Bill > HR988

This resolution commends The Savannah Tribune, a historic African American newspaper founded in 1875 by John H. DeVeaux, Louis B. Toomer, Sr., and Louis M. Pleasant during the post-Emancipation Proclamation era. The resolution traces the newspaper's significant journey through challenging periods of segregation and racial discrimination, highlighting its role as one of the first African American-owned newspapers in the United States. It details the newspaper's various ownership transitions, including periods under Sol C. Johnson and Willa Ayers Johnson, and its re-establishment in 1973 by Robert E. James and later by his wife Shirley Barber James. The resolution recognizes The Savannah Tribune as a crucial media outlet that documented and challenged racial injustices, including reporting on race riots, lynchings, and educational inequities during the Jim Crow era. By resolving to celebrate the newspaper's 150-year legacy on June 28, 2025, the House of Representatives acknowledges The Savannah Tribune's ongoing commitment to championing African American causes through print and digital media, and directs the House Clerk to provide an official copy of the resolution to current publisher Shirley Barber James.

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72116