DHS Students to Commemorate MLK Jr. at the City’s Courthouse

Forgotten Story of the Civil Rights Leader’s Time in Decatur Comes to Light

On October 16, 1960, Martin Luther King, Jr.  was illegally sentenced to a prison chain gang after participating in various student sit-ins to desegregate Atlanta restaurants.

In the summer of 2019, Decatur High School students Genesis Reddicks, Daxton Pettus, Liza Watson, Adi Taylor, Halle Gordon, Emma Callicutt, and Alonzo Labiosa began to research Dr. King using various county archives and by interviewing multiple individuals who played prominent roles in the event. Among those interviewed were Charles Black, who was in the courtroom when Dr. King was sentenced, Dr. Roslyn Pope, the author of “An Appeal for Human Rights,” and Judge Clarence Seeliger, who worked alongside the judge who sentenced Dr. King to the chain gang.

After completing their research, the students began to present their findings to various community organizations with the hope of gaining support and funds that would go to the construction of a plaque commemorating Dr. King’s sentencing.

DEF helped facilitate the fundraising efforts, and the student group ultimately raised $10,000 of its original $5,000 goal from the community to create the historical marker and have it installed. The funds will also go towards future maintenance of the monument. The marker was intended to be installed on March 27, 2021, at the corner of North McDonough Street and West Trinity Place, at the former site of the courtroom where Dr. King was sentenced. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, the installation has been postponed until later in the year.