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Mays becomes President of Morehouse College
WSB-TV newsfilm clipBenjamin Mays was an early civil rights activist, administator, and author. He became the president of Morehouse and mentored Martin Luther King Jr. May's ideas- "the dignity of all human beings and the incompatibility of American democratic ideals with American social practices" were strong in the civil rights movement. -
End of the White Primary
April 1, 1946
Interview of Primus King
Primus King had tried to cast a ballot, but denied the right to. This prearranged challenge to the white primary spread to the Supreme Court, where after some struggles, Primus won the case (King v. Chapman). The Supreme Court rules that the white primary is unconstituional. This elminated many legal barriers that blacks faced when voting. -
Three Governer's Controversy
Eugene Talmadge's passing started a race dubbed the Three Governer's Controversy. Herman's supporters produced ballots with Herman's name, showing that he was to be governer. The Lt. Governer, Melvin Thompson, claimed governership as after the governer, and so there were two people claming to be governer. Ellis Arnall refused to leave office until the matter was settled. A special election was then held to decide who would be governer. Talmadge won, making him governer. -
Herman Talmadge elected into office
Herman Talmadge Interview: American Politician from the State of GeorgiaElected in the 1948 Special Election held to determine the results of the 3 Governors Controversy, Herman supported bringing industry to Georgia and strongly believed in segregation in schools. While in office, the first sales tax was implemented which caused a great improvment in the public education system.
He was later elected to Congress. -
Brown v Board of Education
This supreme court ruling deemed that the “separate but equal” policy that had been made decades before was unconstitutional. The ruling ended segregation in public schools. Five different cases were combined into one case, “Oliver L. Brown et. al. v. the Board of Education of Topeka, (KS) et. al”. -
1956 State Flag
A great majority of the flag was changed to the Confederate "Stars and Bars", and was seen as a racial protest and response to the Browvn v. Board of Education. Governer Marvin Griffen and many other Georgian politicians were very against the idea of itegrations, and stated that they would fight against it.
The flag was not modified until 2001, after much controversy and discussion about the flag. -
1956 State Flag
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Sibley Commission (1960-1661)
The Sibley Commission was created when the choice of closing public schools or desegregating them had to be made. John Sibley, the head of the commission, supported "local option", where school boards decide for themselves. In January 1961, two African American students were ordered to be admitted to the University of Georgia. This sparked conflict between the federal and state government.School systems desegregated; but the process was slowed down due to the efforts of the commission. -
SNCC
SNCC (pronounced snick), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, was founded April 15, 1960. Members organized sit-ins, freedom rides, and the freedom ballot, a mock election to get the vote for poor African Americans in the south. The organization dissolved after 6 years. Timeline -
Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter to UGA
WSB-TV newsfilm clip
Holmes and Hunter, two African American students transferring to UGA, arrived on the campus and were met with a mob. They were withdrawn from UGA by the Dean but were later brought back by a court order. A state legislation almost caused the school to close because it had been desegregated, but the school remained open. -
The Albany Movement
The Albany Movement was a movement organized by various groups of activists; including SNCC and NAACP, as well as SCLC later on. People participated in sit-ins, protesting, marches, and boycotts to end racial segregation and discrimination in Albany, Georgia. Although they didn't get much from the city government, the movement attracted the attention of the entire nation. -
March on Washington
This key moment in the civil rights movement was organized and rallied by civil rights and other groups, meant to communicate the challenges that African Americans faced socially and politically. Over 200,000 attended the event, listening to speeches, songs, and prayers performed by civil rights leaders, clergymen, politicians, etc. The most famous speech spoken at the event is the “I Have Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr. -
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Civil Rights Act of 1964
TranscriptThis legislation outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The legislation specifically banned unequal treatment at voting booths, desegregated public places and facilities, prevented discrimination by government agencies that receive federal funds,encouraged the desegregation of public schools. bans discrimination of employees, and introduces the Fair Housing Act (that stops discrimination in property). -
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Lester Maddox in Office
Lester Maddox reformed prisons when in office, reformed health care, and increased funding to the university system. He was viewed as a very predujuiced person, but he appointed more African Americans to positions than all previous governers. -
Martin Luther King Jr.'s death
WALB newsfilm clip Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated; he was a very well known civil rights activist that led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, helped found the SCLC, organized and advocated nonviolent protests and activism, and delievered the famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the 1963 March on Washington. -
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Andrew Young in Office
Andrew Young, in his youth, had worked in the SCLC, teaching people nonviolent organizing strategies in workshops.Young won Georgia’s Fifth District seat in the House of Representatives in January of 1973, being the first African American in Congress from Georgia since the Reconstruction Period. In Congress, he supported the rights of poor and working-class people. His work would lead to the election of African Americans later on. -
Maynard Jackson
Maynard Jackson is the first African American mayor of Atlanta; he was reelected three times. He was instrumental in the rebuilding of Hartsfield Atlanta Airport, which was later on named Hartsfield-Jackson in his honor. He was mayor when MARTA recieved its federal funding and when Atlanta was selected for the Summer Olympic Games. Jackson changed the police department to reduce police mistreatment of African Americans.
