Fulton County Commission Board Honors Remembrance of Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906

The Fulton County Commission Board has established official days of remembrance for the Atlanta Race Massacre. This four-day event occurred from September 22, 1906, through September 25, 1906, and resulted in the deaths of at least 25 Black Atlantans. The massacre accelerated the disenfranchisement of Black Atlantans and the expansion of Jim Crow segregation, driving thriving Black families and businesses from their neighborhoods. Yellow journalism published in The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution was cited as having accelerated the violence by spreading false accusations against Black citizens.

The historical events detailed in the reports outline how systemic failure impacted the economic and social mobility of Black communities in Atlanta. The decline of thriving Black businesses in Atlanta due to these pressures highlights the long-term challenges faced by minority-owned enterprises in the city's history.