Truth and Transformation: 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre Commemorative Activities

Truth and Transformation is an initiative within The Center that focuses on creating opportunities for Atlanta to engage with the truth of its past in ways that prove to be transformative. Truth and Transformation addresses people and events in our city that have not been recognized or memorialized, with a focus on two glaring omissions, one of which is the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre.

Over four days in September 1906, at least 23 African Americans were killed and hundreds more were injured in the largest outbreak of racial violence in Georgia history. The massacre is largely unknown today, even though it is a defining moment in Atlanta history — and in our nation’s history – regarding racial terror targeting African Americans.  

This September, The Center’s Truth and Transformation Initiative seeks to Uncover Atlanta’s Hidden History by hosting several commemorative events remembering the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre. The Center is partnering with community organizations and institutions throughout the city of Atlanta to highlight the history of the massacre and its lasting effects.

+ Victim Name Unveiling Vigil | September 18, 2023 | 10AM – 10:30AM | Henry Grady Statue   

Join us for a solemn vigil to honor the victims of the Atlanta Race Massacre. During this event, we will also unveil the names of two newly verified victims as casualties of the massacre, ensuring that their memories are forever etched in our collective consciousness. 

+ Film Premiere & Descendant Conversation | September 22, 2023 | 6:30PM-9PM | The Gathering Spot

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights and WABE will premiere a co-created documentary about the hidden history around 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre. The 30-minute documentary film “(Re)Defining History: Uncovering The 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre” explores the impact of the massacre and how scholars and community leaders remember the tragic atrocity. The screening will feature a panel discussion and a powerful conversation with descendants of families involved in the 1906 Massacre.

+ Equitable Dinners | September 24, 2023 | 5PM-8PM | NCCHR

Equitable Dinners Atlanta will present their annual event in collaboration with the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Out of Hand Theater, The Center, the Fulton County Remembrance Coalition, and numerous community partners will host dinners and guided conversations in September throughout Metro Atlanta about the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre. Dinners feature live-action plays focusing on stories from the 1906 Massacre to generate courageous conversations about the root causes of violence and racial terror, and inspire positive action for moving forward together in our communities.

The Center is hosting an Equitable Dinner at our building on Sunday, September 24.  That date is the anniversary of the last night of the massacre in 1906.

Note: For members of our community marking the Jewish High Holy Day of Yom Kippur, there are a range of Equitable Dinner events you can attend during the month of September. Please go to Equitable Dinners to find an event.

Want to know more about Truth and Transformation? Join our mailing list to stay up to date on the initiative and its work.