--- title: SR 791. Morris Brown College Day; recognize March 16, 2026 collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr791 cite_as: SR 791, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr791 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr791.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr791/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73301 date: 2026-02-18 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/sr790.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr792.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr791.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 791 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-18 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Donzella James - Michael Rhett - Kenya Wicks - Tonya Anderson - Jaha Howard - Randal Mangham - Gail Davenport - Nan Orrock - Elena Parent - Kim Jackson - Ed Harbison text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR791/2025 upstream_id: 2118534 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Morris Brown College - historically Black colleges - Georgia Senate resolution - higher education history --- # SR 791. Morris Brown College Day; recognize March 16, 2026 ## Text Senate Resolution 791 By: Senators James of the 28th, Rhett of the 33rd, Wicks of the 34th, Anderson of the 43rd, Howard of the 35th and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing March 16, 2026, as Morris Brown College Day at the state capitol; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, eighteen years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, the ministers of the African Methodist Episcopal Church of the State of Georgia, fully realizing the necessity of an institution for the preparation of young men and women for every department of Christian work and also cognizant of the importance of an industrial training school for both genders, resolved upon the establishment of a school to be known as Morris Brown College; and WHEREAS, Morris Brown College of the AME Church was granted a charter from the State of Georgia in May, 1885, becoming the first institution in the state solely under African American patronage; and WHEREAS, the school first opened in October of 1885, with Mrs. Mary McCree serving as principal; in 1890, the first graduating class from Morris Brown College received their diplomas; and WHEREAS, for more than 130 years, Morris Brown College has received and nurtured students from around the world; the institution's deep seated commitment to a profound purpose, diligence of effort, hard work, perseverance, and belief and trust in God provides access to opportunity for educational development in a nurturing environment. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize March 16, 2026, as Morris Brown College Day at the state capitol. 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 Morris Brown College. ## 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 recognizes March 16, 2026, as Morris Brown College Day at the state capitol, honoring the historically Black college founded in 1885. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution passed by the Georgia Senate, not a change to state law. It recognizes March 16, 2026, as Morris Brown College Day at the state capitol. The resolution recounts the history of Morris Brown College, founded by ministers of the African Methodist Episcopal Church of Georgia and chartered by the state in May 1885, making it the first Georgia institution solely under African American patronage. It notes the school opened in October 1885 with Mrs. Mary McCree as principal and graduated its first class in 1890. The resolution directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide a copy of the resolution to Morris Brown College for distribution. ### What it does - Formally designates March 16, 2026, as Morris Brown College Day at the Georgia state capitol. - Recites the historical founding and chartering of Morris Brown College by the AME Church in 1885. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to Morris Brown College. - Does not create any new law, funding, or regulatory requirement, as a resolution of this kind is purely ceremonial. ### Who it affects Morris Brown College and its students, faculty, and alumni are honored by this resolution. Members of the Georgia Senate participate in the recognition, and the Secretary of the Senate is tasked with delivering a copy of the resolution to the college. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or financial effect but publicly acknowledges Morris Brown College's history as Georgia's first institution founded solely under African American patronage, giving the college formal recognition at the state capitol. ### Key provisions - The resolving clause recognizes March 16, 2026, as Morris Brown College Day at the state capitol. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to Morris Brown College. - The whereas clauses summarize the college's 1885 founding, its 1885 state charter, and over 130 years of educating students. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-18) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-02-18) - Sponsors: Donzella James, Michael Rhett, Kenya Wicks, Tonya Anderson, Jaha Howard, Randal Mangham, Gail Davenport, Nan Orrock, Elena Parent, Kim Jackson, Ed Harbison - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73301 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr791.md?full=1