--- title: HR 1711. Bennette, Reverend Fred C., Jr.; honoring the life and memory; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1711 cite_as: HR 1711, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1711 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1711.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1711/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74127 date: 2026-03-16 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/hr1710.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1712.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 134 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1711.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1711 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-16 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Dewey McClain - Al Williams - Billy Mitchell - Lydia Glaize - Bryce Berry text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1711/2025 upstream_id: 2134550 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - civil rights history - Georgia legislature - memorial resolution - Martin Luther King Jr. - Atlanta history --- # HR 1711. Bennette, Reverend Fred C., Jr.; honoring the life and memory; condolences ## Text House Resolution 1711 By: Representatives McClain of the 109th, Williams of the 168th, Mitchell of the 88th, Glaize of the 67th, and Berry of the 56th A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Reverend Fred C. Bennette, Jr.; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Civil Rights leader Reverend Fred C. Bennette, Jr.; and WHEREAS, Reverend Bennette, was born on December 2, 1928, in Atlanta, Georgia, a beloved son of Annie Mae McDowell Bennette and Columbus Bennette, Sr.; and WHEREAS, he served as a guardian of this nation's freedom and liberty with the United States Army, valiantly and courageously protecting his fellow Americans; and WHEREAS, following his military service, Reverend Bennette attended Morris Brown College and the Turner Theological Seminary at Morris Brown College; and WHEREAS, in 1960, after meeting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and becoming close friends with his brother, Reverend Bennette became a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement; and WHEREAS, that year, he was a key organizer for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as well as a staff coordinator for the successful sit-in campaign to desegregate Rich's Department Store; and WHEREAS, from 1961 to 1964, Reverend Bennette served as the director of the All Citizens Committee for Voter Registration and deputy director of the Georgia Voters League, paving the way for a dramatic increase in Black registered voters; and WHEREAS, during a 1961 Freedom Riders rally in Montgomery, Alabama, an unidentified assailant threw a gas bomb at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which Reverend Bennette, without hesitation, picked up and threw off to the side; and WHEREAS, in 1964, Dr. King appointed Reverend Bennette as the first director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Operation Breadbasket, that mobilized selective buying campaigns to pressure businesses to hire thousands of minorities; and WHEREAS, Reverend Bennette was instrumental in the campaigns and advisory councils of several prominent politicians in the State of Georgia, including President Jimmy Carter and Atlanta Mayor and Congressman Andrew Young; and WHEREAS, Reverend Bennette remained an active member of the Board of Advisors of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Center for Nonviolent Social Change; served as The King Center's Director of Security; and was a dedicated member of Ebenezer Baptist Church; and WHEREAS, Reverend Bennette gave inspiration to many through his high ideals, morals, and deep concern for his fellow citizens, and the devotion, patience, and understanding he demonstrated to his family and friends were admired by others; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous man who demonstrated his commitment to witnessing Christ through word and deed, Reverend Bennette will long be remembered for his love of family, friendship, and community and will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing him. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that 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. 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 the family of Reverend Fred C. Bennette, Jr. ## 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 the life of Reverend Fred C. Bennette, Jr., a Civil Rights leader, and offers condolences to his family after his death. ### Plain-language summary 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 it 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. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-16) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-16) - Sponsors: Dewey McClain, Al Williams, Billy Mitchell, Lydia Glaize, Bryce Berry - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74127 > The history, votes, and amendments (134 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1711.md?full=1