In September 1906, Atlanta experienced one of the worst racial attacks in U.S. history. For three days, white mobs moved through the city attacking Black residents, destroying businesses, and killing people in the open. It is often called the “Atlanta Race Riot,” but what happened was not a riot. It was a massacre.
In 1906, Atlanta was changing fast. The city had grown dramatically in the decades after the Civil War, attracting workers from across the South. The Black population had grown sharply, and a small but visible Black middle class was emerging. Black businesses were thriving. For many white Atlantans, this success was a threat to the social order they wanted to maintain.
The tension was amplified by the 1906 Georgia gubernatorial race. Candidates Hoke Smith and Clark Howell, owner of The Atlanta Constitution newspaper, openly used racial fear as a campaign strategy, promising to limit Black voting power. Both controlled newspapers that spread panic, portraying Black men as dangerous and criminal. Headlines attacked Black-run saloons and businesses, stirring fear that the city’s social order was under attack.
Atlanta was already a powder keg. Rising competition for jobs, housing, and political influence, combined with a growing Black population, made the city tense.
On September 22, 1906, Atlanta newspapers published stories claiming that four white women had been raped by Black men. These reports were sensationalized and unverified, written in shocking detail to provoke outrage. Extra editions were printed and spread quickly across the city, convincing white readers that immediate action was needed.
As the headlines circulated, groups of white men began gathering. By nightfall, thousands were roaming the streets. They were angry, armed, and looking for Black people to attack. No investigations had been completed. No arrests had been made. The newspapers had already decided who was guilty.
Once the violence started, it spread fast. Black men were pulled off streetcars and beaten in public. Some were stabbed, others shot. Homes and businesses were destroyed. According to later accounts, some victims were even hanged from lampposts.
Decatur Street, the heart of Black restaurants and shops, was devastated. Businesses were destroyed, homes were burned, and Black residents were attacked in the streets, some even beaten or killed in front of onlookers. The attacks continued for three days, only slowing when heavy rain and the eventual arrival of the Georgia National Guard gave some relief.
Police officers were present during the attacks but did little to stop them. In many cases, Black residents trying to defend themselves were disarmed and arrested, while white attackers were left free to unleash mayhem.
Official reports claim at least 25 Black people were killed, along with 2 white men, and over 90 Black residents were injured. Historians believe the numbers were likely higher, with some estimates putting Black deaths at over 100. Families were afraid to speak, and many bodies were quietly removed.
No meaningful justice followed the massacre. Most of those responsible were never punished. Atlanta moved on, but Black residents were left to deal with the consequences. Many families left the city. Others withdrew into segregated neighborhoods for safety.The violence also paved the way for stricter voting laws. In 1908, Georgia passed measures that effectively stripped most Black citizens of the right to vote. Jim Crow laws became even harder to fight.
For decades, the massacre was mostly ignored. Schools didn’t teach it, local histories barely mentioned it, and many people either forgot, or were told to forget, what had happened.
It wasn’t until 2006, a full hundred years later, that Atlanta finally acknowledged the tragedy. The event was added to Georgia’s school curriculum, ensuring that this dark chapter of history would not be erased.
Sources:
https://www.wabe.org/1906/
https://julianjohnsonlaw.com/the-1906-atlanta-massacre/
Remembering the Massacre of African Americans in Atlanta in 1906
https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/blog/riot-or-massacre-how-one-word-changes-perspective/
