--- title: SR 248. Person, Charles; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr248 cite_as: SR 248, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr248 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr248.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr248/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70710 date: 2025-02-26 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/sr247.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr249.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr248.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 248 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-26 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Kenya Wicks - Ed Harbison - Michael Rhett - Donzella James - David Lucas - Gail Davenport - Tonya Anderson text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR248/2025 upstream_id: 1982143 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - civil rights history - Freedom Riders - Senate resolution - Charles Person --- # SR 248. Person, Charles; condolences ## Text Senate Resolution 248 By: Senators Wicks of the 34th, Harbison of the 15th, Rhett of the 33rd, James of the 28th, Lucas of the 26th and others A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Charles Person; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Charles Person, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and one of the youngest original Freedom Riders, dedicated his life to the pursuit of civil rights, justice, and equality for all Americans; and WHEREAS, as a courageous advocate for desegregation, Charles Person joined the Freedom Riders in 1961 at the age of 18, enduring physical violence and grave danger in his steadfast commitment to challenging segregation laws and practices in the United States; and WHEREAS, Charles Person's bravery and resilience, alongside his fellow Freedom Riders, played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement, ultimately leading to landmark legislative and cultural changes that advanced racial equality; and WHEREAS, after his involvement with the Freedom Riders, Charles Person continued his lifelong dedication to education, mentorship, and preserving the legacy of the civil rights movement, inspiring generations to advocate for justice and equality; and WHEREAS, Charles Person's remarkable contributions to the struggle for civil rights have been recognized and celebrated nationally; and WHEREAS, Charles Person passed away on January 8, 2025, leaving behind an enduring legacy of courage, activism, and a commitment to social justice. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body posthumously honor Charles Person for his extraordinary contributions to the civil rights movement and his unwavering dedication to creating a more just and equitable society. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body extend their deepest condolences to Charles Person's family, friends, and all those who were inspired by his work. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the family of Charles Person. ## 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 Senate resolution honors the late Charles Person, one of the original 1961 Freedom Riders, and offers condolences to his family and friends. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution passed by the Georgia Senate, not a change to state law. It recognizes Charles Person, an Atlanta native who at age 18 joined the Freedom Riders in 1961 and faced violence while challenging segregation in the United States. The resolution recounts his lifelong work in civil rights, education, and mentorship after his time as a Freedom Rider, and notes that he died on January 8, 2025. The Senate formally honors him for his contributions to the civil rights movement and extends condolences to his family and friends. It also directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Person's family. ### What it does - Formally honors Charles Person, a Freedom Rider, for his contributions to the civil rights movement. - Extends the Senate's condolences to Person's family, friends, and those he inspired. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Person's family. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement, since it is a ceremonial resolution rather than a bill amending Georgia statute. ### Who it affects This resolution directly names Charles Person's family and friends, who receive the Senate's condolences and a copy of the document. It does not impose obligations on any other group, agency, or member of the public. ### Why it matters The resolution has no legal or regulatory effect on Georgians. Its significance is symbolic: it places an official Senate record honoring Person's civil rights legacy and provides his family with a formal statement of recognition and condolence. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses recount Person's role as one of the youngest original Freedom Riders, joining in 1961 at age 18. - The first resolving clause posthumously honors Person for his contributions to the civil rights movement. - The second resolving clause extends condolences to his family, friends, and those inspired by his work. - The final resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to Person's family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-26) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-02-26) - Sponsors: Kenya Wicks, Ed Harbison, Michael Rhett, Donzella James, David Lucas, Gail Davenport, Tonya Anderson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70710 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr248.md?full=1