Bill Text: GA HB108 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum; official state civil rights museum; provide
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2010-01-11 - Senate Recommitted [HB108 Detail]
Download: Georgia-2009-HB108-Comm_Sub.html
09 LC
35 1237S
House
Bill 108 (COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE)
By:
Representatives Bryant of the
160th,
Stephens of the
161st,
Stephens of the
164th,
Carter of the
159th,
Gordon of the
162nd,
and others
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Article 3 of Chapter 3 of Title 50, relating to other state symbols, so as
to provide that the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum shall be the official
state historical civil rights museum; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
SECTION
1.
WHEREAS,
Savannah has a long and storied role in the civil rights movement, beginning
with a meeting between General Sherman and Secretary of War Stanton and twelve
Black leaders on January 12, 1865, to discuss the matter of emancipation;
and
WHEREAS,
the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, recently named "Georgia's Best New
History Museum" by the Georgia Journal, is named in honor of the late Dr. Ralph
Mark Gilbert. The father of Savannah's modern day Civil Rights Movement and
fearless National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
leader was known for much more than his outspoken campaigns for civil rights.
He was a nationally known orator, pulpiteer, and playwright, producing religious
dramas, known as passion plays, throughout the country; and
WHEREAS,
Dr. Gilbert served as pastor of historic First African Baptist Church on
Franklin Square in Savannah for 16 years. In 1942, he reorganized the Savannah
Branch NAACP, served as president for eight years and convened the first state
conference. Branches from Savannah, Brunswick, Dublin, Atlanta, Columbus,
Macon, Albany and three other branches whose identities are uncertain, attended
and elected Rev. Ralph Mark Gilbert president. Under his courageous leadership,
more than forty NAACP branches were organized in Georgia by 1950;
and
WHEREAS,
Georgia's best new history museum chronicles the civil rights struggle of
Georgia's oldest African American community from slavery to the present. Three
floors of
handsome
photographic and interactive exhibits, includes an NAACP Organization exhibit, a
fiber optic map of 87 significant civil rights sites/events, a lunch counter
where "sit ins" occurred, segregation exhibits, and video presentation are all
part of the continuous education of the public on the history of the civil
rights struggle in Savannah and Georgia. The museum is located in historic
Savannah in a five level building that was erected in 1914 as the Wage Earners
Savings and Loan Bank for Black Savannahians, the largest Black bank in the
country at that time.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
2.
Article
3 of Chapter 3 of Title 50, relating to other state symbols, is amended by
adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"50-3-85.
The
Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum is designated the official Georgia
historical civil rights
museum."
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.