--- title: HR 53. Abrams, Reverend Robert Lee; condolences collection: bills id: 2026-special/hr53 cite_as: HR 53, 2026 Special Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr53 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr53.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr53/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74914 date: 2026-06-23 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/2026-special.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr52.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr54.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr53.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 53 session: 2026 Special Session session_slug: 2026-special chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-06-23 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Carolyn Hugley - Samuel Park - Al Williams - Derrick Jackson - Gabriel Sanchez - Kim Schofield text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR53/2026/X1 upstream_id: 2154547 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - condolence resolution - civil rights history - Georgia legislature - Stacey Abrams family --- # HR 53. Abrams, Reverend Robert Lee; condolences ## Text House Resolution 53EX By: Representatives Hugley of the 141st, Park of the 107th, Williams of the 168th, Jackson of the 68th, Sanchez of the 42nd, and others A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Reverend Robert Lee Abrams; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of a distinguished and superlative husband, father, minister, activist, and citizen with the passing of Reverend Robert Lee Abrams; and WHEREAS, Reverend Robert Lee Abrams was born on February 1, 1949, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, a child of a segregated South who never accepted that obstacles placed on him by either chance or law would define his station or his worth; and WHEREAS, at just 14 years old, Reverend Robert Lee Abrams was arrested for registering Black voters in Mississippi, only beginning a lifetime of standing up for the civil rights and dignity of his family, his neighbors, and his countrymen; and WHEREAS, despite struggling with undiagnosed dyslexia, Reverend Robert Lee Abrams overcame that challenge, not only graduating high school but becoming the first man in his family to attend university, where he earned a degree from Tougaloo College; and H. R. 53EX WHEREAS, Reverend Robert Lee Abrams had the good fortune to meet and marry his wife, Reverend Carolyn Abrams on February 28, 1969, and began a life together in Gulfport, Mississippi, where they built a joyful home bound in love and service to others; and WHEREAS, Reverend Robert Lee Abrams and Reverend Carolyn Abrams were blessed to raise six children – Andrea, Stacey, Leslie, Richard, Walter, and Jeanine – in whom he instilled the maxim that "having nothing is not an excuse for doing nothing," whom they raised to place service to others at the forefront of their lives, and of whom he was immeasurably proud; and WHEREAS, in 1989, Reverend Robert Lee Abrams, after many years as a shipyard worker in Mississippi, and Reverend Carolyn Abrams felt the call to serve as the pastor of Mt. Pleasant UMC and Riley Chapel UMC in Gulfport, Mississippi, and St. Mark UMC in Atlanta, Georgia, where he ministered to all those most in need of faith in God and the love of their fellow man, dedicating himself to the homeless, troubled young youth, and the incarcerated; and WHEREAS, Reverend Robert Lee Abrams passed on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, surrounded by his loving wife, children, grandchildren and siblings, who best exemplify and steward his legacy of faith, courage, service, laughter, and love; and WHEREAS, in 1 Corinthians 15:58, the Apostle Paul wrote: "Therefore my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain"; and WHEREAS, Reverend Robert Lee Abrams, much as he knew that his faith and his family would always come for him in his time of need, never failed – whether through his activism H. R. 53EX or his ministry – to come for others in their own, and through his lifelong commitment and service to the equal rights and dignity of all did not ever labor a day in vain. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body join in honoring the life and legacy of Reverend Robert Lee Abrams and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the family of Reverend Robert Lee Abrams. H. R. 53EX ## 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 House resolution honors the life of Reverend Robert Lee Abrams, a civil rights activist and minister who died on June 17, 2026, and directs a copy be sent to his family. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a formal statement from the Georgia House of Representatives honoring Reverend Robert Lee Abrams after his death on June 17, 2026. It recounts his life story: born in Mississippi in 1949, arrested at 14 for registering Black voters, a graduate of Tougaloo College despite undiagnosed dyslexia, a shipyard worker who later became a pastor serving churches in Mississippi and Atlanta, and the father of six children including former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. Its operative effect is symbolic: the House formally expresses its regret at his passing and honors his legacy of activism and ministry. It also directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for delivery to his family. ### What it does - Formally expresses the House of Representatives' regret at the death of Reverend Robert Lee Abrams and honors his life and legacy. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Abrams' family. - Creates no new law, funding, or penalty; it is a ceremonial statement rather than a regulatory or budget measure. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names the family of Reverend Robert Lee Abrams, including his wife Reverend Carolyn Abrams and children Andrea, Stacey, Leslie, Richard, Walter, and Jeanine. It also involves the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who must prepare the commemorative copy. ### Why it matters While the resolution carries no legal or financial effect, it is the Georgia House's official way of publicly recognizing a private citizen's life of civil rights activism and ministry, and it provides his family with a lasting, formal record of that recognition from the state legislature. ### Key provisions - The resolving clause states the House joins in honoring Abrams' life and legacy and expresses its deepest regret at his passing. - A further resolution clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a copy available for distribution to Abrams' family. - The whereas clauses, while not operative law, detail his biography, including his 1963 voter registration arrest and decades of ministry in Mississippi and Georgia. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-06-23) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-06-23) - Sponsors: Carolyn Hugley, Samuel Park, Al Williams, Derrick Jackson, Gabriel Sanchez, Kim Schofield - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74914 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr53.md?full=1