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Benjamin Mays
Benjamin Mays was born on this date. He was a known African American scholar, educator, minister and social activist. He was was best known for being the longtime president of Morehouse College in Atlanta. In addition he was also a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. and was a civil rights leader before the times of the civil rights movement. Mays also had significant leadership roles in international organizations, e.g. NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). -
Herman Talmadge
HermanTalmadge was born on this date. Talmadge was the son of Eugene Talmadge, the former governor of Georgia. After Eugene Talmadge died while still in office after being elected for his fourth term, Herman Talmadge took office instead. Herman's term was known in Georigia for being rather progressive. After his term as governor, Herman served along side with Richard Russel Jr. in the Senate. Both as governor and as a senator, Herman was well-known for being heavily agianst desegregation. -
Lester Maddox
Maddox was born on September 30th, 1915 into a working-class family and knew poverty for most of his life. In 1964, Maddox became a GA celebrity by choosing to shut down his resturant rather than desegregate it. Later in 1966, Maddox ran for governor and surpringly won against popular Ellis Arnall. Despite his previous prejudice, Maddox appointed more African Americans into government positions than ALL the governors before him. Maddox also created "People's Day" and gave extra funding to UGA. -
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (birth name Michael Luther King Jr.) was born in Atlanta Georgia to Alberta Williams and Michael Luther King Sr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and the president of the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference). He was also a significant and the most well-known leader of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. King was very famous for his non-violent acts of protest, e.g. boycotts and was very heavily influenced by Benjamin Mays. -
Andrew Young
Andrew Young was born on March 12, 1932 in a prosperous middle class family and accepted responsibility at a young age. During the 1950s and 60s, he worked to desegregate southern cities such as Albany and worked closely with MLK Jr. and the SCLC. In 1972, Young was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and was the first black representative from GA since Reconstruction. In addition he was much credited with the developement of Atlanta's international reputation. -
Maynard Jackson as Mayor of Atlanta
On March 23rd, 1938 Maynard Jackson was born. Jackson was most well known for being the first African American mayor of Atlanta and was elected into office in 1973. He served eight years and came back for a third term in 1990. In his third term, he worked closely with Andrew Young, Billy Payne and others to bring the 1996 Summer Olympics to Atlanta. -
The End of White Primary
Also, sometime in 1946, a federal state ruling invalidated white primary in Georgia after Primus E. King testified that he was denied the right to vote. This ruling opened many politcal doors for African Americans. -
1946 Governor's race
Talmadge's recount on race and Thompson's campaignIn 1946 three governors, Ellis Arnall (i.e, the past governor), Herman Talmadge (i.e. Eugene Talmadge's son), and Melvin Thompson (i.e. the Lieutenant Governor at that time) all competed for Governor subsequently to Governor Eugene Talmadge's death (before Eugene to an oath to office). The contested election was challenged in court and the Georgia Supreme court ruled that M.E. Thompson was legally governor. -
Brown vs. the Board of Education
Documents relating to Brown vs. the Board of EducationThe U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown vs. the Board of Education that segregation in public schools in Georgia and other southern states was unconstitutional. However, many white supremaciest resisted the ruling and urged many public schools to close down rather than abide by court ruling. -
1956 State Flag
After the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling by the U.S. Supreme court, there was a massive uprising of disapproval throughout all of GA. To epress the state's disapproval, the General Assembly passed legislation to put the Confederate battle flage on Georgia's state flag. -
SNCC (pronounced "snick")
The SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committe), was a vital orginization in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Orginated from student-led sit-ins protesting segregated lunch, it soon became an orginization in April 1960 when students met the executive secretary of the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) and formed the youth-led SNCC. In GA, the SNCC concentrated their efforts on Albany and Atlanta. -
The Sibley Commision
After the Brown vs Board of Education ordered that all schools be desegregated, schools threatened to shut down schools rather than abide. Because of this, Gov. Ernest Vandiver Jr. asked for a committee to gather the opinions of GA's residents of desegregation. This was led by lawyer John Sibley because he opposed desegregation, but believed that massive support was futile. However, GA's beliefs were mixed and Sibley recommended that desegregation ought to be decided by local school districts. -
Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes
Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes in UGAAfter repeated rejections from UGA and a trial stating that Hunter and Holmes were only rejected because of their race, Hunter and Holmes became the first African Americans to attend UGA. Despite much prejudice against integragtion, they held strong. After one particularly violent riot, Hunter and Holmes were suspended "for their safety". However, many faculty members risked their jobs demanding that Hunter and Holmes be readmitted, Holmes and Hunter were readmitted on Jan. 19th. -
The Albany Movement
The Albany Movement started in the fall of 1961 and ended in the summer of 1962, and took place in Albany, GA. This movement resulted in the jailing of more thatn 1,000 African Americans and was well-known due to Martin Luther King Jr.'s involvement in addition to the involvement of the NAACP and SNCC. The ultimate goal was to end ALL segregation in Albany. However, this was a failure yet the lessons learned resulted in Birmingham's later success. -
The March on Washington
MLK Jr.'s I Have A Dream Speech On this date more that 250,000 Americans gathered at a rally at Washington D.C. called the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. This rally was designed to raise awareness of the politcal and social prejudice that African Americans face. On this day, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
Civil Rights Act of 1964 doc. On June 6, 1963, President John F. Kennedy urged that the government take action on ensuring the rights of African Americans. Despite Kennedy's assasination, this suggestion was still put in order and on July 2, 1964, the bill was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson a few hours after House approval. This law forbade the discrimination based on sex and race in public places and in hiring,promoting and firing. The word "sex" was a last minute additive.
