--- title: HR 1593. Our Kind of Women; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1593 cite_as: HR 1593, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1593 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1593.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1593/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73899 date: 2026-03-04 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/hr1592.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1594.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1593.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1593 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-04 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Park Cannon - Rhonda Taylor - Kimberly Alexander - Long Tran - Inga Willis text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1593/2025 upstream_id: 2129487 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - ceremonial resolution - Black women - arts and culture - Atlanta - House of Representatives commendation --- # HR 1593. Our Kind of Women; commend ## Text House Resolution 1593 By: Representatives Cannon of the 58th, Taylor of the 92nd, Alexander of the 66th, Tran of the 80th, and Willis of the 55th A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Our Kind of Women; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, created by Atlanta-based photographer and creative director Bessie Akuba Winn, Our Kind of Women is a multi-platform storytelling project documenting the pivots, evolution, and lived experiences of Black women over 40; and WHEREAS, the project explores how women who came of age in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s were influenced by shifts in civil rights, feminism, music, media representation, economic change, and evolving ideas of independence and self-definition; and WHEREAS, on International Women’s Day, Our Kind of Women will bring together an extraordinary collective of artists, leaders, cultural icons, and everyday women for a defining visual tribute to reinvention, visibility, and self-authorship at midlife and beyond; and WHEREAS, partnered with actress and producer Terri J. Vaughn, the exhibition features a dynamic group of participants, including actress Vanessa Bell Calloway, actress Essence Atkins, entrepreneur and philanthropist Simone Smith, media personality Bevy Smith, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and scholar and cultural critic Yaba Blay, among many other influential voices; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this extraordinary artistic and cultural exhibition be appropriately recognized. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize and commend Our Kind of Women for its unwavering commitment to uplifting the voices and experiences of Black women over the age of 40. 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 Our Kind of Women. ## 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 commends 'Our Kind of Women,' an Atlanta-based storytelling and photography project documenting the lives of Black women over 40, created by Bessie Akuba Winn. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a change to state law. It recognizes 'Our Kind of Women,' a multi-platform storytelling project created by Atlanta photographer and creative director Bessie Akuba Winn that documents the experiences and reinvention of Black women over 40 who came of age in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The resolution highlights an upcoming International Women's Day exhibition tied to the project, done in partnership with actress and producer Terri J. Vaughn, featuring figures such as Vanessa Bell Calloway, Essence Atkins, Simone Smith, Bevy Smith, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and scholar Yaba Blay. The House formally commends the project for uplifting the voices of Black women over 40 and directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to the project. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends the 'Our Kind of Women' storytelling and photography project in a House resolution. - States the project documents the experiences of Black women over 40 shaped by civil rights, feminism, music, and media over several decades. - Notes an International Women's Day exhibition involving Terri J. Vaughn and other public figures as part of the project. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to the project. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Bessie Akuba Winn, the 'Our Kind of Women' project, and its participants including Terri J. Vaughn, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Essence Atkins, Simone Smith, Bevy Smith, Keisha Lance Bottoms, and Yaba Blay. It also involves the Clerk of the House, who must distribute the resolution. ### Why it matters This resolution has no legal or regulatory effect; it does not change Georgia law, create funding, or impose requirements. Its practical effect is a symbolic honor from the state legislature, giving the project and its participants official recognition from the House of Representatives. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe the project's origin with Bessie Akuba Winn and its focus on Black women's experiences from the 1970s through 1990s. - The resolved clause formally commends the project for uplifting the voices and experiences of Black women over 40. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to the project. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-04) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-04) - Sponsors: Park Cannon, Rhonda Taylor, Kimberly Alexander, Long Tran, Inga Willis - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73899 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1593.md?full=1