Integration of Public Schools
In examining the evolution of Atlanta, it is essential to recognize its ongoing progression from an era of hostility to one of acceptance. During the Civil Rights Movement, Atlanta was faced with the challenge of integration, specifically in public schools. The city had its fair share of supporters and combatants for desegregation, but unlike other southern cities, the integration of Atlanta public schools was remarkably peaceful. This image depicts two students of the Atlanta Nine, the first African American children to attend previously all-white public schools in Georgia. Notice that the entrance of the school is devoid of any protest or turmoil that was characteristic of the integration of public schools in other southern cities. Atlanta’s mayor at the time, William B. Hartsfield, “was determined that Atlanta’s school integration would be a tightly controlled affair that would contrast with the chaos of Little Rock and New Orleans” (AJC). Procedures that were put into effect to ensure the safety of the Atlanta Nine as they made history were successful as there were no riots or consequential hiccups during this transitional period. Despite those with firm dispositions against integration of any kind, the people of Atlanta recognized that it was in the best interest of the city to act in accordance with the law and thus worked together to embrace change. This cooperation during a stressful period tested the strength of Atlanta’s unity, but the city passed with flying colors. So significant was this achievement that it gained national attention and praise from President John F. Kennedy who commented on the city’s “courage, tolerance and above all, respect for the law” (AJC). This spirit of progress that cultivated during the Civil Rights Movement in Atlanta persists today as the city continues to champion new challenges.
Works Cited
Corson, Pete. “Photos: How Atlanta Public Schools Integrated in 1961.” The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Cox Media Group, 2018, https://www.myajc.com/news/local/photos-how-atlanta-public-schools-integrated-1961/c4isBuwZmZxJsdU2u9FBpJ/#UMrH0nIrEeeSJMWhe8bYpA.
Wilson, Bill. Martha Ann Holmes and Rosalyn Walton on the day the school was integrated, 1961. 30 Aug 1961, Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, Georgia, http://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/explore/online-exhibitions/atlanta-in-50-objects/school-integration.