Mr. Brown's Georgia History Class: SS8H11: The Civil Rights Movement

    The Civil Rights Movement was an important part of America's history. There were many heroes that had to go through many trials and tribulations, but in the end, there effort greatly impacted not only the US, but the world.
    Right before the Civil Rights era, an event happened called the "Three Governors Controversy", or the 1946 Governor's race. The winner of the election, Eugene Talmadge, passed away shortly before taking office. This led to many people declaring Herman Talmadge, Eugene's son, to be the next governor. Ellis Arnall, the incumbent, decided that he should be governor until one would be named. On the other hand, M.E. Thompson, the lieutenant-governor, said that he should replace Eugene. The legislative branch declared Herman the governor, but all three still said they were. The issue was solved when the Georgia Supreme Court declared a special election in 1948, in which Herman won and was sworn in as the 70th Governor of Georgia.
   Eight years after the 1946 election, a court case known as "Brown v. BOE" occurred. It all started when Oliver Brown was angered at his daughter's inability to go to an all white school, not far away from their home, all because she was black. The issue went all the way to the Supreme Court, where the judges overruled the "separate but equal" law started by the Plessy v. Ferguson case. Shortly thereafter, the Sibley commission was created in Georgia to see what Georgia wants to do with this ruling, and the 1956 state flag was made. This flag angered many and was believed to be protest against the Supreme Court's ruling.

Brown v. BOE.

1956 State flag.

The leader of the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr., attended Morehouse College along with its speeches made by the President of the college, Benjamin Mays. Mays then took King under his apprenticeship and told MLK to stand up for one's rights and try and end civil inequality for blacks and other races.

Benjamin Mays.

MLK Jr.

Another important college group, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC, was founded upon the principle to create civil rights in an nonviolent way. One of their most known attempts was the Albany Movement, in which SNCC leaders went down to try and register black voters. Though not a success, it attracted national attention to SNCC and what they were doing.

SNCC logo.

The Albany Movement.

Also during this era, a milestone was reached when UGA admitted Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter-Gault, the first blacks to do so.

Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Hamilton Holmes.

The one thing that MLK is most known for is milestone of the March on Washington, which took place on August 28, 1963. It was here that Martin gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. This event later led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made it illegal for people to discriminate anyone's race, religion, gender, or anything else. It also led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits discrimination for voting. Many southerners were outraged from these events, which led to Lester Maddox, a restaurant owner and state's rights upholder, being elected as governor in 1967. Although he was a strong opponent to the Civil Rights Act, he hired more blacks to government offices and jobs than any other governor. He went on to be the Lt. Governor for Jimmy Carter and tried to run for president in

The March on Washington.

Lester Maddox.

    Another milestone was reached when Maynard Jackson was elected as mayor of Atlanta in 1972, which made him the first black mayor of a major southern city. As with William Hartsfield, Jackson improved Atlanta's International airport, causing the airport to be renamed "Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport" shortly after his death in 2003. After Maynard Jackson, Andrew Young was elected as the second black mayor of Atlanta. Young was known for being apart of MLK's inner circle, and helped to bring the Olympic Games to Atlanta in 1996. He was also ambassador to the UN during the Carter administration.