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Senate Resolution 301
By: Senators Davenport of the 17th, Anderson of the 43rd, James of the 28th, Jones of the
10th, Merritt of the 9th and others
ADOPTED SENATE
A RESOLUTION
Creating the Senate Rosenwald Schools Study Committee; and for other purposes.
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WHEREAS, in the early 1900s, Julius Rosenwald, one of the early presidents and part owner2
of Sears, Roebuck and Co., partnered with Booker T. Washington, a Black educator and3
leader, to fund construction of schools in poor, rural African American school districts across4
the South; and5
WHEREAS, Rosenwald schools were cooperatively built with donations of land and labor6
from the local communities and matching financial contributions from the Rosenwald7
Foundation; and8
WHEREAS, the foundation helped fund the construction of almost 5,000 schools for Black9
children around the South, which helped lift generations of African Americans out of10
poverty; and11
WHEREAS, the program provided funding for more than 240 Rosenwald schools in 103 of12
Georgia's 159 counties, and at least 35,000 children attended those schools; and13
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WHEREAS, school integration brought an end to operation of the Rosenwald schools,
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though many continued to serve their communities long after; and15
WHEREAS, Rosenwald and Washington's program dramatically transformed the country16
by profoundly reshaping the African American experience, yet its scope and impact are17
largely unknown and remain hidden history; and18
WHEREAS, the history of Rosenwald schools in Georgia and their impact on the education19
and economic prosperity of African Americans in the state is deserving of study.20
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:21
(1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Rosenwald22
Schools Study Committee.23
(2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of five members of the24
Senate to be appointed by the President of the Senate. The President shall designate a25
member of the committee as chairperson of the committee.26
(3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,27
issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or28
legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.29
(4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee30
may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or31
convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and32
accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.33
(5) Allowances and funding.34
The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided for in35
Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. The allowances36
authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member of the committee for37
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more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds necessary to carry out
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the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds appropriated to the Senate.39
(6) Report.40
(A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that41
include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the42
same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to43
subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.44
(B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for45
proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report subject to subparagraph (C)46
of this paragraph.47
(C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of48
abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.49
A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with50
the Secretary of the Senate.51
(D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary52
of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.53
(7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.54
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