History of African Americans in Augusta, Georgia

The history of African Americans in the Augusta, Georgia area spans three centuries. While slavery was originally banned in the British colony of Georgia by James Oglethorpe [ [http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/scripts/sia/glossary.cgi?term=o&letter=yes Slavery in America] ] , it soon became an integral part of Georgia's history [ [http://ourgeorgiahistory.com/ogh/Slavery_in_Georgia Our Georgia Encyclopedia: Slavery in Georgia] ] .

After the American Civil War of the mid-19th century, Augusta and Georgia were both under martial law during the period known as Reconstruction. During this time, African American civil rights were expanded [ [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart5.html African American Odyssey: Reconstruction and Its Aftermath, Part 1 (Library of Congress)] ] . Following the end of Reconstruction, the European American majority population of Georgia and other Southern U.S. states enacted Jim Crow laws to limit the rights of African Americans. These restrictions would not be lifted until the Civil Rights movement of the mid-20th Century.

Today, African Americans constitute 53.6 percent [ [http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en US Census Bureau: American FactFinder] ] (2006 estimate) of the population of Augusta-Richmond County. While slavery and Jim Crow are but memories of the past, race relations continue to be contentious in city politics.

Notable people in local African American history

*James Brown
*A.R. Johnson schoolteacher [ [http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/020507/met_115336.shtml Augusta Chronicle: Schools' names provide history] ]
*Dr. T.W. Josey
*Lucy Craft Laney
*Ed McIntyre, first African American mayor of the City of Augusta
*Charles T. Walker

ee also

*Paine College

References

External links

* [http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/resources/resources.htm The History of Jim Crow: Teacher Resources]
* [http://www.lucycraftlaneymuseum.com/ Lucy Craft Laney Museum]
* [http://www.echo-media.com/MediaDetaiLNP.asp?IDNumber=10722 Augusta Metro Courier] weekly newspaper targeted toward local African American community

News articles

* [http://chronicle.augusta.com/blackhistory/ Augusta Chronicle: Augusta's Black History] Various articles about African American history in Augusta
* [http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/050700/met_race2.shtml Augusta Chronicle: Death of jail inmate fueled fire for riots] 2000 article about the May 1970 Augusta riots
* [http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/122706/met_110068.shtml Augusta Chronicle: Brown eased crowd during riots] 2006 article about James Brown's role in trying to calm 1970 city riots
* [http://chronicle.augusta.com/race04/ Augusta Chronicle: Race Relations] 2004-2005 series of articles on local race relations
* [http://www.metrospirit.com/index.php?cat=1211101074307265&ShowArticle_ID=11012407074429101 Metro Spirit: "chronicle.hate.com"] 2007 article about racial attacks on the Augusta Chronicle message board, includes quotes from African American figures in local government
* [http://www.metrospirit.com/index.php?ShowArticle_ID=11012404071479104&cat=1211101074307265 Metro Spirit: Color of Law] 2007 article on lack of more local African American attorneys
* [http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/2037052.html WRDW: Future of the Augusta Focus] article about the future of the Augusta Focus newspaper

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