--- title: SR 910. Abernathy Sr., Rev. Dr. Ralph David; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr910 cite_as: SR 910, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr910 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr910.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr910/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73887 date: 2026-03-06 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/sr909.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr911.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr910.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 910 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-06 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Jaha Howard - Gail Davenport - Tonya Anderson - Donzella James - RaShaun Kemp - Sonya Halpern - Freddie Sims - Nan Orrock text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR910/2025 upstream_id: 2129462 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - civil rights history - Senate resolution - Georgia history - commemorations --- # SR 910. Abernathy Sr., Rev. Dr. Ralph David; condolences ## Text Senate Resolution 910 By: Senators Howard of the 35th, Davenport of the 17th, Anderson of the 43rd, James of the 28th, Kemp of the 38th and others A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Rev. Dr. Ralph David Abernathy Sr.; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, born on March 11, 1926, in Linden, Rev. Dr. Ralph David Abernathy Sr. emerged as one of the most influential and courageous leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement, dedicating his life to the principles of equality, justice, and human dignity; and WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. Abernathy honorably served his country in the United States Army during World War II and went on to pursue higher education at Alabama State University and Atlanta University, preparing himself for a lifetime of service, leadership, and ministry; and WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. Abernathy faithfully answered his calling to ministry and served as a devoted pastor, most notably at West Hunter Street Baptist Church in Atlanta, where he provided spiritual leadership while advancing social justice and community empowerment; and WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. Abernathy was a co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and a trusted confidant and partner to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., working tirelessly to organize peaceful demonstrations and nonviolent protests that helped dismantle segregation and transform the nation; and WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. Abernathy played a central leadership role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and numerous civil rights campaigns, demonstrating extraordinary courage, resilience, and unwavering commitment to justice; and WHEREAS, following the assassination of Dr. King in 1968, Rev. Dr. Abernathy assumed the presidency of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and continued advancing the cause of civil rights and economic justice, including leading the historic Poor People's Campaign; and WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. Abernathy's leadership, faith, and sacrifice helped secure fundamental civil rights protections and inspired generations of leaders and citizens to continue the pursuit of equality and justice; and WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. Ralph David Abernathy Sr. passed away on April 17, 1990, leaving a lasting legacy as a minister, civil rights pioneer, and national leader whose contributions forever changed the course of American history. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Rev. Dr. Ralph David Abernathy Sr. and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing. 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 Rev. Dr. Ralph David Abernathy Sr. ## 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 life and legacy of the late Rev. Dr. Ralph David Abernathy Sr., a civil rights leader and close partner of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and expresses condolences on his passing. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia Senate does not change any law. Instead, it formally recognizes the life of Rev. Dr. Ralph David Abernathy Sr., who was born in 1926 in Linden, served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and later became a pastor and civil rights leader in Georgia and across the nation. The resolution recounts his role as co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, his partnership with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his leadership during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and his later leadership of the Poor People's Campaign after Dr. King's assassination in 1968. The Senate resolves to honor his memory and express condolences for his death in 1990, and directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy of the resolution available for distribution. ### What it does - Formally honors the life and memory of Rev. Dr. Ralph David Abernathy Sr. on behalf of the Georgia Senate. - States the Senate's regret at his passing and recognizes his civil rights legacy. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution. - Creates no new law, funding, or ongoing legal obligation; it is a ceremonial statement of the chamber's position. ### Who it affects This resolution primarily affects the Georgia Senate itself, as it records the chamber's official tribute, and the family or associates of Rev. Dr. Ralph David Abernathy Sr., who would receive the distributed copy. It does not impose obligations on the public. ### Why it matters While the resolution carries no legal force, it publicly records the Georgia Senate's recognition of a nationally significant civil rights figure's contributions, preserving that acknowledgment in the state's official legislative record. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses recount Rev. Dr. Abernathy's birth, military service, education, ministry, and civil rights leadership. - The resolving clause states the Senate honors his life and memory and expresses regret at his passing. - A further resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-06) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-03-06) - Sponsors: Jaha Howard, Gail Davenport, Tonya Anderson, Donzella James, RaShaun Kemp, Sonya Halpern, Freddie Sims, Nan Orrock - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73887 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr910.md?full=1