--- title: SR 402. Juneteenth Federation; honor collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr402 cite_as: SR 402, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr402 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr402.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr402/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71390 date: 2025-03-20 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 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/sr401.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr403.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr402.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 402 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-20 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Josh McLaurin - Kim Jackson - Donzella James - Randal Mangham - Nikki Merritt - Nabilah Islam Parkes text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR402/2025 upstream_id: 2010530 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Juneteenth - Sandy Springs - civil rights history - community recognition --- # SR 402. Juneteenth Federation; honor ## Text 25 LC 112 3391 Senate Resolution 402 By: Senators McLaurin of the 14th, Jackson of the 41st, James of the 28th, Mangham of the 55th, Merritt of the 9th and others A RESOLUTION Honoring the Juneteenth Federation and the first Juneteenth celebration in Sandy Springs;1 and for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans and3 serves as a powerful reminder of our nation's progress toward justice and equality; and4 WHEREAS, the Juneteenth Federation, in partnership with the Atl anta NAACP, North5 Fulton NAACP, Georgia NAACP, and Dreamz Always Came True, worke d diligently to6 bring the first official Juneteenth celebration to City Green i n Sandy Springs in 2021,7 ensuring that this momentous occasion was marked with dignity, education, and cultural8 enrichment; and9 WHEREAS, the organizers of the Juneteenth event, inspired by re collections of their10 grandparents' struggles against segregation and their fight for equality, sought to make11 Juneteenth a city-recognized and city-funded holiday, ensuring its continuation for12 generations to come; and13 WHEREAS, the organizers of the Juneteenth celebration aimed to showcase the city's14 growing diversity and make Juneteenth an annual tradition treas ured by Sandy Springs15 S. R. 402 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3391 residents of all races and cultures, ensuring that Black reside nts were central to the16 commemoration of this historic event; and17 WHEREAS, the Juneteenth Federation has extended its mission bey ond celebration by18 engaging in impactful mentorship programs at local schools, the reby uplifting the next19 generation through education and empowerment; and20 WHEREAS, the success of this initiative has been made possible by the dedicated members21 of the Juneteenth Federation committee and partnering organizations who have committed22 their time, resources, and passion to preserving and honoring the legacy of those who fought23 for freedom and equality.24 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body25 recognize and honor the Juneteenth Federation, the Atlanta NAAC P, and all involved26 organizers for their outstanding contributions to the City of Sandy Springs and the State of27 Georgia in preserving and celebrating the history of Juneteenth.28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed29 to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the30 press.31 S. R. 402 - 2 - ## 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 Georgia Senate resolution honors the Juneteenth Federation and its partners for organizing the first official Juneteenth celebration in Sandy Springs in 2021. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate rather than a law that changes anyone's rights or obligations. It recognizes the Juneteenth Federation, working with the Atlanta NAACP, North Fulton NAACP, Georgia NAACP, and Dreamz Always Came True, for bringing the first official Juneteenth celebration to City Green in Sandy Springs in 2021. The resolution describes the organizers' goals: making Juneteenth a city-recognized and city-funded holiday, showcasing the growing diversity of Sandy Springs, and centering Black residents in the commemoration. It also notes the Federation's mentorship programs in local schools. The Senate resolves to formally recognize these groups for their contributions to Sandy Springs and Georgia, and directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and honors the Juneteenth Federation, the Atlanta NAACP, and other involved organizers for their work on the 2021 Sandy Springs Juneteenth celebration. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute copies of the resolution to the public and the press. - Creates no new legal requirements, funding, or penalties; it is a statement of recognition rather than a change to Georgia law. ### Who it affects The Juneteenth Federation, the Atlanta NAACP, North Fulton NAACP, Georgia NAACP, and Dreamz Always Came True are named as honorees, along with the City of Sandy Springs community that took part in the celebration. ### Why it matters The resolution has no legal effect on Georgians' daily lives; it serves as an official, public acknowledgment from the Georgia Senate of a community organization's work commemorating Juneteenth and promoting local mentorship programs. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe the history of the first official Juneteenth celebration at City Green in Sandy Springs in 2021 and the organizers' goals of making it a lasting, city-funded tradition. - The first resolving clause formally recognizes and honors the Juneteenth Federation, the Atlanta NAACP, and all involved organizers. - The second resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-20) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-03-20) - Sponsors: Josh McLaurin, Kim Jackson, Donzella James, Randal Mangham, Nikki Merritt, Nabilah Islam Parkes - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71390 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr402.md?full=1