House Resolution 1797
By: Representatives Bell of the 75th, Cannon of the 58th, Gilliard of the 162nd, Williams of
the 168th, Jackson of the 165th, and others
A RESOLUTION
Urging for the renaming of Grady Memorial Hospital to Grady-Bell Memorial Hospital; and
for other purposes.
WHEREAS, Grady Memorial Hospital has long stood as one of Georgia's most significant
public healthcare institutions, serving generations of Atlantans and residents across the state;
and
WHEREAS, the hospital is named in honor of Henry Grady, a historical figure who, while
influential in shaping the "New South" narrative, was also documented as an outspoken white
supremacist whose public speeches and writings promoted racial hierarchy and opposed
Black political and social equality; and
WHEREAS, numerous institutions across the nation have set a precedent by reevaluating
and, where appropriate, removing the names of historical figures whose legacies are rooted
in racism and exclusion in order to better reflect contemporary values of equity, dignity, and
justice; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Roy Charles Bell Sr. was one of Atlanta's first Black dentists, a respected
civic leader, and a courageous civil rights activist who played a pivotal role in advancing
healthcare equity; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Bell led the legal effort that forced the desegregation of Grady Memorial
Hospital through the landmark 1962 United States Supreme Court ruling in Bell v.
Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority, which held that public hospitals receiving federal funds
could not lawfully operate on a segregated basis; and
WHEREAS, this historic victory not only desegregated Grady Memorial Hospital but also
accelerated the dismantling of segregation within public hospital systems throughout the
American South; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Bell's leadership challenged the very discriminatory practices that defined
the era in which the hospital operated and ensured that access to care would no longer be
denied on the basis of race; and
WHEREAS, the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority was compelled to comply with
constitutional principles of equal protection as a result of Dr. Bell's advocacy and legal
action; and
WHEREAS, renaming the institution to Grady-Bell Memorial Hospital would preserve
historical continuity while affirmatively recognizing a local hero whose legacy aligns with
the hospital's mission to provide equitable, compassionate care to all people.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that
the members of this body urge the appropriate governing authorities to take all necessary
steps to rename Grady Memorial Hospital to Grady-Bell Memorial Hospital in honor of Dr.
Roy Charles Bell Sr., whose life and legacy advanced justice, equality, and access to
healthcare for all Georgians.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the
public and the press.