Georgia and the Modern Civil Rights Movement SS8H11 - The student will evaluate the role of Georgia in the modern civil rights movement.

describe SS8H11a - The student will describe the major developments in civil rights and Georgia’s role during the 1940s and 1950s to include the roles of : Herman Talmadge Benjamin Mays 1946 governor’s race End of the white primary Brown vs. Board of Education Martin Luther King, Jr state flag

In the 1940s and 1950s, Georgia took a central role in the demand for change for African Americans in the U.S.

BENJAMIN MAYS The influence of BENJAMIN MAYS, father of the Modern Civil Rights Movement Minister & educator; President of Morehouse College in Atlanta Influenced by the non-violent teachings of Gandhi Believed that all human beings must be treated with dignity Spoke out against segregation before the Civil Rights movement began Worked with the NAACP Became a teacher and father- figure (mentor) to Martin Luther King, Jr.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR The influence of MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., leader of the Modern Civil Rights Movement Born in Atlanta, GA Studied at Morehouse College under Benjamin Mays Believed in non-violent methods of protest to bring about change: marches, demonstrations, and boycotts. Led a bus boycott that ended bus segregation in Montgomery, AL. Founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to lead anti-discrimination protests. Led March on Washington Won Nobel Peace Prize

THE GOVERNMENT GETS INVOLVED!!! In 1946, the courts ruled that the Democratic white primary in Georgia was an unconstitutional violation of the 14 th Amendment (the “equal protection” clause). After the 1946 election of Herman Talmadge, and for a time, several segregationists politicians were elected by Georgia voters who worked to continue Jim Crow laws in the state.

THE GOVERNMENT GETS INVOLVED!!! The “Three Governor’s Controversy” - In November 1946, Eugene Talmadge was elected for a fourth term as governor, but died before taking office. A struggle ensued, with three men claiming the office. Herman Talmadge - the son of Eugene Talmadge Ellis Arnall - the current Governor Melvin E. Thompson - the Lieutenant Governor The contested election was challenged in court, and the GA Supreme Court determined that M.E. Thompson was the legal governor. In 1948 a special election was held and Talmadge defeated Thomas. The governors that followed the 1946 election were segregationists.

Brown vs. Board of Education THE GOVERNMENT GETS INVOLVED!!! Brown vs. Board of Education In 1954, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) won a landmark decision in the United States Supreme Court. According to the Supreme Court, segregated schools were unconstitutional (the “equal Protection” clause).

“Separate but equal” was now illegal because . SEPARATE IS NEVER EQUAL!!!

Many southern states protested the Supreme Court’s decision, including Georgia  including Georgia  MASSIVE RESISTANCE!!!

Brown vs. Board of Education In 1956, to demonstrate its disagreement with the decision, GA changed its state flag to include the Confederate battle flag.

By the 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement was well underway and was gaining momentum The founding of the SNCC non- violent protest Several students adopted King’s strategy of non- violent protest and formed the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. One of the leaders of SNCC was Georgia native and Morehouse College graduate, Julian Bond. Bond was later elected to the U.S. Senate for Georgia. promote voter registration SNCC used sit-ins at lunch counters, Freedom rides to raise awarness and later expanded to promote voter registration in the South. Part of the Albany Movement

The Sibley Commission After schools were ordered desegregated in 1954 by the Brown decision, Georgia refused to cooperate and threatened to stop funding (through the General Assembly) any schools that integrated. In 1960, Georgia’s government formed a commission to ask Georgians how they felt about the matter. The commission was led by influential Atlanta lawyer John Sibley.

The Sibley Commission The Sibley Commission According to the Commission’s findings...  GA had mixed feelings Therefore, Sibley recommended: a) Each school district should be able to decide for itself their own policy on integration b) State laws punishing integrated schools should be repealed John Sibley: head of the General Assembly Committee on Schools and Murphy chandler.

The Integration of the University of Georgia By order of the U.S. District Court in Athens, GA, the University of Georgia was ordered to be integrated. Despite angry protests and threats, Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes became the first two African- Americans to enroll at UGA.

The Albany Movement From fall 1961 to summer 1962, a desegregation movement took place in Albany, GA, involving the NAACP and SNCC. Goal - Bring national attention to the Civil Rights movement by ending all types of segregation in Albany (buses, trains, libraries, hospitals, juries, etc. ). In order to draw American attention to Albany, the NAACP and SNCC recruited 

The Albany Movement Despite King’s assistance, the Albany movement FAILED  By December 1961, 500 protesters were arrested. Albany’s police chief used peaceful tactics to avoid negative publicity. The NAACP and the SNCC were often at odds with one another. The Albany movement did not concentrate on a single kind of segregation – IT TRIED TO DO TOO MUCH

The March on Washington In August 1963, more than 250,000 people converged on Washington, D.C. to demand equal rights for blacks. Here, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream”speech...

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Washington led the Senate to consider passing the Civil Rights Act, prohibiting discrimination in all public places and making it illegal to discriminate in employment on the basis of race or sex. -rights-act-1964

Voting Rights Act of 1965 This act prohibited states from imposing any voting qualification on voting or denying the rights of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 The Civil Rights Act was signed into law by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, widely considered the Civil Rights President. Johnson considered this his greatest achievement as United States President.

The Election of Governor Lester Maddox Lester Maddox became a GA celebrity in 1964 when he chose to close his Atlanta restaurant rather than comply with the Civil Rights Act. In 1966, Maddox ran for Governor and was elected. He surprised many by hiring more blacks for government jobs than any previous Governor of GA. Last segregationist governor in Ga. As Governor, he supported prison reform and increased spending for GA ’ s universities. He also started “ People ’ s Day ” where, once a month, average citizens could come talk to the Governor directly at the Governor’s office.

Mayor Maynard Jackson By 1973, Atlanta’s population became an African- American majority. Maynard Jackson defeated the popular Mayor Sam Massell (who was popular with blacks as well) to become the first African- American mayor of a major American city.

One of GA’s greatest Civil Right’s leaders was Andrew Young: In the 1950s and 1960s, Young organized voter registration and desegregation efforts in Albany and other southern cities, trained volunteers in non-violent protest. He worked closely with MLK, Jr. and the SCLC. In 1972, Young was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, the first black elected from GA since Reconstruction.

Andrew Young In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed Young to be the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. In 1981, he succeeded Maynard Jackson as mayor of Atlanta. In 1996, he served as co- chairman of the Atlanta Commission on the Olympic Games (ACOG).

What do you remember about   the Modern Civil Rights Movement??? ____1. Unsuccessful civil rights effort in Georgia. ___ 2. President of Morehouse College ___ 3. Most important Civil Rights leader; “I have a dream  ” ___ 4. Created to ask Georgians their opinion on desegregation ___ 5. Declared that school segregation is unconstitutional ___ 6. Georgia’s protest-response to the Civil Rights movement ___ 7. Closed his restaurant rather than serve blacks ___ 8. One of the first two African-American students at UGA ___ 9. The first black mayor of Atlanta A. Maynard Jackson B State Flag C. Lester Maddox D. Martin Luther King E. Hamilton Holmes F. Brown vs. BOE G. Albany Movement H. Sibley Commission I. Benjamin Mays

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS Conflict causes changes in societies. Respond in writing to the following: In what ways were the modern Civil Rights movement a conflict? What changes resulted from the movement?