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William B Hartsfield
Served as Mayor longer than any other person. (6 terms 1937-1961)
While he served as mayor, he presided over many projects with buildings and structures. -
Benjamin Mays
Benjamin Mays was a civil rights activist, teacher, preacher, mentor, scholar, and author. He became the president of Morehouse College where he taught Martin Luther King Jr. He also participated in organizations including the International Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). After he retired, he continued speaking until his death. -
1946 Governor's race
Eugene Talmadge was elected governor, but was very sick and died before he was able to take office. Ellis Arnall was the current govenor and thought he should be the governor. However, Eugene's son, Herman Talmadge, got write-ins so he thought he should be governor. The Supreme court ruled that a special election be held. Herman Talmadge was elected governor in 1947. -
Herman Talmadge
Herman Talmadge was the son of Eugene Talmadge. He served as governor of Georgia for a brief time in early 1947 and again from 1948 to 1954. In 1956 Talmadge was elected to the U.S. Senate. Talmadge was a Democrat and was governor at a time of political transition in the state. He served in the Senate during a time of political change in the nation as well. He reached out to black voters in the 1970s. -
Brown vs Board of Education
Brown vs Board of Education rulingSeven-year-old Linda Brown, a black student, tried to enroll in an all white school in Topeka, Kansas. The entry was denied and the NAACP helped Brown's father sue the Topeka Board of Education. The case reached the Supreme Court in 1954 and said seperate-but-equal schools were unconstitutional. -
A New Flag
Georgia legislators showed their feelings to Confederacy by modifying the state flag in 1956 to include the Confederate battle flag. Many people felt this was Georgia's way of holding on to traditions and resisting the new ruling after the Brown vs Board of Education. -
SNCC
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was a key organization in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. In Georgia the SNCC concentrated its efforts in Atlanta and Albany. -
Sibley Commision
In 1960 Ernest Vandiver Jr. , the govenor of Georgia, was forced to decide between desegrating puplic schools or to close them down. The committee gathered state residents and discussed the ideas and reported back to the governor. The Sibley Commision led to the desegregation in Georgia. -
Albany Movement
The Albany movement was the first attempt during the civil rights era to desegregate. During the movement to desegregate the town of Albany, 1,000 African Americans were put in jail.Martin Luther King Jr. included,who admitted defeat. However, the failure of the Albany movement taught Mr. King that he needed to work harder for what he believed. -
Hamliton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter
Students on campus
Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter were the first African Americans to go to the University of Georgia, one of many segregated schools. They applied many times. At first they weren't allowed because "there wasn't enough space".They eventually sued the University Registrar for not accepting them, and they won the case. -
Andrew Young
Andrew Young was a black civil rights activist. He worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), through which he taught people who believed in civil rights, nonviolent ways to help desegregate southern areas. He worked with MLK, and was there when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968. He then became the first African American since Reconstruction to be elected to Congress from Georgia. -
Martin Luther King Jr.
"I have a dream"
Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I have a dream" speech during the March On Washington.He talked about his hopes of equality for everyone no matter their race. Some of his other accomplishments include leading the bus boycott; being president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, being head of the Montgomery Improvement Association, and publishing "Stride Toward Freedom”. -
March on Washington
March on Washington
The March on Washington took place on August 28,1963. 250,000 Americans gathered in Washington D.C.The political rally is known as The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.The March was organized by a number of civil rights and religious groups. This was were Martin Luther King Jr. performed his "I Have a Dream" speech. -
Civil Rights Act
Civil Rights Act video
On July 2, 1964, the Civil Rights Act was signed outlawing any form of discrimination in the U.S.A. -
Lester Maddox
Segregationist, Lester Maddox of Atlanta, Georgia became governor. Maddox was the governor of Georgia from 1967 to 1971. He believed strongly in states rights and segregation. -
Hartfield Jackson Airport
Hartsfield, a former mayor of the city of Atlanta, founded the airport at the site of an abandoned racetrack in 1925. After the death of William B Hartsfield the Atlanta airport was renamed after him -
Maynard Jackson
Maynard Jackson was the first African American to serve as mayor of a major southern city. He served from 1974-1982. During his time in office he helped create jobs and improve black communities.
