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Benjamin Mays
Benjamin Mays was elected president of Morehouse College in 1940. He was known as an African American minister, educator, scholar, and social activist. Benjamin Mays focused on two ideas- "The dignity of all human beings and the incompatibility of American democratic ideals with American social practices", which became a strong topic in the Civil Rights Movement. A famous student there was Martin Luther King Jr. which he was close friends with. -
1946 Governor's Race/End of White Primary
Herman Talmadge Comments on the 3 Governor Controversy
The Governor's Race or the 3 Governor's Crisis happened when Eugene Talmadge was elected as governor, but died before taking office. There was a dispute between Herman Talmadge, Ellis Arnall, and M.E. Thompson over who should become the governor. They all had valid reasoning. The End of the White Primary was when it was ruled unconstitutional for only Whites to vote in primary elections. Courts forced GA to allow Blacks to vote. -
Herman Talmadge
Herman Talmadge, the son of Eugene Talmadge, was elected for a full four-year term in 1950 in a special election against Melvin Thompson. During Herman Talmadge's time as governer, his main focus was protection of rural America. He also helped attract new industry to the state, but Talmadge was a strong segregationlist who was against integrating public schools. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
Brown vs. Board of Education Documentary
In 1954, Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren declared it was unconstitutional to segregate public schools as it was a violation of the 14th Amendment. The ruling stated that public schools must integrate both Blacks and Whites. One major problem with this ruling was it did not give a time limit, so public schools tried to take as long as possible to integrate both races. -
1956 State Flag
The Georgia state flag was modified in 1956 to include the Confederate battle flag as a response to the Brown vs. Board of Education case. It also wanted to show what Georgia upholds its beliefs for, which basically meant legal segregation at that time. -
SNCC
SNCC Documentary Video
The SNCC stands for "Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee." Many students followed MLK Jr.'s strategy and formed the SNCC. One of the leaders of the SNCC was Julian Bond, who was later elected to the U.S. Senate from Georgia. The SNCC used sit-ins at lunch counters and later promoted voter registration in the South. -
Sibley Commission/H.Holmes & C. Hunter to UGA
In 1960, Governor Vandiver was forced to make a decision on whether to close public schools or to desegregate them. The governor chose John Sibley to head a commission, called the Sibley Commission that would open up the decision to Georgia citizens. Most Goerigans voted to close the schools, but in 1961, a federal judge ordered 2 black students to be admitted to UGA: Hamilton Holmes & Charlayne Hunter. Vandiver wanted UGA closed down, but that never happened. -
Albany Movement
The Albany Movement started when SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) workers came to Albany to challenge segregation policies and conduct a voter regisration drive. This led to marches and protests and MLK Jr. was called there. He spoke at a march and was jailed. MLK Jr. was arrested twice more, and he considered the movement a failure. There were some advancements though because Blacks gained voting quality soon after. At the end, more than one thousand people were arresteed. -
March on Washington
No one was sure about how many people would turn up for the March, but about a quarter million people participated. The March took place in Washington D.C. and went from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. It was known for its peacefulness and civility. The idea for this March started when MLK Jr. was arrested and jailed during protests in Birmingham, Alabama. The March's main target was to help gain racial equality and civil rights for Blacks. -
Martin Luther King Jr.
I Have A Dream Speech
Martin Luther King Jr. was a nonviolent protestor from Atlanta who spoke openly about desegregation and civil rights. He helped organize the March on Washington with other civil rights activists. He gave his famous, "I Have A Dream" speech during the March on Washington on August 28th, 1963. He is a national hero and is praised everywhere for his courage and fight for equality. -
Civil Rights Act
Civil Rights Act Video
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 disbanded segregation based on race, color, religion, and gender. It ended voter segregation and segregation in public facilities (nost things open to citizen use). The Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson and protects rights under the 14th and 15th amendment. -
Lester Maddox
Lester Maddox was a charismatic GA governor who was a segregationalist. He surprised many people by hiring more Blacks for government jobs. He also supported prison reform and one of his rivals was former governor Ellis Arnall. -
Andrew Young
Andrew Young was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1972, and was the first African American elected from GA since Reconstruction. Andrew Young was a civil rights activist and worked closely with Martin Luther King Junior. He was a great help in the development of Atlanta to a booming city. A a close friend of MLK Jr., he worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), an organization run by MLK Jr. Young was elected as the second Black mayor of Atlanta in 1981. -
Maynard Jackson as Mayor of Atlanta
In 1973, Maynard Jackson was elected as the first African-American mayor of Atlanta. Jackson focused mainly on helping poor cities and balancing the poor and rich in Atlanta. He brought more African Americans into positions of city government. Jackson helped bring the 1996 Summer Olympic Games to Atlanta, too.
