ATLANTA – State Representative Carl Gilliard (D-Savannah) urges descendants of the Original 33 to contact his office.
“Since the introduction and passage of HB 303, the Original 33 Memorial Act, we have heard from more relatives of the Original 33, and we want to ensure that we are able to reach out to every family member who would like to be involved in the process of memorializing these great men,” said Rep. Gilliard. “It is essential that we properly honor these courageous men and preserve the legacy of their sacrifice and services right here at the Georgia State Capitol.”
Rep. Gilliard requests that family members of the Original 33, Black legislators who were elected to the Georgia General Assembly in 1868 and expelled after Reconstruction, contact his office to provide input and participate in forthcoming memorial events. The Original 33’s names are listed as follows:
Senators Aaron Alpeoria Bradley; Tunis Campbell, Sr.; and George Wallace; and Representatives Thomas M. Allen; Eli Barnes; Thomas Beard; Edwin Belcher; Tunis Campbell, Jr.; Malcolm Claiborn; George H. Clower; Abram Colby; John T. Costin; Madison Davis; Monday Floyd; F. H. Fyall; Samuel Gardner; William A. Golden; William Guilford; William Henry Harrison; Ulysses L. Houston; Philip Joiner; George Linder; Robert Lumpkin; Romulus Moore; Peter O’Neal; James Ward Porter; Alfred Richardson; James M. Simms; Abraham Smith; Alexander Stone; Henry McNeal Turner; John Warren; Samuel Williams; and Jacob P. Hutchings.
House Bill 303, legislation Rep. Gilliard sponsored during the 2025 legislative session, would create the Original 33 Memorial Act. HB 303 received bipartisan support and passed both the House and Senate unanimously. The bill would allow for a monument, subject to the availability of private funds, honoring the Original 33, the Black legislators expelled from the General Assembly after the end of Reconstruction, to be placed on State Capitol grounds or in another prominent place.
The full text of HB 303 may be found here.
Representative Carl Gilliard represents the citizens of District 162, which includes a portion of Chatham County. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves as Secretary of the Creative Arts & Entertainment. He also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development, Insurance, Natural Resources & Environment, Reapportionment and Redistricting and Transportation committees.
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