Voices Across the Color Line: The Atlanta Student Movement

The Atlanta Student Movement emerged out of the fight for justice and equality for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Students from Atlanta University Center schools formed the Committee on Appeal for Human Rights to help define their role in the struggle. On March 9, 1960, student leaders from the AUC schools published “An Appeal for Human Rights,” a full-page advertisement in the Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta Journal, Atlanta Daily World, and, eventually, The New York Times. The appeal was followed by the first organized sit-ins with students from the AUC schools on March 15, 1960. Through collective, nonviolent direct action, African American students in Atlanta successfully challenged Jim Crow laws and, with students throughout the South, triggered one of the most significant movements for social change in America. Through photographs, documents, and contemporary oral history interviews with Atlanta student leaders, Voices Across the Color Line commemorates the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Atlanta Student Movement. The exhibition celebrates the contributions of the individuals whose bravery, perseverance, and commitment to equality changed the city of Atlanta and our nation.