Tyrone Brooks facts for kids

Tyrone Leon Brooks Sr., born on October 10, 1945, is an American politician and a strong supporter of civil rights. He comes from Wilkes County, Georgia. As a member of the Democratic Party, Brooks served in the Georgia House of Representatives for many years, from 1981 to 2015.

Early Life and Education

Tyrone Brooks was born in Washington, Georgia. His parents were Ruby and Mose Brooks. He grew up in Warrenton, Georgia, where he went to public schools.

In 1963, he finished high school at Boggs Academy in Keysville, Georgia. Later, he was invited to special classes and talks at different universities. These included Lassalle Institute, Howard University, Atlanta University, and Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. In 2001, he received an honorary law degree from the John Marshall School of Law.

Working for Civil Rights

Brooks started working for the public good when he was just 15 years old. He volunteered with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). This group worked hard for civil and human rights. In 1967, he became a full-time staff member of the SCLC.

Over the years, Brooks held many different jobs at the SCLC. Through his work, he met important civil rights leaders. These included Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy, Hosea Williams, and Joseph Lowery. As an active civil rights worker with the SCLC, he faced many challenges and was often detained while fighting for equal rights.

Brooks also worked to remember a sad event from 1946 in Walton County. This event involved the unfair killing of four African Americans at Moore's Ford. It was the last large group killing of its kind in Georgia. Brooks tried to get the U.S. Department of Justice to look into this old case again. This led to a new review of the crime. However, investigators could not find enough new evidence to charge anyone.

Serving in the Georgia House of Representatives

Tyrone Brooks served as a Democratic member of the Georgia House of Representatives for 34 years. During this time, the areas he represented changed five times. This happened because of a process called reapportionment, which redraws district lines. In his last years in the House, he was part of important committees. These included the House Economic Development & Tourism, Governmental Affairs, and Retirement committees. Brooks left his position in 2015.

Important Laws and Changes

While in the Legislature, Representative Brooks was a member of the House Appropriations Committee. He also served on the Special Rules Committee. He supported laws that helped people who were struggling. He successfully led a movement to bring the town of Keysville, Georgia back to life. Because of his efforts, the city named a street after him.

Brooks also worked to make Georgia stop investing money in South Africa. At that time, South Africa had unfair laws called apartheid. His idea was voted on in the House but did not pass. He also supported a special resolution. This resolution called for the release of Nelson Mandela, a famous leader from South Africa.

In 2001, Brooks introduced House Bill 16. This bill led to a big change in the Georgia state flag. It became law on January 31, 2001, after almost 20 years of effort.

In 2005, Brooks sponsored a law to remove the last parts of Jim Crow era segregation laws from Georgia's Constitution. These were old laws that kept people separated based on race. In 2006, he introduced House Bill 101. This bill allowed law enforcement officers to count their service time from before 1976. This service time had been denied to them because of their race. He also helped pass laws to fight terrorism. He supported the Positive Employment and Community Help (PEACH) Program. He also helped with the Reapportionment Max Black Plan, which helped ensure fair representation.