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Benjamin Mays
He was a distinguished African American minister, educator, scholar, social activist, and mentor of Martin Luther King Jr. He also filled a leadership role in several significant national and international organizations (NAACP, YMCA, World Council of Churches, etc.)
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiMQ7QNDlgU -
Lester Maddox
He was elected as the 75th governor of Georgia. He appointed more African Americans to government positions than all previous Georgia governors combined and increased funding for the University System of Georgia. Maddox was a popular governor with Georgia's citizens, including many African Americans. -
Andrew Young
He was responcible for the making Atlanta an international city. Began working with voter registration and voter education projects while working for the National Council of Churches. Young started working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at this time. He helped draft both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Right Act of 1965. -
Maynard Jackson
He was the first African American to serve as mayor of a major southern city. Jackson served eight years and then returned for a third term. Elected mayor of Atlanta in 1973, Maynard Jackson was the first African American to serve as mayor of a major southern city. Jackson served eight years and then returned for a third term in 1990. In 2003 Atlanta's major airport was changed to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Jackson's honor.
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajkv5AW -
1946 Governor's Race
Before his 4th term, GA governor Eugene Talmadge died. Ellis Arnall, the Lieutenant Governor, and Talmadge’s son, Herman, fought over who would govern. Herman Talmadge was the victor and became governor. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
The Court unanimously ruled that "separate but equal" public schools for blacks and whites were unconstitutional. The Brown case inspired education reform everywhere and formed the legal means of challenging segregation in all areas of society. After the case, the nation made great strides toward opening the doors of education to all students. -
GA State Flag
This flag included the confederate flage design, along with the GA seal on the left side. This was the GA flag until it was changed in 2001. -
Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
This organisation was made by four black college students in Greensboro, North Carolina. The SNCC struggled to define its purpose as it fought white oppression. In the early days of the SNCC, nonviolent action was strictly enforced, particularly for public demonstrations, as it was key to the movement's success. -
Sibley Commission
Governor Ernest Vandiver Jr. made state representative George Busbee to introduce legislation creating the Sibley Commission. the committee's job was to gather state residents' sentiments regarding desegregation and report it back to the governor. The governor chose John Sibley ( an Atlanta businessman, lawyer, and president of the University of Georgia Alumni Association) to lead the commission because he opposed integration. -
Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter in UGA
Holmes and Hunter became the first two African American students admitted to the University of Georgia. SInce they were admitted, a riot broke out near Hunter's dorm, and it made an uproar of varying opinions on integration. They were suspended from the college, but then readmitted to go back later. -
Albany Movement
This was a mass movement which its goal was desegregation to an entire community and was encouraged by the SNCC. 1,000 blacks were arrested during the movement. Martin Luther King Jr. was involved in the movement by speaking in a mass meeting and protesting.
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7dGWAY2AcM -
March on Washington
More than 200,000 Americans gathered in Washington, D.C., for a political rally known as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It was designed to shed light on the political and social challenges African Americans continued to face across the US. This is the time and place where Martin Luther King Jr. made his "I have a dream" speech.
Video:
http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/march-on-washington -
Civil Rights Act
Is considered one of the crowning legisllative achievements of the civil rights movement. banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin, is considered one of the crowning legislative achievements of the civil rights movement. First proposed by President John F. Kennedy, it was later signed into law by his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson.
Video:
http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-act
