People, Locations, Episodes

John Wesley Dobbs, Atlanta Civic Leader born

John Wesley Dobbs

The birth of John Wesley Dobbs in 1882 is celebrated on this date.  He was a Black postal clerk, civic leader, and activist.

Dobbs was born in Marietta, Georgia. In 1897, he went to Atlanta, worked at a drugstore, and attended Atlanta Baptist College (Morehouse College). In 1903, Dobbs passed the U.S. postal exam to become a postal clerk and assumed a highly respected position for a Black man at the turn of the century. Three years later, he married Irene Ophelia Thompson, and they would have six daughters together.

In 1911, Dobbs was initiated into the Prince Hall Masons, where, within three years, he would become their Grand Warden. In 1932, he became Grand Master of the Prince Hall Masons. Over the next 30 years, Dobbs was active as a speaker for the equality of Black America. In 1936, he spoke for 2 hours at Big Bethel AME Church to awaken the political conscience of Atlanta's 90,000 Blacks. He proposed organizing the Atlanta Civic and Political League to register 10,000 voters that night. In 1946, he was active in the formation of the Atlanta Negro Voters League (ANVL). This organization gathered 18,000 votes in 51 days- enough votes to convince Mayor Hartsfield to hire 8 Black policemen.

In 1948, Dobbs and Mayor Hartsfield had the City of Atlanta Police force integrated with 8 Black police officers. They were stationed in the basement of the Butler Street YMCA, but they could not arrest any white citizens.

John Wesley Dobbs, often called the Unofficial "Mayor" of Auburn Avenue, passed away on the evening the Atlanta School System was desegregated in 1961.   Twelve years after Dobbs died, his grandson,  Maynard Jackson Jr., won the election as Atlanta's first Black mayor.

One of Jackson’s last actions as mayor was to push for legislation to change the name of Houston Street to John Wesley Dobbs Avenue and to pay homage to his grandfather.  Houston Street was the site of the Dobbs home, where all six Dobbs's daughters grew up.  The name change signified John Wesley Dobbs's role in registering Black voters and nurturing Black political power in Atlanta.