Bill Text: GA HR1305 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

Georgia House Resolution 1305 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Cummings, Mrs. Mary A. Moss; condolences

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Passed) 2010-02-04 - House Read and Adopted [HR1305 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2009-HR1305-Introduced.html

10 LC 94 2024

House Resolution 1305

By: Representatives Brooks of the 63rd, Smyre of the 132nd, Dukes of the 150th, Abdul-Salaam of the 74th, Williams of the 89th, and others

A RESOLUTION

Honoring the life and memory of Mrs. Mary A. Moss Young Cummings; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Mrs. Mary A. Moss Young Cummings; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Young Cummings was born on March 3, 1943, in Fitzgerald, Georgia, the beloved 13th child of 16 to Ida and Matthew Moss; and

WHEREAS, a Monitor High School graduate, Mrs. Young Cummings earned a bachelor's degree with honors from Savannah State University and a law degree from Howard Law School; and

WHEREAS, active in the Civil Rights movement, she was arrested during the early sixties while protesting the segregation of lunch counters, restaurants, and theaters; founded a youth chapter of the NAACP in Savannah; worked in Civil Rights campaigns in Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida; and participated in the March on Washington in 1963 and the Poor People's Campaign in 1968; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Young Cummings was very active in Maynard Jackson's campaign to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate in 1968, C.B. King's campaign for Governor of Georgia in 1970, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm's campaign for President in 1972, Jesse Jackson's campaigns for President in 1984 and 1988, and Andrew Young's campaign for Governor of Georgia in 1990; and

WHEREAS, she was the first female African American and second African American to practice law in Albany, Georgia; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Young Cummings's legal action against the City of Albany resulted in the creation of wards for voting purposes, which led to her election to the city commission and the historic 1976 election of the first two African American city commissioners; and

WHEREAS, after serving on the Albany City Commission for eight years, she was elected to the Georgia General Assembly, where she served for ten years and was elected to chair the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Young Cummings joined the Brooks Litigation as a co-plaintiff in the historic 1988 case that has produced more African American judges in Georgia than any other state in the United States; and

WHEREAS, she was known as one of the Four Horsemen when she joined Cynthia McKinney, John White, and Tyrone Brooks in sponsoring the Max Black Reapportionment Plan of 1991 which is responsible for Georgia having more African American elected officials than any other state in the United States; and

WHEREAS, her dedication and commitment to the principles of equality and justice were recognized with numerous awards, including the Albany NAACP Freedom Award, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Drum Major for Justice Award, the Outstanding Black Georgian in Politics Award from the Committee on the Life and History of Outstanding Black Georgians, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Community Service Award, and the President's Award from the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials in October 2005, during its Fall conference at Albany State University in Albany, Georgia; and

WHEREAS, a woman of deep and abiding faith, Mrs. Young Cummings was called to the ministry in the early nineties and was ordained in 1994, serving on the pastoral staff of New Dimension Christian Church for many years; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Young Cummings was blessed with the love of two children, Demetris and April, and five delightful grandchildren, Essence, Maya, Nubia, Kenya, and Erica; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Young Cummings will long be remembered for her love of family and friendship, and this loyal mother, sister, grandmother, activist, and friend will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing her.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body honor the life and memory of Mrs. Mary A. Moss Young Cummings and express their deepest and most sincere regret at her passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the family of Mrs. Mary A. Moss Young Cummings.