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Benjamin Mays
Mays distinguished himself as an effective administrator, elevating the Howard program to legitimacy and distinction among religious schools. In Morehouse College, he enjoyed his greatest influence on events in the history of the U.S. His most famous student at Morehouse was Martin Luther King Jr. During King's years as an undergraduate at Morehouse, the two developed a close relationship that continued until Martin Luther King, Jr.'s death. -
1946 Governor's Race/End of the White Primary
As member of the Board of Regents, Eugene Talmadge initiated action that resulted in the termination of a professor. Thanks to the county-unit system, Talmadge was the winner of the Democratic primary. some people were asked to vote for his son, Herman Talmadge as a write-in candidate to take advantage of a Georgia law. The changes would make Melvin E. Thompson governor. Sitting governor Ellis Arnell had no intention of surrendering the office of Georgia governor to Herman Talmadge. -
Brown v. Board of Education
A young black girl named Oliver Brown was in a White School in Topeka, Kansas. Twelve parents sued the school board of Kansas so they were taken into the Supreme Court. This case was known as Brown v. Board of Education. All 9 judges stated that this violated the 14th amendment along with the phrase "separate but equal". Segregation was considered illegal in schools after the case. Copy and paste link: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/landmark_brown.html -
1956 Flag of Georgia
John Sammons Bell, a Democrat, began a campaign to replace the red and white lines to the confederate flag from the Civil War. Legislation to put the Confederate flag on Georgia's state flag sailed through the General Assembly. Georgia devoted two-thirds of its state banner to the Stars and Bars.The flag bill passed by Congress went through the legislature with no public hearings and attracted little attention in the press. -
Sibley Commission
Commonly known as the Sibley Commission, the committee was charged with gathering state residents' sentiments regarding desegregation and reporting back to the governor. As governor, Ernest Vandiver decided to choose John Sibley to continue running the Sibley Commission because Sibley opposed integration. Sibley decided to chair a series of hearings carefully orchestrated to minimize support for massive resistance. Despite Sibley's efforts, 60% favore total segregation. -
SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Commitee) founded
SNCC sought to coordinate youth-led nonviolent, direct-action campaigns against segregation and other forms of racism. SNCC members played an integral role in sit-ins, Freedom Rides, the 1963 March on Washington, and such voter education projects as the Mississippi Freedom Summer. -
Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter admission to the University of Georgia
Both Holmes and Hunter had their applications to UGA rejected. They both filed a civil lawsuit against Danner who refused to admit them to UGA. A trial was held, and a judge said that race doesn't matter. Therefore, Hunter and Holmes were admitte to UGA. Few uproared riots were thrown because of the integration in UGA. The university was suspended for a while to end the riots. On January 18, the university has been reopened. Copy and paste link: http://desegregation.uga.edu/history/ -
Albany Movement
Blacks and whites in Albany banded together to dismantle the Jim Crow Laws and to press for immediate legal, educational, and political reforms. Those who joined the Albany Movement determined to end discrimination in all segments of society. Those who did not hold leadership positions in the Movement provided crucial support as foot soldiers in these collective moments of inspiration, resolve, and faith. -
March on Washington
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place in Washington, D.C. This was where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. More than 200,000 demonstrators took part in the March on Washington. The march was successful in pressuring the administration of John F. Kennedy to initiate a strong federal civil rights bill in Congress. Copy and paste link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wDU-oYQN04 -
Civil Rights Act
President John F. Kennedy unveiled plans to pursue a comprehensive civil rights bill in Congress. A. Philip Randolph and other civil rights leaders continued to press the major political parties and presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy to enact such legislation and to outlaw segregation. The bill passed the House of Representatives, but became mired in the Senate due to a filibuster by southern senators. Copy and paste link: http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=97 -
Lester Maddox
After losing a year-long legal battle in which he challenged the constitutionality of the public accommodations section of the Civil Rights Act, Maddox elected to close his restaurant rather than desegregate. Maddox entered Georgia's 1966 gubernatorial contest and shocked many political observers by defeating the liberal former governor Ellis Arnall in the Democratic primary. As governor he backed significant prison reform, an issue popular with many of the state's African Americans. -
Andrew Young
Young was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as the first black elected from Georgia. He was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to be the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and he succeeded Maynard Jackson as mayor of Atlanta. Copy and paste link: http://www.biography.com/people/andrew-young-jr-9539326#awesm=~oBs0ytFIEmFKd2 -
Maynard Jackson as Mayor of Atlanta
Jackson thought differently, and polls demonstrated his popularity with voters. One of Jackson's main priorities was to ensure that minority businesses received more municipal contracts, and he succeeded in raising the proportion from less than 1% to more than 35%. His insistence on affirmative action, his emphasis on public involvement in neighborhood planning, and other issues created a rift between the mayor and much of the white business community in Atlanta.
