--- title: SR 900. Culbreath, Phenola; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr900 cite_as: SR 900, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr900 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr900.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr900/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73861 date: 2026-03-04 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/sr899.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr901.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr900.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 900 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-04 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Tonya Anderson - Gail Davenport - Kenya Wicks - Harold Jones - Elena Parent - Donzella James - Ed Harbison - RaShaun Kemp - Randal Mangham - Freddie Sims - David Lucas - Nabilah Islam Parkes - Sheikh Rahman - Derek Mallow - Emanuel Jones text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR900/2025 upstream_id: 2128582 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Senate commendation resolution - Georgia civil rights history - Delta Air Lines - Atlanta history --- # SR 900. Culbreath, Phenola; commend ## Text Senate Resolution 900 By: Senators Anderson of the 43rd, Davenport of the 17th, Wicks of the 34th, Jones II of the 22nd, Parent of the 44th and others A RESOLUTION Commending Phenola Culbreath; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Phenola Culbreath, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, was born on September 24, 1946, at Grady Hospital—a proud product of the historic Old Fourth Ward, she represents a generation shaped by the rich cultural and civic legacy of the City of Atlanta; and WHEREAS, she received her early education in the Atlanta Public Schools System, attending Anderson Park Elementary School and Henry McNeal Turner High School, and she pursued higher education at Clark College, now Clark Atlanta University; and WHEREAS, although she entered the workforce at a time of limited opportunities for African Americans, she became among the first Black employees hired by Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company; and WHEREAS, she later achieved a historic milestone when she was hired by Delta Air Lines as one of the company's first Black stewardesses, standing as the sole Black member in her class of 50 flight attendants, with her first base assignment in Memphis, Tennessee; and WHEREAS, during her tenure with Delta Air Lines, she had the opportunity to meet prominent civil rights leader and NAACP President Benjamin Hooks; and WHEREAS, Phenola Culbreath dedicated 36 years of exemplary service to Delta Air Lines, building a distinguished career defined by perseverance, professionalism, and barrier-breaking achievement before retiring in 2001; and WHEREAS, this distinguished gentlewoman has given inspiration to many through her high ideals, morals, and deep concern for her fellow citizens, and she possesses the vast wisdom which only comes through experience and the strength of character which is achieved through overcoming the many challenges of life; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding accomplishments of this remarkable and distinguished Georgian be appropriately honored. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize and commend Phenola Culbreath for her many magnificent achievements and decades of groundbreaking career service as well as extend the most sincere best wishes for continued health and happiness. 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 Phenola Culbreath. ## 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 commends Phenola Culbreath, an Atlanta native and one of Delta Air Lines' first Black flight attendants, for her decades of career achievement. ### Plain-language summary This is a commendation resolution, a type of measure the Georgia General Assembly uses to formally honor a person's achievements rather than to change any law. It has no regulatory or funding effect. The resolution recounts Phenola Culbreath's life story: born in Atlanta in 1946, educated in Atlanta Public Schools and Clark College, and among the first Black employees at Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company before becoming one of Delta Air Lines' first Black stewardesses. It notes her 36 years of service at Delta before retiring in 2001. The Senate resolves to recognize and commend her achievements and directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide her with a copy of the resolution. ### What it does - Formally commends Phenola Culbreath by name for her career achievements and civic contributions, with no legal or regulatory effect. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Phenola Culbreath. - Recites biographical facts about her education, career at Southern Bell and Delta Air Lines, and her 2001 retirement as the basis for the commendation. ### Who it affects This resolution directly names and honors one individual, Phenola Culbreath. It has no regulatory effect on the public, businesses, or government agencies beyond directing Senate staff to distribute a copy of the document to her. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal weight and changes no Georgia law. Its significance is symbolic: it places an official Senate record recognizing Culbreath's life, including her role as one of Delta Air Lines' first Black flight attendants, into the state's legislative history. ### Key provisions - The resolving clause recognizes and commends Phenola Culbreath for her career achievements and extends best wishes for her continued health and happiness. - A further resolution directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to Phenola Culbreath. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-04) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-03-04) - Sponsors: Tonya Anderson, Gail Davenport, Kenya Wicks, Harold Jones, Elena Parent, Donzella James, Ed Harbison, RaShaun Kemp, Randal Mangham, Freddie Sims, David Lucas, Nabilah Islam Parkes, Sheikh Rahman, Derek Mallow, Emanuel Jones - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73861 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr900.md?full=1