Georgia in the Civil Rights Movement Essay Example

When we look at Georgia in a time where we were mainly segregated, what do we see? Do we see activists, protests, movements? Or do we see Silence, or lack of help? When I look at Georgia, I see a fight for equality and people who are passionate about change. Our state has done it’s best to make everything fair down to the last  step. We have desegregated our schools, gotten students involved in civil rights, started the Shipley Commission, and have even helped to spread extra awareness using protests, boycotts, and even quiet sit-ins. These things might not sound very important, but if we take a closer look, we see all the change it has made. 

The first thing Georgia did for civil rights was Solve segregation in public schools. There were a couple of different cases that lead up to this final decision, but the most common one was Brown vs. Board of Education. In the passage from Document 2, it states, “...by reason of the segregation complained of, deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the fourteenth amendment.” The fourteenth amendment states that no equal treatment is allowed without persue of the law. A young girl named Lina Brown had to attend a school that was far from her district because she lived in a primarily white neighborhood. There were schools that were closer to her house, but they were all white schools and she was not allowed to go there. Her father ended up suing the school district and the case went all the way up to the supreme court. The court concluded that the system of public school segregation was unconstitutional and from then on, the schools become integrated. Once people found out about the injustice taking place, a lot of people stepped in to help. Many high school and college students took action as well. In Document 6, we see some images of student lead protests lead by the SNCC. This organization was created by MLK to promote peaceful protests such as marches and sit-ins. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee formally placed origins in Shaw University, North Carolina in 1960. 

     Another way Georgia supported Civil Rights was through the Shipley Commission. This organization was started when our governor had to decide whether or not to desegregate schools in 1960. In Document 4, we read, “He held ten public hearings across the state in which the debate was confined to two choices: continuing massive resistance at the expense of the school system or amending the state law to allow token integration while keeping segregation largely intact.” John Sibley had a tough time trying to crack the code to segregation in schools. Sibley believed strongly in segregation, but when it came to schools, he thought that it was not the best decision. In many of his court sessions, he found that most of the attendees were anti-integration. He influenced the government to accept integration as it was. The commission had to make a decision whether they wanted to support their beliefs that integration would cause a distraction to the students, or follow what was believed to be right which was that integration was a safer, and more fair system.  In 1961, the state made a final decision to integrate schools and ignore what the commission found. The SIbley COmmision had to accept this decision, despite what they believed. This helped Georgia because it created a major stepping stone to the next step. 

Our last example of Georgia’s role in the Civil Rights movements is the Albany Movement. This was a group of protestors that got together in order to defend their rights in their city. In Document 9 we read, “Through the course of the campaign, Albany Protesters utilized various methods of nonviolence, including mass demonstrations, jail-ins, sit-ins, boycotts, and litigation.” This organization did all they could to protect and defend their rights. Their main goal was to desegregate most of their public resources such as transportation, small and large businesses, and to release all protestors that had been arrested. They worked silently, but their actions proved bold. They recruited many students, like the ones involved in the SNCC, and many adults too. They encouraged all people, of all social groups to come and join them. In Document 9 we also read, “Although the Albany Movement was successful in mobilizing massive protests during December 1961and the following summer, it secured a few concrete gains.” By the end of the movement, the organization did not accomplish everything they wanted to, but they were able to bring attention to the issues. They succeeded in bringing people together to protest, but they could not quite reach their goals of complete desegregation. This could be seen as an unsuccessful movement, however those involved accomplished more than we realize. Many different people were attracted to their mission to work together for a better future. This movement should provide an example of change through peace and cooperation. 

In conclusion, Georgia created changes that influenced a more equal future for all. Without the coming together to fight for a common cause of those involved in the civil rights movement we would still be segregated in schools, students would have never have become involved to fight for equal rights, and people would have struggled to bring proper awareness to unequal treatment. We should never forget what these people did and we should not lose sight of where we came from. Our past is a big part of where we are today, and Georgia was more successful than many of the other states when it comes to Civil Rights. What will we do to continue these legacies as we move forward in support of one another?