Description

Photograph of Albany, Georgia police chief Laurie Pritchett (right) being confronted by civil rights activist Slater King (left) on the street. Pritchett is in uniform, and King wears a light-colored trench coat and holds his hands behind his back.Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. brought in his Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) staff to coordinate the campaign to desegregate the city of Albany, Georgia in 1961 and 1962. He had a formidable opponent in Albany police chief Laurie Pritchett. Pritchett ostensibly practiced the nonviolence that King preached, ordering his officers to avoid brutality, at least when the TV cameras and news reporters were present. Prepared for the waves of marchers King encouraged, Pritchett had them arrested and sent off to jails in the surrounding counties, including Baker, Mitchell, and Lee.

Record Contributed By

New Georgia Encyclopedia

Record Harvested From

Digital Library of Georgia