Georgia CommonsHR 1711: Bennette, Reverend Fred C., Jr.; honoring the life and memory; condolences
Last action March 16, 2026 · House Read and Adopted
A Georgia House resolution honors the life of Reverend Fred C. Bennette, Jr., a Civil Rights leader, and offers condolences to his family after his death.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
This resolution is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia House of Representatives. It does not change any law. Instead, it recognizes the life of Reverend Fred C. Bennette, Jr., an Atlanta-born Civil Rights leader who worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., organized voter registration drives, and led early campaigns to desegregate businesses and increase Black employment in Georgia. The resolution recounts his military service, his education at Morris Brown College and the Turner Theological Seminary, his role in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Operation Breadbasket, and his later work with The King Center. It closes by directing the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to his family as a formal expression of sympathy.
What the bill does
- Formally honors the life and memory of Reverend Fred C. Bennette, Jr. on behalf of the Georgia House of Representatives.
- Expresses the House's official regret and condolences over his passing.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to his family.
- Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement; it is purely a commemorative statement.
Who it affects
The resolution directly names the family of Reverend Fred C. Bennette, Jr., who will receive a copy, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who is tasked with distributing it. It has no effect on the general public or on any Georgia agency's operations.
Why it matters
The resolution has no legal or financial effect, but it places an official record of Reverend Bennette's Civil Rights work and community contributions into the Georgia House's proceedings, and provides his family a formal, state-recognized tribute to his life.
Key provisions
- The whereas clauses recount Reverend Bennette's biography, military service, and Civil Rights work, including his role with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Operation Breadbasket.
- The first resolving clause states that the House joins in honoring his life and expresses sincere regret at his passing.
- The second resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to his family.
From the bill
“the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Reverend Fred C. Bennette, Jr., and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing.”
“in 1964, Dr. King appointed Reverend Bennette as the first director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Operation Breadbasket”
Status timeline
- House Read and Adopted (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Dewey McClain (D, HD-109)
- Al Williams (D, HD-168)
- Billy Mitchell (D, HD-088)
- Lydia Glaize (D, HD-067)
- Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)
Topics
- civil rights history
- Georgia legislature
- memorial resolution
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Atlanta history