HR 1711: Bennette, Reverend Fred C., Jr.; honoring the life and memory; condolences

This resolution is a ceremonial statement from the Georgia House of Representatives. It does not change any law. Instead, it recognizes the life of Reverend Fred C. Bennette, Jr., an Atlanta-born Civil Rights leader who worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., organized voter registration drives, and led early campaigns to desegregate businesses and increase Black employment in Georgia. The resolution recounts his military service, his education at Morris Brown College and the Turner Theological Seminary, his role in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Operation Breadbasket, and his later work with The King Center. It closes by directing the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to his family as a formal expression of sympathy.

• Formally honors the life and memory of Reverend Fred C. Bennette, Jr. on behalf of the Georgia House of Representatives.
• Expresses the House's official regret and condolences over his passing.
• Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to his family.
• Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement; it is purely a commemorative statement.

The resolution directly names the family of Reverend Fred C. Bennette, Jr., who will receive a copy, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who is tasked with distributing it. It has no effect on the general public or on any Georgia agency's operations.

The resolution has no legal or financial effect, but it places an official record of Reverend Bennette's Civil Rights work and community contributions into the Georgia House's proceedings, and provides his family a formal, state-recognized tribute to his life.

• The whereas clauses recount Reverend Bennette's biography, military service, and Civil Rights work, including his role with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Operation Breadbasket.
• The first resolving clause states that the House joins in honoring his life and expresses sincere regret at his passing.
• The second resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to his family.

1. 2026-03-16House Read and Adopted (Cámara de Representantes)
2. 2026-03-16House First Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
3. 2026-03-16House Hopper (Cámara de Representantes)

• Dewey McClain (D, HD-109)Patrocinador principal
• Al Williams (D, HD-168)
• Billy Mitchell (D, HD-088)
• Lydia Glaize (D, HD-067)
• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)

• civil rights history
• Georgia legislature
• memorial resolution
• Martin Luther King Jr.
• Atlanta history