A Guide to Atlanta's Civil Rights Monuments

Civil Rights Monuments in Atlanta

 

The American civil rights movement was centered in Atlanta. However, African Americans in the city paved the way for tumult and change long before the rise of Martin Luther King Jr. and Andrew Young became icons.

 

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park houses several of the city's civil rights monuments, but there are others, including a statue of Dr. King at the Georgia State Capitol.

 

We've compiled a list of 10 monuments we love. Its legacy includes well-known sights, as well as less known ones.

 

Here are 10 monuments that are a must-see in Atlanta

Martin Luther King Jr. Statue

At the Georgia Capitol, you can find this MLK statue.

A significant figure in the American civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most admired figures of all time. Dr. King attended Booker T. Washington High School and Morehouse College before winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

 

Location: Georgia State Capitol

Artist: Martin Dawe

 

Andrew Young Statue

Get to know Andrew Young if you are in Downtown Atlanta.

During the Carter administration, Andrew Young became mayor of Atlanta and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. As part of his work at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he coordinated efforts to desegregate the South with King.

 

A corner of Andrew Young International Boulevard and Spring Street can be found here

Artist: John Paul Harris

 

In His Eyes: John Wesley Dobbs Statue

The View Through His Eyes of Britney Nesbit and Jessica Nelson, left to right.

A civic and political force in Atlanta, John Wesley Dobbs was known as the unofficial mayor of Auburn Avenue.

 

Location: Auburn Avenue and Fort Street

Artist: Ralph Helmick

 

Charles Lincoln Harper Statue

First principal of Atlanta's Booker T. Washington High School, the city's first post-sixth-grade public school for African Americans, Charles Lincoln Harper. NAACP president for Atlanta.

 

At Ashby Circle NW and Mayson Turner Road, Ashby Garden Park is located

Artist: Ed Dwight

 

In Atlanta, here are the top 5 places for hip-hop

Free Outdoor Movies in Atlanta

Atlanta Family Easter Egg Hunts

Expelled Because of Their Color

They were expelled then reseated.

During Reconstruction, African American legislators were expelled from the Georgia General Assembly due to their race. They successfully lobbied the federal government to reelect them under the leadership of Henry McNeal Turner. (New Georgia Encyclopedia).

 

Location: Georgia State Capitol

Artist: John Thomas Riddle Jr.

 

Benjamin Mays Statue

Benjamin Mays, president of Morehouse College from 1940 to 1967, was a mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was he who presided over desegregation of Atlanta Public Schools as the first African American president of the Atlanta Board of Education.

 

Location: Morehouse College

Artist: Ed Dwight

 

A mural to honor Martin Luther King Jr.

125 feet of wall art are a show stopper.

To name a few, it pays tribute to Rosa Parks, Bobby Kennedy, Malcolm X and Emmett Till. Bull Connor, Birmingham's segregationist politician who ordered police to use dogs and fire hoses on civil rights demonstrators, is also depicted. Improvements are being made in the area while the mural is taken down. Reinstallation will take place at a new location.

 

Location: 450 Auburn Ave.

Artist: Louis Delsarte

 

Lifting the Veil of Ignorance

Original statue replicated here.

According to the Booker T. Washington Society, this statue represents Washington lifting the veil of ignorance off his people, symbolized by a terrified slave holding a book. A replica of the original statue stands on the grounds of Tuskegee University and the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site in Atlanta.

 

The Booker T. Washington High School is located here

Artist: Charles Keck

 

Homage To King

This popular piece of art is very familiar to Atlantans.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park is welcomed by this steel sculpture.

 

Located at the corner of Ponce de Leon Avenue and Freedom Parkway

Artist: Xavier Campaney Medina

 

Behold

As part of an African ritual, the statue depicts a new born being lifted up toward the heavens and recited, Behold the only thing greater than yourself.

 

National Historical Park of Martin Luther King Jr.

Artist: Patrick Morelli

 

See what the civil rights legacy of Atlanta looks like. Also, make sure you visit Atlanta's National Center for Civil and Human Rights, where you can sit at a mock lunch counter wearing headphones that deliver angry insults. Take a look at Bicycle Tours of Atlanta's Journey for Civil Rights tour for more information on Atlanta's civil rights history.

Atlanta Digital Marketing Agency
3017 Bolling Way NE Buckhead, Atlanta, GA 30305
(770) 599-5637
https://www.socialcali.com/atlantadigitalmarketingagency