23 LC 127 0361
H. R. 711
- 1 -
House Resolution 711
By: Representatives Hutchinson of the 106
th
, Buckner of the 137
th
, Reese of the 140
th
, Hugley
of the 141
st
, Jenkins of the 136
th
, and others
A RESOLUTION
Honoring the life and memory of Richmond D. Hill; and for other purposes.
1
WHEREAS, the people of the State of Georgia posthumously honor the legacy of the late2
Richmond D. Hill, a native of Harris County, Georgia, and citizen of Greenville, Georgia.3
Fifty years ago, he was elected because of the modern civil rights movement as the first4
African American mayor in the history of Georgia; and5
6
WHEREAS, he was a native son of the state born to parents Johnny and Annie Bell Hill in7
Harris County on a farm with five siblings and educated in Columbus Public Schools. He8
wedded the late Mrs. Hiram Hill and survived Virginia, his daughter; and9
WHEREAS, in 1945, he founded and directed the Hill's Funeral Home Inc. in Greenville and10
diligently served the community for five decades with compassionate and professional care11
in their times of need; and12
WHEREAS, he was recognized among his peers at the Georgia Funeral Service Practitioner's13
Association and elected as the 5th District chairman and later president of the statewide14
organization; and15 23 LC 127 0361
H. R. 711
- 2 -
WHEREAS, he was a member of Rust Chapel United Methodist Church in Greenville, H.R.
16
Butler Lodge 23 in Atlanta, and a founding member of the Meriwether County Chapter of17
the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, where he fearlessly led18
voter registration and organization efforts in the mid-1960s; and19
WHEREAS, he was elected in 1968 as the first African American city council member in20
Greenville and in Meriwether County; and21
WHEREAS, he was elected in 1973 as the first African American mayor of Georgia's history22
and is credited with improving housing, infrastructure, and municipal services in the city23
during his ten years of service before passing in 1992; and24
25
WHEREAS, a dedication ceremony in Greenville sponsored by the Georgia Historical26
Society, the City of Greenville, and the Odessadale Preservation Committee with a Special27
Civil Rights Trail Historical Marker will take place on March 25, 2023, and we now28
recognize Richmond D. Hill's contribution to the State of Georgia's valiant and rich civil29
rights history and legacy.30
31
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that32
the life and memory of Richmond D. Hill are honored and his many contributions to the civil33
rights movement are remembered.34
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized35
and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the36
family of Richmond D. Hill.37