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Benjamin Mays
Benjamin Mays Mays, a mentor of Martin Luther King Jr, worked with King to rid GA of segregation. A leader in many organizations such as the NAACP, Mays had 2 ideas which stood out in the words of Martin Luther King Jr. & in the actions and motives that defined the civil rights movement-the dignity of all human beings and the incompatibility of American democratic ideals with American social practices. His book, “Seeking to Be a Christian in Race Relations, put these ideas together clearly. -
1946 Governor's Race/End of White Primary
1946 Governor's Race The race began with the death of Eugene Talmadge. GA's constitution stated that the leiutenant governor take over the governor's role if the governor dies. So, Melvin Thompson claimed office, but at the same time, Ellis Arnall refused to leave office from his previous term. During this time, Eugene's supporters did a write-in vote for Herman Talmadge. There were now 3 governors claiming office at the same time. Arnall later surrendered and Herman won a special election, making him governor. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education A black man wanted his daughter to go to a white school, but was denied. Thurgood Marshall argued the case before the Supreme Court. The main issue in this case was that Topeka, Kansas's edu. system was racially segregated and violated the 14 amendment's "equal protection clause." On May 17, 1954, Cheif Justice Earl Warren led the Justices to support the unaninmous decision that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This decision struck down the "seperate but equal" belief. -
Martin Luther King, Jr.
MLK Jr. King, a national symbol of black protest, developed a nonviolent approach to social change. President of the SCLC, which participated in nonviolent campaigns, he and the SCLC campaigned in Alabma for black voting rights which led to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. He stressed the importance of nonviolence to his supporters, which they displayed in the Montogomerery Bus Boycott. All throughout. he worked with other leaders to rid the country of racial discrimination & segregation. -
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Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. spent more than a decade representing blacks and being one of the most influential African American leaders during the Civil Rights Movement. -
Herman Talmadge
Herman Talmadge Herman Talmadge was a white supremacist who was an opponent of civil rights legislation. He did not allow integration in the public school system. In May of 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court delcared segregation as unconsistutional. Talmadge voiced his opinions greatly about the court decision. In the 1970s, he began reaching out to black voters to get them to vote for him, stating that he was against segregation. -
1956 State Flag
1956 state flagIn 1956, John S. Bell introduced an idea to modfiy the state flag of GA to incorporate the Confederate battle flag to prepare for the Civil War centennial & to also remember the Confederate veterans of the war. The flag raised lots of conflict, from blacks saying it represented slavery, to leaders stating that the image showed that the state was stuck in the past. The flag had a negative impact on GA's economy. A new flag was later introduced in 2001, and another one was introduced in 2003. -
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1956 State Flag
The 1956 state flag was introduced in 1956, and taken down in January of 2001 due to conflict and concerns. -
Sibley Commission
Sibley Commission Headed by John Sibley, it was made to gather the public's opinions about integration. When a judge ordered Atlanta's public school system integrated, measures were taken to slow down the process. One amendment forced the governor to cut off state funds to schools that desegragated. This left him with a decision: to close the school system or to allow desegregation. SIbley wanted schools to decide for themselves, so the commission held hearings and the public chose total desegregation. -
Andrew Young
Andrew Young He joined the SCLC in 1961 and became its executive director and worked with King. Young also rganized "citizenship schools" that taught nonviolence to potential leaders. In 1972, he became the 1st African American elected from GA from since Reconstruction to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Here, he organized voter registration campaigns that led blacks to higher offices. In Congress, he supported the poor and working-class Americans. He was elected Atlanta's mayor in 1981. -
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Andrew Young
Andrew Young played an important role in the civil rights movement. He was the voice of many. He also helped to bring the 1996 Olympic Games to Atlanta and is now a GSU professor. -
Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter to UGA
Holmes and Hunter Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter were UGA's first African American students. When they first applied, they were denied entry. A legal team, which included the NAACP, worked for the students. Holmes and Hunter reapplied each quarter, but were denied every time. Even after their attorneys stated that the university didn't consider applications of black students, UGA still didn't oblige. A trial was held and on January 6, 1961, Holmes and Hunter were admitted to the university. -
Albany Movement
Albany MovementIt's the 1st mass movement that wanted to desegregate an entire community. Led by William Anderson, it's goal was to integrate interstate bus and train station waiting rooms in Albany. In Dec., Freedom Riders went to a mass movement at a train station and were jailed-same thing happened to black highschoolers the next day. Overall, the movement resulted in over 1,000 blacks being jailed, including KIng, who thought it was a failure, contrary to what others believed. SNCC workers were involved. -
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Albany Movement
The Albany Movement lasted almost a year. -
March on Washington
March on Washington Over 250,000 people gathered in front of the Washington Monument to applaud the passage of a bill that ended discrimination against blacks and anything that negatively impacted them because of their skin color. The March, for jobs and freedom, was led by Martin Luther King, Jr. At this march, he made his famous "I Had A Dream Speech." -
Civil Rights Act
Civil Rights Act Proposed by President John F. Kennedy, but signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, due to the death of President Kennedy, the Civil Rights Act made segregation in all public facilities illegal. It also allowed the federal government to not give schools federal funds if they didnt integrate. The act also banned discrimination in businesses and labor unions. -
Lester Maddox
Lester Maddox As governor in 1967, Lester Maddox appointed African Americans to state boards and commissions, even though he was a segregationist. He did many things, such as reforming state prisons, and integrating the Georgia State Patrol. He also used funding wisely in the education system. Although many people belived he would be an extreme segregationist in office, he did many things in favor of blacks. -
Maynard Jackson as Mayor of Atlanta
Maynard JacksonHe became Atlanta's youngest & 1st African American mayor. He served 3 successful terms. He worked to give community citizens a voice in city politics, & also improved the services of the city's police and fire depts. His development of MARTA & the expansion of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl. Airport supported his belief that "expanding economic opportunity for more people incresases the properity of all people." He also worked with Andrew Young to bring the 1996 Olympic Games to Atlanta. -
SNCC
SNCCThe Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee worked to organize nonviolent campaigns led by the youth to oppose segregation. Atlanta and Albany were the SNCC's main protest areas. In Albany, the SNCC participated in sit-ins to support integration of buses and trains. Other groups learned from the SNCC's success in Albany. In Atlanta, the SNCC did sit-ins at lunch counters. When an SNCC leader was elected to a district in a reapportionment election, they improved the life of urban black greatly.
