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Maynard Jackson
Maynard Jackson was the first African american mayor of Georgia. He waas influential in developing the Atlanta infrastructure, especially the international airport, which today is partially named after him. -
Benjamin Mays
He was an African American minister, educator, scholar, and social activist who also was the president of Morehouse College in Atlanta. He was a significant mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. as MLK was attending Morehouse as an undergrad. -
Three Governor's Controversy
In 1946, when Eugene Talmadge died, three new governers had decided that they were the governors of Georgia, so there was an arguement and a race for governor.
http://www.todayingeorgiahistory.org/content/three-governors-controversy -
Herman Talmadge
Elected Governor in 1947 but in May of 1954, When the court declared segregation unconstitutional, he was among the loudest critics in the room, being a segregationist. He later wrote a book entitled You and Segeregation (1955) -
Brown vs. Board of Education
The Supreme Court declared unanimously that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." This case brought social reform to public school systems, and was a catalyst to integrating schools across America. -
1956 State Flag
In 1956 the State of Georgia adopted a new flag because of controversy over the confederate war flag. This was proposed by John Sammons bell and in the end the flag was 2/3 devoted to the Stars and Bars. -
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Sibley Commission
The Sibley Commission was a committee that had to gather state residents' sentiments regarding desegregation and reporting back to the governor. -
Andrew Young
He has served as a Congressman from Georgia's 5th congressional district, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, and Mayor of Atlanta. He served as President of the National Council of Churches USA, was a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, and was a supporter and friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -
Albany Movement
It was the first mass movement in the modern civil rights era to have as its goal the desegregation of an entire community, and it resulted in the jailing of more than 1,000 African Americans in Albany and surrounding rural counties. Martin Luther King Jr. was drawn into the movement in December 1961 when hundreds of black protesters, including himself, were arrested in one week, but eight months later King left Albany admitting that he had failed to accomplish the movement's goals. -
March on Washington
The march on Washington was a huge event displayed for civil rights. It was also the place where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I have a Dream" speech. http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/march-on-washington/videos/bet-you-didnt-know-march-on-washington -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a landmark piece of civil rights legislation in the United States that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It ended unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the workplace and by facilities that served the general public. -
Lester Maddox
The political and social change in Georgia during the 1960s yielded perhaps the state's most unlikely governor, Lester Maddox. Brought to office in 1966 by widespread dissatisfaction with desegregation, Maddox surprised many by serving as an able and unquestionably colorful chief executive.
