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Georgia Best Weekly
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The History of African Americans
Presented by: State Representative Doreen Carter, GAHD93, GLBC Historian
T he history of
African Amer
ican political
representation in Georgia is
a testament to the unyielding
spirit of equality and justice.
This rich tapestry, woven
through decades of struggle,
captures the triumphant jour
ney from the discriminatory
post-Reconstruction era to a
period of significant represen
tation in the Georgia General
Assembly.
Early African American
Legislators and the
Unjust Expulsion
The journey of Af
rican Americans in Georgia’s
political arena begins with a
painful chapter. During the
brief period of Reconstruction
following the Civil War, 33
African American men were
elected to the Georgia General
Assembly in 1868. This was a
significant step forward, con
sidering that many of these
men were former slaves.
Sen. Tonya Anderson
Past Chair
However, their repre
sentation was met with outright
hostility and discrimination.
The white majority in the As
sembly expelled all 33 black
elected officials, arguing that
the state constitution did not
pennit African Americans to
hold office. This flagrant act
of racism was a dark period in
Rep. Karen Bennett
Past Chair
Georgia’s political history.
After national out
cry and federal intervention,
Georgia ratified the Fifteenth
Amendment, leading to the re
instatement of these legislators
in early 1870. But, by the end
of the Reconstruction era in
1877, the gains made by Af
rican Americans had been re-
In The Georgia General Assembly
Sen. Ed Harbison
Past Chair
versed due to the rise of the Jim
Crow laws.
Breakthrough: Leroy
Johnson’s Election in 1962
Decades of systemic
oppression followed until the
Civil Rights Movement began
to challenge the status quo.
Sen. Lester Jackson
Past Chair
In this context, Leroy John
son emerged as a significant
figure. In 1962, prior to the
Civil Rights Act and the Vot
ing Rights Act, Johnson made
history by becoming the first
African American elected to
the Georgia Senate since Re
construction.
A lawyer and civil
Rep. Calvin Smyre
Past Chair
rights advocate, Johnson uti
lized his position to champion
legislation that benefited mi
nority communities and fought
against systemic racism. His
election was a beacon of hope,
signaling a forthcoming era of
increased political representa
tion for African Americans.
Continued on Page 9
Mayor Van Johnson Receives The 2023 Washington-Walker Award
From The Hungry Club Forum of Savannah
On July 1, 2023, the
Hungry Club Forum of Savan
nah, Inc. (HCFS) “Harnessing
the Power of Collaboration on
the Issues of Today and To
morrow,” presented Savannah
Mayor Van Johnson with the
coveted (Booker T.) Washing
ton-Walker (Madam C.J.) An
nual Community Service Ap
preciation Award for 2023.
The announcement
of his selection had been made
on June 3, 2023, at the HCFS’s
Annual Meeting and Commu
nity Service Appreciation Re
ception-Luncheon held in the
3rd floor Banquet Room of the
Con-Ed Bldg. However, May
or Johnson was in Columbus,
GA on the date, speaking to the
National League of Cities on
Savannah’s Sustainability Pro
grams. Savannah’s premiere
community education and is
sues forum, the HCFS, now in
its 17th year, selected Johnson
for his continuing support of
the partnership between Edu
cation and Economic Develop-
L-R: Diana Harvey Johnson; Bobby L. Adams, President; Mayor Van Johnson;
Bishop Dr. Willie Ferrell; Michael A. Gilliard; and Judge LeRoy Burke, III
ment. Too, he was lauded for
his outstanding leadership and
vision during the COVID-19
pandemic.
When the Mayor
came to make a presentation
at the HCFS’s July 1st month
ly breakfast forum, held at the
West Broad Street YMCA, lo
cated at 1110 May Street, the
Officers and Members were ea
ger to present Mayor Johnson
with this much-deserved honor.
Mayor Johnson and
State Rep. Edna Jackson, as
delegates to the International
World Trade Center Confer
ence, and Julia Pearce, Co
ordinator of the Tybee MLK
Human Rights Organization,
on separate missions, met up
at the conference in Accra, the
capital of Ghana.
Continued on Page 4
Savannah State Hosts TRIO Upward Bound Program
Commencement Ceremony
Savannah State Uni
versity’s TRIO Upward Bound
held its annual commence
ment ceremony on July 12
on the SSU campus. Sixteen,
first-generation high school
graduates completed their Up
ward Bound experience that
for decades has helped local
students graduate high school
and achieve the dream of a col
lege education. Students from
various local high schools are
now on track to attend univer
sities across Georgia, includ
ing Savannah State Universi
ty. Several students received
scholarships and prizes to help
offset the costs of college tui
tion.
Kiersten Kemp, who
graduated with honors from
Woodville Thompson High
School earlier this year, was
voted program Valedictorian.
She is headed for Kennesaw
State University to pursue a de
gree in nursing.
Tyon Berry graduat
ed from Alfred Ely Beach High
School and was voted Mr. Up
ward Bound. He also has plans
to attend Kennesaw State Uni
versity and pursue a degree in
psychology.
Continued on Page 9
Judge John E. Morse, Jr., Serves
As President Of Council Of
Superior Court Judges Of Georgia
Superior Court Judge
John E. Morse, Jr., Eastern Ju
dicial Circuit, Savannah, be
came President of the Council
of Superior Court Judges. His
tenn of office and those of
Council PresidentElect Supe
rior Court Judge Ann Harris,
Cobb Judicial Circuit, Marietta,
and Secretary-Treasurer Robert
“Bert” Guy, Jr., Brunswick Ju
dicial Circuit, St. Marys, run
through April 30, 2024.
Judge John E. Morse,
Jr., was appointed to the Supe
rior Court in 1995 by Governor
Zell Miller and was most re
cently reelected in 2020. When
Judge Morse previously served
on the State Court bench for
Chatham County, Judge Morse
was the youngest chief judge
in the county’s history and the
first African American State
Court judge in Chatham Coun
ty-
Judge Morse earned a
Bachelor’s degree from Geor
gia State University and a law
degree from Mercer Universi
ty-
Before his appoint
ment to the bench, Judge
Morse served as a law clerk
to Superior Court Judge C.
Cloud Morgan, a law clerk to
Superior Court Judge Eugene
H. Gadsden, a prosecutor with
Chatham County District At
torney’s Office, and as a Senior
State Attorney with the Drug
Prosecution Division’s Sa
vannah Regional Office of the
Prosecuting Attorney’s Coun
cil. Judge Morse is also an or
dained minister pastoring for
33 years.
The Council of Supe
rior Court Judges is composed
of the state’s 222 Superior
Court judges and over 100 se
nior (retired) Superior Court
judges. It was established by
the state legislature in 1985 to
further the improvement of the
Superior Courts and the admin-
Judge John E. Morse, Jr.
istration of justice in Georgia.
The Council seeks to identify
and propose solutions to prob
lems common to all judges.
Duties of the Council include
developing and administer
ing Georgia’s Superior Court
Judges’ budget, initiating and
responding to legislative issues
involving the Superior Court,
drafting, and proposing Uni
form Superior Court Rules,
preparing bench publications
including pattern jury instruc
tions, and certifying continuing
judicial education.
The newly elected
officers, Immediate Past-Pres
ident, and administrative judg
es representing each of the ten
judicial administrative districts
in Georgia comprise the Coun
cil of Superior Court Judges’
Executive Committee, which is
authorized to manage the proj
ects and policies of the Coun
cil. They also serve on the Ju
dicial Council of Georgia with
representatives of other classes
of court to set policy for the ju
diciary. The Council’s central
office is located in Atlanta.
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