Black History Month

Learn about black history and the story of the civil rights movement in Atlanta, the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. Join The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as we take a look at some of the most prominent individuals, events and stories that have impacted America, over the course of Black History Month.

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How Black gospel changed my white life

Curtis Mayfield turns Atlanta and Blackness into music for classic films

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These Black Georgia women are blues legends you may not know, but should

Jesse Jackson to speak at Atlanta high school

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In Atlanta, Jesse Jackson found a home and a stage

Reimagining Langston Hughes’ ‘The Weary Blues’ for young readers

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Atlanta’s DAs, mostly women of color, are working to change the game

Basketball player Walt Frazier takes a nostalgic tour of the Sweet Auburn district and the surrounding neighborhoods where he grew up, Dec. 18, 1983.
(The Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Walt Frazier, former New York Knick basketball star and toast of Manhattan for his flashy style on and off the court, makes a nostalgic tour of some of his old haunts in Atlanta. Atlanta Weekly. Sunday December 18, 1983.

AJCP029-006b, Atlanta Journal Constitution Photographic Archives. Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library.

Atlanta in Black and white: A century of becoming

My love for Black Barbie is an ode to my ancestors

Playing with dolls — especially Black Barbies — allowed me to imagine myself as anything. Only later did I understand that this was never just play.

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The legacy of the Black grocers of Reconstruction

The oppressed entrepreneurs of the late 1800s capitalized on low grocery prices to build businesses that influenced Atlanta’s present-day institutions.

Current and former Atlanta Mayors gather at Big Bethel AME Church to push to protect DEI initiatives in the City of Atlanta, Georgia.

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‘History will judge us’: Former Atlanta mayors defend minority contracting

Former Atlanta mayors have joined an effort highlighting the importance of the city's minority contracting program and its economic impact.

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Former CDC employee reflects on gains made through now-shuttered DEI programs

From a Tuskegee Study apology to vaccine distrust, Benita Harris spent her career at the CDC battling racial disparity in health care.

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Art Shell: NFL’s first modern Black head coach — and what came after

The sparse history of Black head coaches in the NFL remains a weighty backdrop to this year's Super Bowl.

For Walter White, the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre sparked a reckoning within

For Walter White, who would later gain fame as the executive secretary of the NAACP, Blackness was a choice.

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Atlanta leaders remember Jesse Jackson’s lasting influence on the city and beyondAtlanta leaders remember Jesse Jackson’s lasting influence on the city and beyondAtlanta leaders remember Jesse Jackson’s lasting influence on the city and beyondAtlanta leaders remember Jesse Jackson’s lasting influence on the city and beyondAtlanta leaders remember Jesse Jackson’s lasting influence on the city and beyond

Atlanta & Georgia

Homegoing: Willie Watkins and the art of black funerals

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A Homegoing to Remember

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The past was bright but the future looks bleak for Herndon Stadium

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After 37 years, Atlanta’s OG graffiti crew resurfaces

History

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Why an early silent film kiss between two Black actors is so important

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Georgia’s 12-string master left a lasting musical legacy

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Atlanta’s Black Streaks reached top of early 20th century motorcycle racing

Arts & Music

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Georgia’s Mount Rushmore of music

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The legend of Mattiwilda Dobbs

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The museums at Atlanta’s HBCUs are treasure troves of Black art

Resistance

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Cecil Williams’ high-risk drink of water

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Black hairstyles take a stand against white beauty standards

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Black gays practice resistance daily being their authentic selves

Health

black families stuggle with fertility issues

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Black women, long ignored in infertility discussions, speak out

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Despite progress, HIV remains disproportionately Black in Georgia

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Study: Toxins in blood of Brunswick residents who live near factories

Trauma

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Tulsa Race Riots: White mobs reduced Black community to rubble in 1921

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To My Old Master

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‘The Weeping Time’: Largest sale of enslaved blacks in U.S. history

The Black Woman

Tina McElroy Ansa blazed a trail for black journalists before writing 5 novels

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Novelist Tina McElroy Ansa was a trailblazer at The Atlanta Constitution

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In Atlanta and across U.S., legacy of ‘Queen of Salsa’ as strong as ever

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‘Sister President’ Johnnetta Betsch Cole: The voice of Spelman

The Black Man

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The long, sad ride of Major Taylor

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Lo Jelks, Atlanta’s first Black television reporter

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Tiger Flowers: Trailblazing southpaw left indelible legacy on Atlanta

King’s refurbished SCLC headquarters joins National Park System

The Prince Hall Masonic Temple and Lodge on Auburn Avenue, where the civil rights leader directed national campaigns, will reopen as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Nationa

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His dream led to an aviation career. He’s still inspiring Black kids to fly.

John Bailey's first taste of flying was the spark that would eventually lead him to launch Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines’ annual Dream Flight in 2000.

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Growing up with racism and breaking the cycle

I was 11 when Black History Month began, but it took a couple of decades to learn what it really meant.

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Former CDC employee reflects on gains made through now-shuttered DEI programs

From a Tuskegee Study apology to vaccine distrust, Benita Harris spent her career at the CDC battling racial disparity in health care.

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Art Shell: NFL’s first modern Black head coach — and what came after

The sparse history of Black head coaches in the NFL remains a weighty backdrop to this year's Super Bowl.

For Walter White, the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre sparked a reckoning within

For Walter White, who would later gain fame as the executive secretary of the NAACP, Blackness was a choice.

When Georgia tried to silence Julian Bond

Julian Bond's fight to be seated in the Georgia Legislature led to a landmark Supreme Court case on free speech.

Mozel Spriggs, 100, visits with guests at her Atlanta home on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. Spriggs is featured in the Dance Theatre of Harlem documentary “The LAMP Project.” (Ben Gray for the AJC)

At 100, Mozel Spriggs’ life tells the story of Black dance in Atlanta

The creator of Spelman College's dance department celebrates her centennial birthday and contributions to Atlanta's arts community.

From Auburn Avenue to the world: 100 moments in Black Atlanta history

Black history is living, shaped continuously by the places where Black people have built power, culture and community. Few cities embody that truth more clearly than Atlanta.

Wanda Sims Watters stands near where her childhood home was at 205 Elizabeth Street in Decatur on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. The once thriving Black neighborhood was destroyed in waves from the 1940s-1970s through eminent domain for government housing, facilities and “urban renewal.” (Ben Gray for the AJC)

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Metro Atlanta governments take up reparations amid national challenges

Atlanta's and Decatur’s reparations committees are far from issuing recommendations for specific actions their cities should take.