-
Period: to
Dr. Benjamin Mays
Dr. Benjamin Mays was an author, minister, and educator during the civil rights movement. His parents were poor former slaves, but he managed to go to college and get a Ph.D in religion. He became the president of Morehouse College in the mid-1940s, where he was tenured for over 25 years. Along the way, he mentored Martin Luther King Jr. about civil rights long before the movement when King was a student of Mays'. Later in life, he got an award from the NAACP for his work and courage. -
Period: to
Herman Talmadge
Herman Talmadge was the only son of renowned Georgia Governor Eugene Talmadge. He served in the US Navy during World War II after acquiring a law degree from UGA, and later ran his own father's gubernatorial campaign. After his father died in 1946, he was embroiled in what is now known as the "Three Governors Controversy", where Eugene died before his inauguration and there were arguments over who became governor in his stead. After his terms as governor, he was elected to Senate for 4 terms. -
Period: to
Lester Maddox
Lester Maddox was the 75th governor of Georgia after being elected in 1967. He was well-known as being a white supremacist segregationist. While in office, he was a firm believer in states' rights and increased the wages of a variety of jobs. -
Martin Luther King Jr. is Born
On this day, MLK Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a famous civil rights activist who was a strong believer in nonviolent protest. He was a Nobel Peace Prize recipient in 1964, and he was a strong force in getting the Civil Rights Act passed, giving all black people the same rights as white people. He was cruelly killed in 1968, in Dallas. -
Andrew Young is Born
Andrew Young was born in Louisiana to a well-off family in New Orleans. He graduated from Howard College and moved to Georgia to pursue a political career. In 1972 he was elected into congress and served three terms. In 1981, to the excitement of many civil rights activists (including MLK's widow), Young ran for governor and won, succeeding Maynard Jackson. After a failed run at governor in 1990, he retired from politics and is still alive today. -
Period: to
Maynard Jackson
Maynard Jackson was born in Dallas, Texas in 1938. He graduated from the historically black Morehouse College in 1956 and was elected as the 1st black mayor of Atlanta, Georgia in 1974. In his terms as mayor, he helped modernize the Atlanta Airport, which now incorporates his name thanks to his work. He also helped build the Atlanta transport station (MARTA). He is most known, however, as Atlanta's 1st black mayor. -
Eugene Talmadge Dies and the Three Governors Controversy Begins
On this date, Eugene Talmadge, the governor incumbent, died before being sworn in. After this incident, three men stepped up to keep the job: Herman Talmadge, the lieutenant governor, and the current governor all fought for their spot in office. This happened because of an unclear constitution on whether the lieutenant governor would fill in if the governor dies, as the law had been made that year. Due to this, anti and pro Talmadge camps were formed. Talmadge ended up winning the election. -
School Segregation Declared Unconstitutional
Brown vs the Board of Education was a major victory for civil rights leaders, as it overturned the Plessy v Ferguson case over sixty years before. It declared seperate educational facilities as being "inherently unequal". The case was filed after Linda Brown, a black student, was unable to attend the easily accessable schools because they were whites only, This case had a negative side, as some states were so racist they closed down black schools instead of integrating them, leaving them nothing -
Georgia Adopts State Flag Feautring Confederate Signs
In 1956, Georgian politicians began a campaign to put the flag of the Confederacy, the "Stars and Bars", covering 2/3 of their state flag. While some people thought of it as an expression of free speech and Southern pride, others thought it was a racist symbol that brought to mind the cruel treatments of African-American slaves in the past. Despite some governors best efforts to overturn it, the flag lasted until 2001, when Roy Barnes finally changed it. -
The SNCC is Founded
SNCC, or the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, was founded in 1960 to organize nonviolent voter registration drives. As its name suggests, the group had many high school and college students. It played a ginormous part in the organization of the March on Washington (site of MLK's "I Have A Dream") and several minor sit ins and protesting freedom rides. SNCC can be credited as one of the major forces leading to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. However, soon after that it collapsed in 1972. -
Sibley Commision Argues Against Integration
In 1960, the governor had a tough decision on whether to integrate Georgia's public schools or to close them. -
Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Jackson admitted to UGA
In 1959, Holmes and Jackson were contacted by NAACP to join an initiative to get black students into historically white schools. A little while later, they attempted to apply to the University of Georgia, but were denied each time they applied. Finally, in 1961, a court ruling forced the UGA committee to accept them into the college, becoming the first black students accepted. -
Albany Movement Gains Nationwide Attention
The Albany Movement was one of the first cases of nonviolent protest against segregation. While it didn't succeed, it garnered attention due to Martin Luther King's Involvement and the inherent racism of the white civilians. It was set as a benchmark for future strategies like the Selma march. -
March on Washington
The March on Washington was one of the biggest human rights rallies of the recorded age, with over 250,000 participants. It directly led to the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Act. Planes, buses, and cars from all over the country came to protest. It was the site of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech (he was one the initiators of the march itself) and was one of the main parts of the drive against segregation. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964 Passed
On this day, the Civil Rights Act was declared law after president Lyndon B. Johnson signed it. It gave black people the same opprotunities and access to places as white people, and resulted in the forced desegregation of the southern states. Combined with the Voting Rights Act of the following year, African-Americans were finally able to vote without being withheld.
