John Wesley Dobbs facts for kids
John Wesley Dobbs (born March 26, 1882 – died August 30, 1961) was an important African-American leader in Atlanta, Georgia. People often called him the unofficial "mayor" of Auburn Avenue. This street was the heart of the black community in Atlanta.
Dobbs helped start the Atlanta Negro Voters League. He worked with civil rights lawyer A.T. Walden. Together, they helped 20,000 African Americans register to vote in Atlanta. This happened between 1936 and 1946. This new voting power led to big changes. In 1948, Atlanta hired its first eight African-American police officers. The next year, in 1949, the city put lights along Auburn Avenue. This was the main shopping street for the African-American community.
Early Life and Learning
Dobbs was born and grew up in Atlanta. He went to public schools that were separated by race. He loved to read many books. He studied at Morehouse College for two years. He did not graduate because he needed to care for his mother.
In 1903, he passed a test to work for the government. He became a railway mail clerk for the Post Office. He worked in this job for 32 years.
His Family
In 1906, Dobbs married Irene Ophelia Thompson. They had six daughters. All of their daughters graduated from Spelman College.
One daughter, Mattiwilda Dobbs, became a famous opera singer in Europe. Another daughter, Josephine Ophelia Dobbs Clement, was elected to the school board in Durham, North Carolina. She worked to bring people of different races together. Their daughter Irene Dobbs Jackson was a French professor at Spelman College. She also helped integrate Atlanta's public libraries.
Working for Change
In 1911, Dobbs joined the Prince Hall Masons. This is a special group for African-American men. In 1932, he became the Grand Master of the Prince Hall Masons. He held this important position for the rest of his life.
Dobbs believed that being able to vote was key to ending segregation. Segregation meant keeping people of different races apart. In 1936, Dobbs started a drive to register black voters in Georgia. He wanted to register 10,000 people. That same year, he started the Atlanta Civic and Political League. In 1946, he co-founded the Atlanta Negro Voters League with A.T. Walden.
During the 1930s and 1940s, laws that stopped black people from voting were found to be against the law. Between 1936 and 1946, 20,000 African-American people in Atlanta registered to vote. With this new voting power, Dobbs talked to Atlanta mayor William B. Hartsfield. He convinced the mayor to allow black police officers. In 1948, the first eight black officers were hired. The next year, in 1949, the mayor ordered lights to be put along Auburn Avenue. This was a big step for the black business district.
In 1948, when Dobbs was 66, he helped a reporter named Ray Sprigle. Sprigle was a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter. He pretended to be a light-skinned black man. He traveled for 30 days in the Southern states. This was a dangerous thing to do because of Jim Crow rules. These rules enforced segregation. Dobbs helped Sprigle, pretending he was a cousin. Dobbs was Sprigle's guide and host.
Sprigle's newspaper stories were called I Was a Negro in the South for 30 Days. These stories surprised many white people in the North. They started the first big discussion in the country about segregation. Dobbs' important role in this was kept secret for many years. It was not fully known until 1998.
John Wesley Dobbs passed away on August 30, 1961. He was 79 years old. This was the same week that Atlanta city schools began to desegregate.
Remembering John Wesley Dobbs
- His family home is still standing at 540 John Wesley Dobbs Avenue. This street used to be called Houston Street.
- Houston Street was renamed in Dobbs' honor in 1994. This was done by Maynard Jackson. Jackson was the first African-American mayor of Atlanta. He was also Dobbs' grandson.
- A 7-foot tall sculpture of Dobbs' face was put up in 1996. It is called "Through His Eyes." It is located along Auburn Avenue.
- Dobbs Elementary School in the Atlanta Public Schools is named after him.
