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Black
History Month
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Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King
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Very few Americans have had as great an impact on
our nation as an eloquent Southern Baptist minister from Atlanta, Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. A national leader in the civil rights movement, Dr. King gained
worldwide prominence with his "I Have A Dream" speech and in 1964 was
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his unwavering commitment to equal rights for
all Americans regardless of race, creed, national origin or religious belief.
In Georgia, Dr. King holds the honor of being the first African-American to have their portrait hung in the halls of the State Capitol. The portrait was dedicated by then-Governor Jimmy Carter in 1974 and is in a prominent location adjacent to the Office of the Governor on the second floor of the Capitol. |
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Senator LeRoy Johnson
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The legislator who desegregated the Georgia General
Assembly when he won his state Senate seat in 1962, Senator Leroy Johnson has
long been regarded as one of Georgia’s most powerful state senators. Senator
Johnson was the first African-American to be elected to a political office in
the southeast and was the first African-American elected to Georgia’s Senate
since Reconstruction. During his tenure, Senator Johnson revised the literacy
test for voting rights, making voting more accessible to all citizens of
Georgia.
Though he encountered many obstacles during his tenure in Georgia’s Senate, he won the respect of his colleagues and the citizens of Georgia with his extraordinary work ethic and tenacity during his years of service to our state. Today, Mr. Johnson is enjoying his retirement in his native Atlanta, and continues to be a pivotal force in the community. |
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Bishop Henry McNeal Turner
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Dr. Henry McNeal Turner, one of the first bishops of
the African-American Episcopal Church, will long be remembered for his fiery
legislative orations. In 1868, Dr. Turner and 32 of his African-American
colleagues made history when they were expelled from the Georgia House of
Representatives. Citing that Georgia’s newly ratified constitution did not
specifically give African-Americans the right to hold elected office, their
fellow legislators voted them out of office because of the color of their skin.
Dr. Turner’s influence helped to reshape Georgia’s political attitudes during Reconstruction. He was instrumental in introducing important issue-oriented legislation regarding education and equal opportunities for all citizens including higher education for African-Americans, the creation of a Black Militia to protect African-Americans from the Klu Klux Klan, and the right to vote for women |
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Representative Richard A. Dent
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Born in Burke County and affectionately known as
"Papa Dent," Representative Richard Dent was the first
African-American elected from Richmond County to the Georgia House of
Representatives since Reconstruction. He also holds the distinction of being the
first African- American named Chairman of a House of Representatives Committee
since Reconstruction, serving as Chair for the Committee on Human Resources and
Aging. In 1976, Representative Dent was the unanimous choice for Chair of the
Richmond County delegation, where he held the position without challenge until
his retirement in 1982.
Representative Dent was known for his silver tongue, which often swayed the outcome of important votes. One of his most famous votes was a vote to elect ardent segregationist Lester Maddox Governor in 1966. Mr. Dent said he voted for Maddox because he knew where Maddox stood on issues, even if they didn’t agree. Following Representative Dent’s retirement in 1982, Lester Maddox, the one-time avowed segregationist wrote to Dent, "As long as I live, I will treasure your friendship. It caused me to try and act and live in such a way as to never disappoint you. |
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Bishop Henry McNeal Turner
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Dr. Henry McNeal Turner, one of the first bishops of
the African-American Episcopal Church, will long be remembered for his fiery
legislative orations. In 1868, Dr. Turner and 32 of his African-American
colleagues made history when they were expelled from the Georgia House of
Representatives. Citing that Georgia’s newly ratified constitution did not
specifically give African-Americans the right to hold elected office, their
fellow legislators voted them out of office because of the color of their skin.
Dr. Turner’s influence helped to reshape Georgia’s political attitudes during Reconstruction. He was instrumental in introducing important issue-oriented legislation regarding education and equal opportunities for all citizens including higher education for African-Americans, the creation of a Black Militia to protect African-Americans from the Klu Klux Klan, and the right to vote for women. |
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Lucy Craft Laney
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Known for her unwavering commitment to Georgia
students, Lucy Craft Laney is considered a pioneer in the field of education. A
member of the first graduating class of Atlanta University, Lucy Laney’s
remarkable academic and professional accomplishments left her mark on thousands
of African-American students in Georgia.
Today, Lucy Craft Laney High School stands on the spot where more than 100 years ago Lucy Laney opened the Haines Normal and Industrial Institution in Augusta, Georgia. Within those walls, a woman born to a slave who lived through the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Great Depression offered black students a liberal arts curriculum and is credited with producing the first African-American kindergarten class in Georgia. In addition, the nursing department at the Haines Institute was one of the few facilities in the state which offered professional training for African-American women and evolved into what eventually became Augusta University Hospital’s Department of Nursing. |
