and involvement, physical and mental health, as well as political awareness and involvement, reflecting its enduring commitment to positive social change; and WHEREAS, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., has produced trailblazers and civic leaders, including civil rights icons, educators, business leaders, and public servants dedicated to justice and equality; and WHEREAS, distinguished members of the Georgia General Assembly who are proud members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., include State Representatives Viola Davis, Rhonda Burnough, Sheila Jones, Edna Jackson, MeKyah McQueen, and Terry Cummings, each of whom exemplifies the Sorority's ideals of public service and leadership; and WHEREAS, the Sorority's first public act was its participation in the historic 1913 Women's Suffrage March in Washington, D.C., underscoring its legacy of civic engagement and social action; and WHEREAS, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., continues to advance its legacy of advocacy through signature events such as Delta Days at the State Capitol and by addressing critical issues impacting communities across Georgia and the nation; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body commend Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., for 113 years of impactful service, recognize January 13, 2026, as Founders Day, and celebrate the Sorority's ongoing contributions toward building stronger communities through advocacy, education, and leadership. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution honors Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. for 113 years of service and recognizes January 13, 2026 as Founders Day. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia House of Representatives. It does not change any Georgia law. Instead, it commends Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a historically Black sorority founded in 1913 at Howard University, for 113 years of service focused on sisterhood, scholarship, and public service. The resolution recounts the sorority's founding, its growth to over 300,000 members worldwide, its Five-Point Programmatic Thrust covering economic development, education, international awareness, health, and political engagement, and its historic role in the 1913 Women's Suffrage March. It also notes several current Georgia House members who belong to the sorority. The House formally recognizes January 13, 2026 as Founders Day and directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for the sorority. ### What it does - Commends Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. for 113 years of service since its 1913 founding at Howard University. - Formally recognizes January 13, 2026 as Founders Day for the sorority. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to the sorority. - Contains no changes to Georgia statutes and creates no funding, penalties, or new legal requirements. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and its members, including several current Georgia House Representatives who belong to the sorority. It has no legal or regulatory effect on other Georgians, businesses, or government agencies. ### Why it matters As a commendatory resolution, it carries symbolic rather than legal weight. It gives official recognition to the sorority's history and public service work in Georgia but does not create funding, rules, or obligations that would change anyone's day-to-day life. ### Key provisions - The resolving clause commends the sorority for 113 years of service and recognizes January 13, 2026 as Founders Day. - A further resolution directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to the sorority. - The whereas clauses recount the sorority's 1913 founding, its 22 founders, its growth to over 300,000 members, and its Five-Point Programmatic Thrust. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-01-13) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-01-13) - Sponsors: Viola Davis, Rhonda Burnough, Edna Jackson, Sheila Jones, Mekyah McQueen, Terry Cummings - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72190 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1011.md?full=1