Georgia CommonsHR 305: Sagers, Richard B.; condolences
Last action February 19, 2025 · House Read and Adopted
A House resolution honors the life of Richard B. Sagers, a Black trucking pioneer and civil rights litigant from Georgia, on the 32nd anniversary of 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 from the Georgia House of Representatives commemorates Richard B. Sagers, who was born in Stockbridge, Georgia in 1933, served in an early integrated U.S. Army unit, and in 1969 became the first Black over-the-road truck driver in the Southern Conference. In 1972 he filed the class-action lawsuit Sagers v. Yellow Freight System under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, challenging discriminatory hiring practices in the trucking industry. The resolution recounts his military service, his legal battle, and his death in 1993. It formally directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to his surviving family. As a resolution rather than a bill, it does not change any Georgia law; it is a ceremonial statement by the House.
What the bill does
- Formally honors the life and memory of Richard B. Sagers on the 32nd anniversary of his death.
- Recounts his military service in an early integrated U.S. Army unit and his role as the first Black over-the-road driver in the Southern Conference.
- Recognizes his 1972 class-action lawsuit, Sagers v. Yellow Freight System, brought under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to his family.
Who it affects
This resolution directly names Richard B. Sagers's surviving family, including his wife, daughter, and grandchildren, who will receive a copy. It also reflects on the trucking industry and civil rights history in Georgia, though it creates no legal obligations for any current business or agency.
Why it matters
The resolution carries no legal or regulatory effect; it does not change Georgia law or create funding. Its significance is symbolic, formally recording the House's recognition of Sagers's civil rights legacy and providing his family an official memorial document from the state legislature.
Key provisions
- The whereas clauses detail Sagers's birth, military service in the 11th Airborne Division, and his 1969 breakthrough as the first Black over-the-road driver in the Southern Conference.
- The whereas clauses describe his 1972 lawsuit, Sagers v. Yellow Freight System, filed under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
- The resolving clause formally honors his memory upon the 32nd anniversary of his passing.
- The final clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy of the resolution available to his family.
From the bill
“in November 1969, he shattered racial barriers in the transportation industry by becoming the first Black over-the-road driver in the Southern Conference”
“he filed the landmark class-action lawsuit Sagers v. Yellow Freight System in 1972 under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, exposing discriminatory hiring practices”
Status timeline
- House Read and Adopted (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Phil Olaleye (D, HD-059)
- Teddy Reese (D, HD-140)
- David Sampson (D, HD-153)
- Omari Crawford (D, HD-089)
- Robert Dawson (D, HD-065)
- Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)
Topics
- civil rights history
- Georgia legislature resolutions
- trucking industry discrimination
- military service