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Benjamin Mays
Benjamin Mays was an African American that spoke out before Civil Rights Movements had began. He largely criticized against segregation. In 1940 Benjamin became the president of The Morehouse College of Atlanta. He would undertake the job until 1967. Mays was also a very influencial mentor to the extremely famous Martin Luther King Jr. King was a student at the Morehouse and was taught under the wing of Mays. He also assumed positions in the NAAC, YMCA, and multiple other organizations. -
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Civil Rights in Georgia
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Governor's Race/End of the White Primary
The Three Governors Controversy is very well known. Soon after Eugene Talmadge died, The Georgia General Assmelby chose Eugene's son, Herman Talmadge, as the next governor. This new change in power upset people all across Georgia. Melvin Thompson was the current Lieutenant Governor. He annouced he was the new Governor! With all of the chaos, Ellis Arnall decided to remain in his position as present Governor until it was resolved. Soon after, The Supreme Court ruled that Thompson was Governor. -
Herman Talmadge
Herman Talmadge was a racist white supremisist. He also happened to be a Georgia governor. He strongly opposed Civil Rights. He was the son of the former governor Eugene Talmadge. Eugene died right before he could be sworn in. Mysteriously, write in votes were found for Herman. A huge controversy broke out, but Herman came out victorious. He did everything in his power to stop the integration of schools. When Jim Crow Laws were declared unconstitutional, he was appalled by the change. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This case is one of the most famous ones in history. Oliver L. Brown and a group of other parents wanted their kids to go to the white school. They believed that the schools were not equal and that it violated The Constitutional Equal Protection Clause. The court sided with Brown claiming that it violated the clause. This was taken as a huge success across the country for the Civil Rights Movement. This case in Topeka, Kansas was also one of the main causes for the state flag change in 1956. -
Sibley Commission
The Sibley Commission was credited for stopping a shut down between the Federal Government and Governor Vandiver. The Commission was created by Griffin Bell. It's goal was to help the decision of closing all public schools or to obey by the federal laws and intergrate the schools. This was a very controversial topic and the Governor had a tough decision to make. This Commisision traveled to Atlanta and questioned people on their opinions with the topic. This helped them make the decision. -
Hamilton Homes and Charlayne Hunter to UGA
Hamilton Homes and Charlayne Hunter were two black students who wanted to go to college so they could get the best education possible. They were confronted by a group of activists who were interested in testing segregation. Both were denied admission and enrolled at a different school. They continued to submit their applications and their lawyers constantly challenged their denials. After 2 years of arguing, they were finally accepted into UGA as the first black students there in history. -
Albany Movement
Three Student Nonviolent Coordinating Community workers started to share their beliefes on ridding of segregation. This sparked much controversy, but then helped create organizations that held mass meetings in support of the Albany Movement. Hundreds were arrested. Martin Luther King Jr. joined in with the cause. He spoke at meetings, but later got arrested along with his peers. He left, knowing he had failed. This movement fell flat, but it utimately ended up creating a success in Alabama. -
March on Washington
This march had over 200,000 Americans joined together and marching for a cause. It was a political rally, with the hopes to discuss political and social changes. It was organized by civil rights and religous groups. It is most famous for being the place where Martin Luther King Jr. shared his "I Have a Dream" speech. -
Civil Rights Act
This act is known as the one of the biggest achievements in the Civil Rights Movement. It was first introduced by President Kennedy and recieved much criticism. It eventually made its way to being signed by Lyndon B. Johnson. It made segregation in public places and hiring discrimination based on sex, race,color, and religion illeagal. It is also credited with paving the way for The Voting Rights Act of 1965. -
Lester Maddox
In 1966 Lester Maddox was elected to be Georgia Governor after losing three times. This was a surprising win, since he was the first Republican elected since Reconstruction. He was expected to try to oppose desegregation. Even more shockingly, Lester used his authority to place blacks in government positions. These positions filled involved the first black Georgia State Patrol Officer and official on the state's Board of Corrections. He also supported UGA with large funds. -
Maynard Jackson as Mayor of Atlanta
Maynard Jackson was elected as Mayor of Atlanta in 1973. He is famous for being the first African American mayor of a a major city. Before being elected as mayor, Jackson served on the US Senate and held the position as Vice Mayor. He served two consecutive terms as Mayor and then served his third in 1990. Maynard was able to add a terminal to the airport during his term. When he died in 2003, the airport renamed itself to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International. -
Andrew Young
Andrew Young achieved multiple accomplishments in his lifetime. He worked along side Martin Luther King Jr. in the SCLC. Young also managed to keep nonviolently sharing his opinions to the public even after King died. Andrew was the first African American to be elected into the House of Representatives in 1972 since Reconstruction. Another one of his many achievements was being chosen by Jimmy Carter to be an ambassador of the UN. Lastly, in 1981 Young was elected as the Mayor of Atlanta.
