Atlanta had a major spot in the history of civil rights, including The AJC’s historical coverage of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights movement.

In 2014, a new Civil Rights Museum celebrating Atlanta's place as a tourist spot for civil right history opened up downtown.

In addition to exhibition rights for the King papers (the papers are actually owned by Morehouse College), the Center for Civil and Human Rights has seven portraits of human rights “heroes” by Atlanta painter Ross Rossin, a series of paintings of U.S. Rep. John Lewis by folk artist Benny Andrews and an exhibition titled “Without Sanctuary,” disturbing images of lynchings in America (many of them on postcards) collected by James Allen.

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In Atlanta, a group of Black motorcyclists would come to be known as the “Black Streaks,” a reference to the headline of a 1919 article in Motorcycling and Bicycling Magazine. From 1913 to 1924, the Black Streaks were some of the most well-known racers in the nation.
Illustration by Richard Watkins/AJC

Credit: Richard Watkins

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Amber Hicks and Cherokee County firefighter Justin Hicks were found dead from gunshot wounds inside their home in November 2021. (Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services)

Credit: Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services