Bill > SR500

This resolution honors the life and legacy of Jamila "Mary Ethel Dozier" Jones, a civil rights activist from Montgomery, Alabama, who began her social justice journey at a remarkably young age. Born in 1944, Jones joined the NAACP youth group by age nine and became an active participant in the Montgomery Bus Boycott at age 11, walking to school for 361 days as part of the campaign against racial segregation. She was mentored by Rosa Louise Parks and demonstrated significant courage during her activism, including a notable moment at Highlander Folk School where she sang a transformative verse of "We Shall Overcome" during a sheriff's raid. In the 1960s, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where she founded the Vine City Community School and the Harambee Singers, and worked with the city's Parks and Recreation Department to integrate performing and visual arts into youth programs. Throughout her life, she remained a prominent voice for freedom, justice, and voter empowerment, contributing to significant civil rights conferences and consistently speaking out against racism. The resolution formally honors her extraordinary contributions to the Civil Rights Movement and directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide an official copy of the resolution to her family.

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71869