Georgia General Assembly · Full text

HR 305: Sagers, Richard B.; condolences

Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action February 19, 2025 · Passed

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House Resolution 305

By: Representatives Olaleye of the 59th, Reese of the 140th, Sampson of the 153rd, Crawford of the 89th, Dawson of the 65th, and others

A RESOLUTION

Honoring the life and memory of Richard B. Sagers; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, born on March 21, 1933, in Stockbridge, Georgia, Richard B. Sagers came of age during a time of segregation and systemic racial discrimination; and

WHEREAS, he served as a guardian of this nation's freedom and liberty in the United States Army's 11th Airborne Division, 188th A.I.R., as part of the first all-Black regiment to integrate Fort Campbell, Kentucky; and

WHEREAS, following his distinguished military service, he earned his commercial driver's license in 1952, yet he faced widespread racial discrimination as trucking companies systematically refused to hire Black over-the-road drivers, denying them opportunities available to their white counterparts; and

WHEREAS, in November 1969, he shattered racial barriers in the transportation industry by becoming the first Black over-the-road driver in the Southern Conference, enduring workplace hostility while opening doors for future generations of Black drivers; and

WHEREAS, determined to challenge systemic discrimination, 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 and securing a legal victory that helped dismantle racial inequalities in the trucking industry; and

WHEREAS, his courageous legal battle garnered national attention and was championed by civil rights activists, labor unions, and renowned attorneys such as Donald Hollowell, Jack Greenberg, Elizabeth Rindskopf, and William L. Robinson, setting a legal precedent for future employment discrimination cases; and

WHEREAS, Richard B. Sagers passed away on February 24, 1993, at the age of 59, leaving behind a legacy of courage and determination that lives on through his wife, Betty; his daughter, Veronica; and his grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, he was a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for integrity, intelligence, fairness, and kindness, and by the example he made of his life, he made this world a better place in which to live.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Richard B. Sagers upon the 32nd anniversary of his passing for his historic contributions to civil rights, racial equality, and his country.

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 Richard B. Sagers.