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Benjamin Mays
Benjamin Mays Benjamin Mays was a very important Civil Rights advocate. He used many different tactics to help the Civil Rights Movement. Mays also took a trip to India to meet with Mahatma Gandhi. He learned many different ways to help American leaders in the Civil Rights Movement. Mays also became president of Morehouse College, which is where he met Martin Luther King Jr. Mays is known for being a mentor to Dr. King. Mays also worked with many different organizations like the NAACP and the YMCA. -
End of the White Primary
The white primaryThe white primary was a way white southerners were able to keep African-Americans from voting in the Democratic Party. Because the Democratic Party was the main election, African-Americans could not really vote. In 1944 Thomas Brewer and Primus E. King led a group of African-Americans to vote, however they were kicked out of the court house. This group then decided to sue the state. The federal court ruled it unconstitutional. -
The 1946's Governor's Race
In 1946, Eugene Talmadge was elected for his 4th term but died before taking office.Due to this, the General Assembly could elect the person with the next highest votes. In 1946, Melvin Thomas took the office because he was the Lieutenant Governor and was next in line for the office.Due to the confusion Governor Arnall didn’t give up his seat. Finally, after many issues,Arnall gave up his seat and Thompson became the Governor. In 1948, however, Herman Talmadge beat Thomson in a special election. -
Herman Talmadge
Herman Talmadge was the son of Eugene Talmadge. He was a US senator and Georgia Governor. He was also a Democrat and a segregator. He opposed Civil Rights legislations. Talmadge was elected to the US Senate in 1956. He became Governor in 1948 in a special election. Talmadge was a governor during a time of political transition. He was defeated for re-election in 1980. Talmadge brought industry to the states and was a supproter of taxes supporting public education. -
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr.Martin Luther King Jr. was a very important African-American Civil Rights leader. He earned a Nobel Peace prize for his work. He was a supporter of non-violent protests. He attended Morehouse college. Dr. King served as a spokesperson for the Montgomery Bus Boycott and delivered the famous “I Have a Dream” speech. He is the only African-American to have a holiday named after him and a memorial created in his honor. -
Brown v. Board of Education
In 1954 the federal government declared segregated schools to be unconstitutional,however the Georgia General Assembly declared this law null. The General Assembly also threatened to stop funding and/or shut down any schools that desegregated.A group called Help Our Public Education formed to tell the government not to shut down any schools. In 1960, the Sibley Commission decided to let counties decide whether or not they would like to integrate. -
1956 State Flag
Georgia state flagThe changing of the Georgia state flag was a way that the General Assembly showed resistance to the federal government. The flag change to incorporate the Confederate flag. To many this flag represented oppression. The Georgia flag had been used by many groups such as the KKK. Many people believe that the flag was changed to protest civil rights legislations. In 2001 the flag was changed by Governor Roy Barnes because of the request of many of his supporters and civil rights activists. -
The Sibley Commission
Governor Ernst had to decide whether to desegregate the schools or close them down. Because he didn’t want to make a decision he decided to let the legislation find out what the voters though about this. John Sibley held hearings throughout Georgia to ask the people their thoughts on integration. In the end, 60% of the people said they would rather have the schools shut down then to integrate them. Even after this, Sibley still wanted to desegregate so he decided to do it on a limited basis. -
SNCC-The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee
The Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee was formed in North Carolina. It consisted of mostly high-school and college students. The SNCC is pronounced “snick”. This grouped organized sit-ins in Atlanta and helped many African-Americans get a seat on the General Assembly in the reapportionment election. The SNCC was a major part of the civil rights movement. -
Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter to UGA
Holmes and Hunter both applied to UGA in 1959. Both being extremely hardworking, could get into any college they wanted. However, the school didn’t except them because of their race. Because of this, Hunter and Holmes decided to take the case to the federal court which ruled in favor of them. When they entered the school a riot began and the Georgia state patrol had to bring them back to Atlanta, however the court ruled for them to return. Even with all of this, they both were able to graduate. -
Albany Movement
Albany MovementThe Albany Movement was a failed attempt to desegregate. The movement was organized by the SNCC and the NAACP. The leaders had called Dr. King to help with the movement. Though the movement was a failure, it was a great learning experience. Dr. King used many of the tactics used in this in other campaigns. -
March on Washington
March on WashingtonOver 250,000 civil rights activists gathered in Washington D.C. to push for civil rights legislation. The March on Washington was when Dr. King delivered his very famous “I Have a Dream” speech. This march led to the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This march also made Dr. King a very well-known speaker. -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 stated that the discrimination on sex and race in hiring, firing, and promoting was forbidden. This bill was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. -
Lester Maddox
Lester MaddoxLester Maddox was a governor and restaurant owner. He owned the Pickrick near the Georgia Tech campus. Because he was a segregationist, he shut his restaurant down rather than allowing it to be integrated. However once elected,he recieved support from all races. He appointed more African Americans than any other Georgia governor. Maddox had lost in many different elections however he beat Arnall in the 1966 race for governor. -
Maynard Jackson as Mayor of Atlanta
Maynard Jackson was the first African-American mayor of a major southern city. He served from 1973-1981 and from 1990-1994. He ran against Herman Talmadge for senate but lost. He was vice-mayor of Atlanta. He provided more work for African-Americans and expanded Hartsfield Airport which later had his name added on to it. He also added more African-Americans to the police force and helped them get promoted. He worked with Andrew Young and Billy Paine to bring the Olympics to Atlanta. -
Andrew Young
Andrew Young worked for the SCLC. Young was also a close associate of Dr. King. Young helped organize “citizenship schools” that helped trained civil rights leaders take part in non-violent protests. He also organized demonstrations and voter registration campaigns. Young was with Dr. King the day he was assassinated. Young became Georgia’s first African-American congressmen. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed him ambassador to the UN. He was also elected mayor of Atlanta in 1981.
