Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HR 988: The Savannah Tribune; commend
Last action April 4, 2025 · House Read and Adopted
A Georgia House resolution commends The Savannah Tribune, one of the nation's oldest Black-owned newspapers, on its 150th anniversary as a Savannah institution.
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 the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives honors The Savannah Tribune, a newspaper founded in 1875 by African American civic leaders John H. DeVeaux, Louis B. Toomer, Sr., and Louis M. Pleasant. The text recounts the newspaper's history, including its founding shortly after the Emancipation Proclamation, its closures and reopenings over the decades, its coverage of Jim Crow-era injustices, and its survival of a 2006 fire. The resolution formally recognizes the newspaper as a beacon in journalism, celebrates its 150th anniversary on June 28, 2025, and commends its legacy of supporting African American communities through print and digital media. It directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to Shirley Barber James, the paper's current publisher.
What the bill does
- Formally recognizes The Savannah Tribune as a beacon in journalism and commends its 150-year legacy.
- States the Georgia House of Representatives celebrates the newspaper's 150th anniversary on June 28, 2025.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to publisher Shirley Barber James.
Who it affects
The Savannah Tribune and its publisher, Shirley Barber James, are directly honored. The resolution also touches the Savannah African American community and journalism community whose history the newspaper documented over 150 years.
Why it matters
The resolution carries no legal or funding effect but serves as an official state recognition of a historic Black-owned newspaper's contribution to Savannah and Georgia history, providing a formal record and commemorative copy for the publisher.
Key provisions
- The whereas clauses detail the newspaper's founding in 1875 as The Colored Tribune, its 1876 renaming, and its early closures due to white printers refusing service.
- The resolution notes ownership transitions through John H. DeVeaux, Sol C. Johnson, Willa Ayers Johnson, Robert E. James, and Shirley Barber James.
- The resolved clause recognizes the newspaper and celebrates its 150th anniversary on June 28, 2025.
- A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute a copy of the resolution to Shirley Barber James.
From the bill
“the rights of the colored people and their elevation to the highest plane of citizenship”
“the members of this body recognize The Savannah Tribune as a beacon in journalism, celebrate 150 years as a valued Savannah tradition on June 28, 2025”
Status timeline
- House Read and Adopted (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Edna Jackson (D, HD-165)
- Anne Allen Westbrook (D, HD-163)
- Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)
- Carl Gilliard (D, HD-162)
- Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
Topics
- Savannah history
- Black press history
- Georgia House resolution
- journalism
- civil rights history