Curated Experiences
Join La’Neice Littleton, Ph.D., historian and Director of Community Collaborations, for an exploration of people, places, and events in Atlanta’s Black history.
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Curated Experiences
Join La’Neice Littleton, Ph.D., historian and Director of Community Collaborations, for an exploration of people, places, and events in Atlanta’s Black history.
Story
Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., passed away after battling prostate cancer. A dedicated civil rights activist, he carried on his family’s legacy, advocating for nonviolence, social justice, and animal rights. King’s life work emphasized compassion and equality, reflecting his deep commitment to his parents’ vision.
Story
Black churches played a crucial role in community building, social justice, and the civil rights movement in the Black community. Beyond being spiritual havens, Black churches were also pivotal in nurturing the growth of gospel music.
Story
Rabbi Jacob M. Rothschild, a prominent figure in the civil rights movement, used his position at Atlanta’s The Temple to champion racial integration and nonviolent resistance. Ordained in 1936, he became a vocal advocate against segregation and for school desegregation. His close associations with civil rights leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and his response to the 1958 bombing of The Temple, reinforced his commitment to social justice. His legacy continues through The Temple’s ongoing efforts in social justice and interfaith collaboration.
Story
George “Ed” Merritt’s life encapsulates a journey from the racial violence of early 20th century Georgia to becoming a local civil rights champion in Buford. Born in 1913, after his family fled racial terror in Forsyth County, Merritt served in the U.S. Army during World War II and later became a community leader. His political career peaked when he was elected to the Buford School Board in 1973, reflecting the broader struggle for civil rights in Georgia. Merritt’s legacy, highlighted by his advocacy for voting and education, endures in Buford, where a street now bears his name.
School Tours
Explore the Civil Rights era and connect it to social movements throughout time in this virtual experience.
Story
John Temple Graves was a New South orator, newspaper editor, and political figure, known for his influence on racial issues in the late 19th and early 20th century. His newspaper, the Atlanta Georgian, played a significant role in inflaming racial tensions that led to the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre. He was also one of the earliest proponents of carving the likeness of Robert E. Lee into the side of Stone Mountain as a memorial to the Confederacy.
Story
Christine King Farris, the eldest sister of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., not only played an important role in the Civil Rights Movement, but she also had an enduring commitment to education and preserving her brother’s principles of nonviolent social change.
Exhibition
Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See is a touring exhibition created in collaboration with the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute, the Emmett Till Interpretive Center, the Till Family, and The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. It tells the story of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, and challenges visitors to make a ripple for justice in their own communities.
Story
In 1912, Five Black people were arrested for sexually assaulting and murdering a white woman in Forsyth County. One of the five was lynched and the others received unjust trials. These events led white residents of Forsyth to force more than 1,000 Black residents to leave the county, creating the environment for a county that retains a majority –white population.
Exhibition
36 years ago, more than 15,000 people marched through Forsyth County during the Brotherhood March. Coinciding with the newly created Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the 1987 demonstration made national headlines when it brought attention to one of the last surviving sundown counties in Georgia.
Story
In September 1906, a white mob brutalized and terrorized Atlanta’s Black residents, resulting in the deaths of 25 Black Atlantans, the wounding of hundreds of Blacks, and the destruction of many Black businesses and homes. This period of racial violence has been passed down in history as a race “riot,” but “massacre” may be a more apt term.
Story
The Birth of a Nation’s success and wide distribution increased national interest in the post-Civil War Klan. In Atlanta, the film served as an inspiration and a guide for the leaders of two early 20th-century Atlanta organizations with close connections to Stone Mountain—the modern Ku Klux Klan and the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Story
How did the world’s largest Confederate monument end up outside of Atlanta? What should be done, if anything, with it? With these questions in mind, Atlanta History Center explores the controversial history through online resources and an upcoming documentary.