--- title: SR 473. Black Man Lab; honor collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr473 cite_as: SR 473, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr473 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr473.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr473/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71713 date: 2025-03-27 status: introduced 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/sr472.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr474.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 110 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr473.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 473 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-26 last_action: Senate Withdrawn Bill/Res Consideration sponsors: - Randal Mangham - Michael Rhett - Harold Jones text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR473/2025 upstream_id: 2015510 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - community recognition - mentorship programs - Black men and boys - Georgia Senate resolution --- # SR 473. Black Man Lab; honor ## Text 25 LC 112 3543 Senate Resolution 473 By: Senators Mangham of the 55th, Esteves of the 35th, Harbison of the 15th, Mallow of the 2nd, Rhett of the 33rd and others A RESOLUTION Honoring the Black Man Lab for its dedication to empowering Black men and enriching the1 community; and for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, the Black Man Lab was founded by four Black fathers—Mawuli Davis, Jarrod3 Grant, Dana Watkins, and Melek Buford—along with their sons as a space to cultivate4 leadership, wisdom, and support young Black men in their development; and5 WHEREAS, recognizing the critical need for mentorship, guidance , and intergenerational6 learning, these fathers established the Black Man Lab to ensure that young Black men had7 access to positive role models, knowledge, and community-driven empowerment; and8 WHEREAS, the Black Man Lab has since grown into a transformative movement, bringing9 together Black men from all walks of life to engage in open dia logue, professional10 development, and culturally enriching learning experiences; and11 WHEREAS, the mission of the Black Man Lab is to provide a safe space for Black men to12 develop authentic manhood, fostering personal growth, community leadership, and a13 commitment to excellence; and14 S. R. 473 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3543 WHEREAS, the vision of the Black Man Lab is to em power and insp ire Black men to15 positively transform the world, embracing their roles as warriors, healers, and builders within16 their families and communities; and17 WHEREAS, the Black Man Lab has consistently offered one of the largest weekly gatherings18 focused on encouraging Black men in the country; and19 WHEREAS, the Black Man Lab's dedication to fostering authentic manhood, mentorship,20 and community leadership has had a profound and positive impact , shaping the lives of21 countless Black men and strengthening families and communities across the state.22 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body23 honor the Black Man Lab for its outstanding contributions to th e empowerment and24 enrichment of Black men, its dedication to fostering intergenerational wisdom, and its role25 in inspiring positive transformation.26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed27 to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for di stribution to the Black Man28 Lab.29 S. R. 473 - 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 Black Man Lab, a mentorship organization for Black men and boys, for its work fostering leadership and community support. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial honor from the Georgia Senate. It does not change any law. It recognizes the Black Man Lab, an organization founded by four Black fathers, Mawuli Davis, Jarrod Grant, Dana Watkins, and Melek Buford, along with their sons, to support young Black men's leadership and personal development. The resolution describes the group's mission of helping Black men develop what it calls authentic manhood through mentorship, professional development, and community gatherings, including one of the largest weekly gatherings for Black men in the country. The Senate formally commends the organization and directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for the Black Man Lab. ### What it does - Formally honors the Black Man Lab for its work supporting and mentoring Black men and boys. - Recites the organization's founding by four Black fathers and their sons and its stated mission and vision. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to the Black Man Lab. - Does not create, amend, or repeal any Georgia statute or provide any state funding. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors the Black Man Lab, an organization serving Black men and boys, and its founders Mawuli Davis, Jarrod Grant, Dana Watkins, and Melek Buford. It has no legal effect on the public at large. ### Why it matters As a ceremonial resolution, it carries no legal or financial consequences for Georgians, but it gives official state recognition to a community organization's mentorship work, which can raise its public profile and provide symbolic validation. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe the Black Man Lab's founding, mission, and community impact but carry no legal force. - The resolving clause formally honors the organization for its contributions to empowering Black men. - A further resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide a copy of the resolution to the Black Man Lab. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-03-26) - Last action: Senate Withdrawn Bill/Res Consideration (2025-03-27) - Sponsors: Randal Mangham, Michael Rhett, Harold Jones - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71713 > The history, votes, and amendments (110 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr473.md?full=1