One event in Atlanta’s history that should never be forgotten is the Atlanta Race Massacre of 1906. Though it is often overshadowed by later moments in the Civil Rights Movement, this tragedy shaped the city’s racial and social landscape for decades to come.

The massacre took place from September 22 to 24, 1906, during a time when Atlanta was rapidly growing as a commercial hub of the South. The city was home to both a thriving Black middle class—teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs—and deep racial tensions fueled by segregation laws, competition for jobs, and white fears of Black advancement. The immediate spark was a series of sensationalized and false newspaper reports accusing Black men of assaulting white women. These stories, published without evidence, fanned the flames of hatred and resentment.

On the night of September 22, white mobs began attacking Black men and women in the streets of downtown Atlanta. Over the course of three days, violence spread throughout the city. Black-owned businesses were looted, homes were destroyed, and individuals were beaten or killed simply because of the color of their skin. Historians estimate that at least 25 African Americans were murdered, though the real number may have been much higher, as many deaths went unrecorded. White vigilantes also left hundreds injured. Police and local officials failed to stop the violence, and in many cases, they joined the mobs instead of protecting citizens.

The massacre had a devastating impact. Many African Americans who had begun to see Atlanta as a place of opportunity lost their property, their livelihoods, and their sense of safety. Fear drove some families to leave the city entirely. Yet, in the aftermath, Black leaders such as W.E.B. Du Bois, then a professor at Atlanta University, and others used their voices to demand justice and national attention. Du Bois famously wrote about walking through the streets the next day, carrying a gun for protection, and later published essays condemning the violence. The event also pushed leaders like Booker T. Washington and Du Bois to sharpen their strategies for advancing civil rights, setting the stage for the activism that would eventually make Atlanta the “cradle of the Civil Rights Movement.”

Remembering the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre is important because it reveals the painful truth about how racial violence has shaped American cities, even those now celebrated for progress. Atlanta today is known as a Black cultural capital, home to historically Black colleges and universities, civil rights landmarks, and powerful voices in politics and business. But this legacy was built on resilience in the face of tragedies like 1906. Forgetting the massacre would erase the struggles of those who lived through it and diminish the hard-won victories that came later.

By keeping the memory of the Atlanta Race Massacre alive, we honor the victims, learn from the dangers of racial hatred and reckless media, and remind ourselves that building a just society requires constant vigilance.