Bailey, Matthew

Description

Encyclopedia article about John Wesley Dobbs, referred to as the unofficial mayor of Auburn Avenue, one of several distinguished African American civic and political leaders who worked to achieve racial equality in segregated Atlanta during the first half of the twentieth century. Dobbs attended Atlanta Baptist College before his mother's ill health forced him to drop out and care for her. He never earned a college degree but studied independently and passed a civil service exam that allowed him to become a railway mail clerk for the U.S. Post Office in Atlanta. Dobbs was a member of the Prince Hall Masons, a fraternal order that attracted socially conscious leaders within the black middle class. He was also involved in founding the Atlanta Civic and Political League and the Atlanta Negro Voters League.The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for the aggregation and enhancement of partner metadata.

Record Contributed By

New Georgia Encyclopedia

Record Harvested From

Digital Library of Georgia