--- title: HR 1332. Jackson, Edna Branch; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1332 cite_as: HR 1332, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1332 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1332.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1332/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73146 date: 2026-02-11 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/hr1331.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1333.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 134 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1332.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1332 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-11 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Lydia Glaize - Al Williams - Buddy DeLoach - Miriam Paris - Inga Willis text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1332/2025 upstream_id: 2114682 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - civil rights history - Savannah mayor - commendation resolution - Georgia House of Representatives --- # HR 1332. Jackson, Edna Branch; commend ## Text House Resolution 1332 By: Representatives Glaize of the 67th, Williams of the 168th, DeLoach of the 167th, Paris of the 142nd, and Willis of the 55th A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Edna Branch Jackson; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Edna Branch Jackson has long been recognized by the citizens of this state for the vital role that she has played in leadership and her deep personal commitment to the welfare of the citizens of Georgia; and WHEREAS, Edna Branch Jackson began her career as a public servant at an early age, joining the NAACP Youth Council in Savannah at the age of 9; and WHEREAS, during the Civil Rights movement in Savannah, she was among the students who participated in the "Sit-ins" at downtown Savannah businesses, the "Wade-In's" at Tybee Beach, and the "Kneel-Ins" at various Savannah churches; and WHEREAS, after graduating from Beach High in 1962, she was employed with the NAACP National Youth Task Force, a member of National Youth Work Committee of the NAACP, and was instrumental in organizing NAACP Youth Councils and college chapters throughout the South; and WHEREAS, at age 18, Edna Branch Jackson took an integrated group of students from Tampa, Florida, to the 1963 March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., made his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. WHEREAS, in 1968, she completed a Bachelor of Science in Sociology at Savannah State College, and later, in 1972, she earned her Masters of Education; and WHEREAS, during her 30 year career with Savannah State University, she served her Alma Mater in the areas of counseling, admissions and recruiting, financial aid, and as Director of Alumni Affairs and Elderhostel Coordinator; and WHEREAS, Edna Branch Jackson went on to serve her state and country in innumerable ways, including, but not limited to, as the Vice Chairman and member of the Chatham County Democratic Executive Committee, Chairperson of the Chatham County Hospital Authority, board member of Economic Opportunity Authority as well as a member of the United States Selective Board, the Military Academy Selection Committee, and the Regional Committee of the United States Civil Rights Commission; and WHEREAS, in 2011, she made history as the first African-American woman to be elected Mayor of Savannah, Georgia; and WHEREAS, her lifetime of dedicated service has been recognized with many prestigious awards and honors, including the International Longshoremen Association Local 1414 Humanitarian Award in 2008, the Yellow Dog Democrat Award in July 2002, and many others too numerous to list; and WHEREAS, she is a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for integrity, intelligence, fairness, and kindness; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding accomplishments of this remarkable and distinguished Georgian be appropriately recognized. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize and commend Edna Branch Jackson for her efficient, effective, unselfish, and dedicated public service to the State of Georgia and extend the most sincere best wishes for continued health and happiness. 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 Edna Branch Jackson. ## 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 formally commends Edna Branch Jackson of Savannah for her decades of civil rights activism and public service, including her historic 2011 election as Savannah's first African-American woman mayor. ### Plain-language summary This is a commendation resolution passed by the Georgia House of Representatives, not a law that changes any statute. It honors Edna Branch Jackson, recounting her life story from joining the NAACP Youth Council in Savannah at age 9, participating in Civil Rights era sit-ins, wade-ins, and kneel-ins, and attending the 1963 March on Washington, through her 30 year career at Savannah State University and her service on numerous boards and committees. The resolution notes that in 2011 she became the first African-American woman elected Mayor of Savannah. It formally resolves that the House recognizes and commends her for her public service and wishes her continued health and happiness, and directs the Clerk of the House to provide her a copy of the resolution. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Edna Branch Jackson for her public service to the State of Georgia. - Recounts her Civil Rights era activism in Savannah and her role in the 1963 March on Washington. - Notes her 30 year career at Savannah State University and her 2011 election as Savannah's first African-American woman mayor. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to her. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors Edna Branch Jackson. It also involves the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who is directed to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to her. ### Why it matters This resolution carries symbolic rather than legal weight; it does not change any Georgia law, create funding, or impose requirements. Its practical effect is an official, on-the-record statement from the House recognizing Jackson's civil rights work and public service career. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses detail her early NAACP involvement, participation in Savannah's sit-ins, wade-ins, and kneel-ins, and attendance at the 1963 March on Washington. - The resolution notes her academic credentials from Savannah State College and her 30 year career there in counseling, admissions, and alumni affairs. - It recounts her service on bodies such as the Chatham County Hospital Authority and the United States Civil Rights Commission's Regional Committee. - The resolving clause commends her public service and wishes her continued health and happiness. - A further resolution directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to her. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-11) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-02-11) - Sponsors: Lydia Glaize, Al Williams, Buddy DeLoach, Miriam Paris, Inga Willis - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73146 > The history, votes, and amendments (134 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1332.md?full=1