Georgia CommonsSR 904: Veal I, Reverend Henry; honor
Last action March 4, 2026 · Senate Read and Adopted
A Georgia Senate resolution honors Reverend Henry Veal I and his descendants, a family lineage of educators from Baldwin County, for their historic contributions to education in Georgia.
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 LegiScan holds.
In plain language
This Senate resolution is a ceremonial honor, not a change to Georgia law. It recognizes Reverend Henry Veal I, who took the 1867 Voter Registration Oath in Baldwin County and became a pastor and community leader after the era of enslavement, along with the extended Veal family lineage known as The Masters of Education: Hidden Figures in Education. The resolution recounts the family's history, including six siblings who together served 170 years as educators, descendants who reached leadership roles at colleges, the NAACP, and the AME Church, and a family member pursuing recognition as the most degreed African American woman in the world. It formally commends the family for their contributions to Georgia and directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide a copy of the resolution to the family for distribution.
What the bill does
- Formally honors Reverend Henry Veal I and his descendants for their historic contributions to education in Georgia.
- Commends the broader Veal family lineage, called The Masters of Education: Hidden Figures in Education, for their academic and civic achievements.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to the family.
- Builds on a prior 2011 Senate resolution that had recognized family members as 'Founders of Education in Georgia.'
Who it affects
This resolution directly names and honors the descendants of Reverend Henry Veal I, including educators, ministers, and academics in the family lineage. It has no regulatory effect on other Georgians, agencies, or businesses.
Why it matters
The resolution carries no legal or financial effect and changes no Georgia law. Its practical impact is symbolic: it creates an official Senate record recognizing the Veal family's history and gives the family a formal copy of that recognition.
Key provisions
- The resolution's whereas clauses recount Reverend Henry Veal I's history, including his 1867 Voter Registration Oath and early ministry in Baldwin County.
- It credits the Veal Six siblings with a combined 170 years of service as educators in Georgia.
- It notes descendants' roles in national organizations such as the NAACP and the AME Church, and academic achievements including Ivy League credentials.
- The resolving clause formally honors the family's legacy and commends their service to Georgia.
- A further resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to the family.
From the bill
“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 the family of The Masters of Education: Hidden Figures in Education.”
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Emanuel Jones (D, SD-010)
- Sheikh Rahman (D, SD-005)
- Ed Harbison (D, SD-015)
- Nikki Merritt (D, SD-009)
- Randal Mangham (D, SD-055)
- Elena Parent (D, SD-044)
- Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)
- Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
- Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)
- Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)
- Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
- Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
- Donzella James (D, SD-028)
- RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)
Topics
- education history
- Georgia Senate resolution
- Baldwin County
- African American history