Georgia CommonsSenate · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
SR 500: Jones, Jamila "Mary Ethel Dozier"; condolences
Last action March 31, 2025 · Senate Read and Adopted
A Georgia Senate resolution honors the life of Jamila "Mary Ethel Dozier" Jones, a civil rights activist and cultural leader with deep ties to the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Atlanta's arts community.
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 Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This is a ceremonial resolution passed by the Georgia Senate recognizing the life and contributions of Jamila "Mary Ethel Dozier" Jones. It recounts her early involvement in the civil rights movement, including joining the NAACP youth group as a child, participating in the Montgomery Bus Boycott at age 11, and her role in popularizing a verse of "We Shall Overcome" during a raid at the Highlander Folk School. The resolution also notes her later work in Atlanta, Georgia, where she founded the Vine City Community School and the Harambee Singers and helped bring performing and visual arts into the City of Atlanta's parks and recreation programs. The Senate formally honors her legacy and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to her family. It does not change any Georgia law.
What the bill does
- Formally honors the life and legacy of Jamila "Mary Ethel Dozier" Jones through a Senate resolution.
- Recognizes her contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, including her role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and voter registration efforts.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to her family.
- Does not create, amend, or repeal any Georgia statute, since it is a commemorative resolution rather than a bill changing law.
Who it affects
This resolution primarily affects the family of Jamila "Mary Ethel Dozier" Jones, who will receive a copy, and serves as a symbolic Senate recognition; it does not impose obligations on any other group of Georgians.
Why it matters
While the resolution carries no legal effect and changes no Georgia law, it provides an official state acknowledgment of a civil rights figure's contributions, offering her family and community public recognition through the Georgia Senate's record.
Key provisions
- The resolution recites her biography, including her birth in Montgomery, Alabama in 1944 and early activism with the NAACP youth group.
- It highlights her participation in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Highlander Folk School raid where she sang a verse of "We Shall Overcome."
- It notes her later work in Atlanta founding the Vine City Community School and the Harambee Singers, and her role with the City of Atlanta's Department of Parks and Recreation.
- The resolving clause formally honors her legacy and commends her impact on generations past, present, and future.
- A further resolution directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute a copy of the resolution to her family.
From the bill
“she displayed remarkable courage by singing a new verse of "We Shall Overcome," which resonated throughout the nation and helped transform the song into one of America's most powerful anthems for civil rights and social justice”
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Jason Esteves (D, SD-35)
- Sonya Halpern (D, SD-39)
- RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-38)
Topics
- civil rights history
- Senate resolution
- Atlanta history
- Montgomery Bus Boycott