Modern Georgia

Civil Rights Movement

• Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee* Started when students in North Carolina had a lunch counter sit-in* Worked to register blacks to vote* SNCC (Snick)

• Sibley Commission * 14 member group organized to study the problem of integration. * Recommended that school systems would decide to integrate or not.

Civil Rights Movement • Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter were the

first African American students admitted to UGA on January 6, 1961

• Albany Movement * Led by Dr. William Anderson * African Americans worked together to integrate the bus station in Albany, GA * The NAACP and SNCC organized protests * 500 people were arrested * Biracial committee was formed to study the concerns of African Americans in Albany

Civil Rights Movement

• March on Washington 1963 * August 28, 1963 over 250,000 people gathered in Washington * Demonstrated to get the Civil Rights Act passed * Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech

Civil Rights Movement• Civil Rights Act of 1964 * Segregation of all public facilities illegal * Federal government could withhold money from schools that refused to integrate.• Maynard Jackson

* 1st African American Mayor of Atlanta * Increased the programs for the arts, expanded the airport, led effort to bring the Olympics to Atlanta

Civil Rights Movement• Lester Maddox – strict segregationist

* Became Governor in 1967* Was elected by the state legislature

not the people’s vote because the election was too

close to call.* Appointed more Africans Americans to

state boards and commissions than all other

Governors combined.

Civil Rights Movement• Andrew Young

* Executive Director of SCLC* Helped establish “citizenship schools”

thattaught nonviolent organizing strategies*An aide to Martin Luther King, Jr.* 1st African American from GA to be

elected to the U.S. House of Representatives

* Served 2 terms as mayor of ATL*Co-chair of Atlanta Olympic Committee

Modern Georgia• End of the County Unit System

* Designed to maintain the power rural areasthere was a higher population in the urban areas. (reduce the influence of the black vote)*April 1962 the court ruled that the systemviolated the 14th Amendment * political power went to heavily populated

areas*Gave black population an equal opportunity

to elect legislative representatives.

Modern Georgia• Reapportionment * One-person, one-vote concept – every citizen’s vote should be equal to every other citizen’s vote no matter where a person lived * GA’s constitution violated one-person, one- vote.

* General Assembly had to reapportion (redraw) voting district lines so districts were

of equal population size

Modern Georgia

• Jimmy Carter* 1962 elected to GA state senate* 1970 elected Governor of GA* 1976 elected President of the U.S.A.

* create Department of Education* complete major civil service

reform* expanded national parks system

* Champion for human rights and fought for peace

even after his presidency.

Modern Georgia• Two Party System

* In the 80’s and 90’s Georgians began to

elected more Republicans* Before this the Democratic party

tended to dominate the elections in GA.* Democrats had ruled the state for over 100 years.* In 2002, GA elected its first Republican

Governor since Reconstruction* GA became a 2 Party System

Modern Georgia• 1996 Olympic Games

*Created world-class competition facilities

* Brought international recognition to GA

* Brought volunteer programs, educational

and training programs, and jobs to Georgians

* Atlanta was criticized for its lack of infrastructure which led traffic

congestion.