Developments In The Civil Rights Movement: 1940s-1950s

Introduction

Developments In The Civil Rights Movement: 1940s-1950s
icon The 1940s-1950s saw the Civil Rights Movement begin to take hold in the southern United States. In Georgia, the state dealt with the Three Governor’s Controversy to determine who would lead the citizens through this time. The progressive governor, Ellis Arnall, made a lasting impact by ending the white’s only primary and desegregating city hall. Herman Talmadge, son of Governor Eugene Talmadge, led the state from 1948-1955 focusing on education reforms.

Benjamin Mays

Benjamin Mays is an African American minister and social activist. He worked as the president of Morehouse College in Atlanta and mentored Martin Luther King Jr. during his tenure. He helped leadership positions with NAACP, YMCA, the World Council of Churches, and the United Negro College Fund. He advocated against segregation during the early stages of the Civil Rights Movement. He believed that all humans should be treated with dignity and that segregation was not consistent with the United States' ideals of democracy.

Photograph of Benjamin Mays, Image Reprinted with permission from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

End of White Primary

In 1900, the GA Democratic Party decided only white voters could vote in primary election. In 1944, US Supreme Court ruled all-white primaries were illegal & violated the 15^th amendment. Governor Arnall supported court’s decision and said black voters should be allowed to vote in primaries. While running for governor, Eugene Talmadge promised to bring back all-white primary & protect Jim Crow laws.

Herman Talmadge

Photograph of Herman Talmadge Herman Talmadge was governor from 1948-1955. He brought stability back to the governorship after the Three Governor’s Controversy. Governor Ellis Arnall had lost the election to Eugene Talmadge, but he died before being able to take the position. Melvin Thompson, the Lieutenant Governor took the position until a special election could be held. Herman Talmadge won the special election. Upon entering office, he focused on wanting to improve Georgia’s education system. He more than doubled teachers’ salaries and increased money per student given to each public school. He also lengthened the school year to nine months. He was strongly opposed to the Supreme Court ruling on the Brown v Board of Education, 1954.

Brown vs Board of Education, 1954

In 1950, Linda Brown was denied an education in a white school in Topeka, Kansas. The Brown family gained representation by NAACP attorneys and took the case to the Supreme Court. On May 17, 1954 the Supreme Court decided segregated schools were unequal and unfair. African American students could now attend white schools. This key court case overturned the previous Supreme Court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson, which legalized segregation. In protest, the state decided to redesign the state flag. The confederate flag had come to represent the “Dixiecrats” who protested against desegregation. Georgia’s General Assembly decided to adopt a flag containing a confederate emblem in 1956 as a form of protest against desegregation of schools.

Review

Review what you've learned by completing the activity below.

Think About This

The 20 years encompassing the 1940s and 1950s saw a slow progression of reform concerning African Americans in the South. With the work of individuals such as Benjamin Mays and political progressiveness of Ellis Arnall, the state still resisted when the ruling of Brown v Board of Education became enforced. The state had not reached its full potential on equality. During the next two decades, the work and voices of civil rights activists demand action and change.

IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS OR IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN