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Benjamin Mays Becomes President of Morehouse College
Benjamin Mays focused on education by attending colleges and becoming a teacher and a dean. He traveled to India in 1936 to discuss passive resistance plans with Gandhi. He became the president of Morehouse College in 1940. Martin Luther King Jr. was his student and Mays became a mentor to him. He was involved in organizations like the NAACP and the YMCA and he was an active writer and speaker. He was a leading advocate of civil rights. -
End of the White Primary
The white primary was used by southern whites to keep African-Americans from voting in the Democratic primary. In 1944, African-Americans tried to vote in the white primary, but they were forcefully kicked out. In 1945, African-Americans sued the state and went to court. The white primary was then declared unconstitutional. Ellis Arnall didn't fight it, but Eugene Talmadge tried to bring it back. African-Americans could now vote fairly. -
1946 Governor's Race
This election led to a series of segregationist governors who ended some of the progressive reforms made by Governor Ellis Arnall. Talmadge died before taking office, but 3 men claimed to be the new governor. The Georgia Constitution said the lieutenant governor would be the new governor, Herman Talmadge was secretly chosen, and Arnall refused to leave office. The General Assembly chose Talmadge (unconstitutional), and the Supreme Court chose Thompson, but Talmadge later won an election. -
Herman Talmadge Becomes Governor
Herman Talmadge was the son of Eugene Talmadge who died after he was elected, so he could not take office. The General Assembly appointed Herman as governor for a short time. Then, the Supreme Court ruled this unconstitutional. In 1948, he won a special election. He supported Georgia's public education system. He brought more industry to the state. He was a segregationist and went against civil rights decisions. When he served in the Senate, he supported agricultural programs. -
Brown v. Board of Education
In the Brown v. Board of Education case, the Supreme Court decided that segregating schools was unconstitutional. The Georgia General Assembly declared this null and void and threatened to stop funding and close schools that integrated. Some people in Atlanta formed a group (Help Our Public Education) to make the government not shut down schools. The Sibley Commission reccomended that counties decide if they would integrate schools. -
The 1956 State Flag
The Brown v. Board of Education ruling caused many white citizens to participate in acts of massive resistance against the outlawing of segregation. The Georgia General Assembly changed the state flag to include the Confederate flag. Many people thought it was changed to protest civil rights legislation. Civil rights activists thought of it as a symbol of racism. In 2003, the flag was changed back. -
Sibley Commission
The Sibley Commission was a General Assembly Committee that surveryed Georgia residents about desegregation of schools and reported it back to the governor. Governor Vandiver had to decide if he should effectively close the school system or integrate schools. It was decided that Georgia citizens would make the decision. John Sibley tried to reduce support for resistance. It helped prevent violence in southern states, but it provided tactics school boards could use to slow down desegregation. -
The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
The SNCC was a major civil rights organization during the 60s. It was made up of students in high school and college. It worked with the Southern Leadership Conference and participated in peaceful, non-violent protests, and it became known for sit-ins and freedom rides. They participated in the Albany Movement which is known for being a failure. This group helped African-Americans get seats in the General Assembly. -
Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter Accepted to UGA
Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter were very good students and they applied for college. UGA did not accept them because of their race. They both brought their case to federal court. The court ruled in favor of Holmes and Hunter and they soon began classes. A mob of students began a riot and threw things at Hunter's dorm window. Racism still existed, but there were no more mobs. They both graduated and became successful. -
Albany Movement
The Albany Movement started in the fall of 1961 and ended in the summer of 1962. It was the first mass movement to try to desegregate an entire community. The result was 1,000 African-Americans in jail. The SNCC invited Martin Luther King Jr. He participated, but he was put in jail within a week. King viewed it as a failure, but it was a good learning experience. He used what he learned in his successful Birmingham campaigns. Albany viewed it as a success. -
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. is often thought of as the leader of the Civil Rights Movement because of his tireless efforts and non-violent protests. He was a spokesman for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He gave the famous "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington which changed many people's views. He also created the SCLC. He was important in ending segregation and changing America's views on racial equality. -
March on Washington
250,000 Americans went to Washington for a political rally for freedom. It became a key moment for the struggle for civil rights. Martin Luther King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. The NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference joined together to participate, even though they were white and black groups. The March on Washington symbolized faith in blacks and whites working together for racial equality. -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The southern members of Congress strongly opposed this, but it was eventually signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson. This law was expanded to create the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Because of this law, segregation was illegal and blacks could now be equal to whites, but racism continued. -
Lester Maddox
Lester Maddox was the last segregationist governor in Georgia. He was known for using ax handles to forcefully remove African-Americans who tried to integrate his restaurant. He closed the restaurant because he didn't want to integrate it. Maddox later became Lieutanant Governor, but he often clashed ideas with Jimmy Carter's ideas. -
Andrew Young Elected to US House of Representatives
Andrew Young was a civil rights activist who focused on voter registration drives. He began working in the SCLC and participated in non-violent protests, and he worked with Martin Luther King Jr. In 1972, he became the first African American since Reconstruction to be elected to Congress from Georgia. In 1981, he was elected mayor of Atlanta. He was instrumental in the city’s growth and national and international prestige. He continued to work in international organizations after being mayor. -
Maynard Jackson Becomes Mayor
Maynard Jackson was the first African-American to be mayor of a major southern city. In 1968, he ran against Herman Talmadge for Senate, but he lost. A year later, he became vice-mayor. Then, he was elected as mayor. While mayor, he provided more contract work to black-owned businesses and expanded Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport (which was later named after him). He also added more black police officers. It was a big step for blacks when he became mayor.
