Black Women Show Up on Opening Day of Georgia Legislative Session to Push Policy Priorities

On the first morning of Georgia’s 2026 legislative session, as lawmakers returned to the Capitol and lobbyists filled the hallways, a group of Black women leaders made a point to be there early — before agendas were locked in and before priorities were set.

Dee Dawkins-Haigler was among the organizers. She is the president and founder of the Organization of World Leaders and a partner in the event alongside the Georgia Black Women’s Roundtable. For Dawkins-Haigler, the timing mattered just as much as the message.

“Black women are the backbone of civilization and society,” she said. “We have been putting in the dues and the work for many years, and now it’s time for our voices to be heard at the Georgia State Capitol and beyond.”

The gathering came as lawmakers kicked off the 40-day session and activists from across the state converged on Atlanta. According to reporting by Courthouse News Service, advocates raised concerns about affordability and warned that proposed tax cuts could shrink funding for public services like food assistance and health care.

Dawkins-Haigler said Black women are already feeling the consequences of policy decisions made far from the Capitol floor. She pointed to job losses that hit Black women particularly hard, noting that more than 300,000 Black women were laid off from federal jobs nationwide last year, including nearly 20,000 in Georgia.

Health outcomes are another pressure point. Dawkins-Haigler said Black women in Georgia continue to rank at the bottom when it comes to maternal and child health.

“We have an F,” she said. “Georgia can do better than that.”

Health care access was a major focus of the day. Dawkins-Haigler said organizers are continuing to push for Medicaid expansion and expressed concern about the ripple effects of failing to extend affordable care subsidies at the federal level. Health advocates cited by Courthouse News Service warned that hospitals across Georgia — especially in rural areas — could close if funding gaps grow.

“If hospitals or doctor’s offices or urgent care don’t have enough people who have insurance to pay the bills, then they will close the doors,” Dawkins-Haigler said.

Education was also front and center. Dawkins-Haigler said advocates are urging lawmakers to fully fund Georgia’s Quality Basic Education formula, arguing that children lose out when education dollars are redirected elsewhere.

Her experience as a former legislator has shaped how she approaches advocacy now. She said too often, Black organizations arrive midway through the session or after key deadlines, when bills are already stalled.

“The first day of session sets the tone,” she said. “That’s when the agenda is made.”

Standing inside the Capitol, Dawkins-Haigler framed the building not as a symbol of power, but as public space that belongs to the people.

“This is our house,” she said.

As the session moves forward, Dawkins-Haigler encouraged Black women — and allies — to stay engaged through organizations like the Black Women’s Agenda, the Georgia Coalition of the People’s Agenda and the Organization of World Leaders.

She said the goal is not visibility for its own sake, but results.

“Black women get things done,” she said.