Augusta in Richmond County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
The Riot of May 11-12, 1970
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 11, 2022
1. The Riot of May 11-12, 1970 Marker
On May 11, 1970, Augusta became the site of Georgia's largest uprising during the Civil Rights era. Hundreds of black citizens gathered at the Municipal Building to demand an investigation into the beating death of Charles Oatman, a 16-year-old African American, in the county jail. When white officials resisted, long-simmering grievances about racial injustice boiled over. Some protesters targeted Chinese-American and white-owned property for destruction. As the riot escalated police fired shotguns, killing six and wounding dozens. The Georgia National Guard occupied Paine College and black neighborhoods. Local trials convicted nearly 100 protesters. Despite an FBI investigation and federal trials of two white police officers, no official was convicted. Kent-Augusta-Jackson-S.E. Asia later became a national rallying cry, and the protests galvanized activism and accelerated desegregation in Augusta.
Erected 2020 by Georgia Historical Society The Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History The Augusta Riot 50th Observance Committee. (Marker Number 121-23.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Law Enforcement
this page online
Location. 33° 28.259′ N, 81° 57.714′ W. Marker is in Augusta, Georgia, in Richmond County. It can be reached from Telfair Street 0.1 miles west of Button Gwinnett Street, on the right when traveling west. Marker is in front of the Augusta-Richmond County Municipal Building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 535 Telfair St, Augusta GA 30901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, the Western Hemisphere, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Richmond County (within shouting distance of this marker); Richmond County Court of Ordinary (within shouting distance of this marker); Lafayette's Tour (within shouting distance of this marker); Signers of the Declaration of Independence (within shouting distance of this marker); Gates of Repentance (within shouting distance of this marker); The Signers' Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); The Congregation Children of Israel Synagogue (about 300 feet away); Army National Guard (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Augusta.
Other markers no longer nearby. Old Richmond Academy Building (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing); Congregation Children of Israel
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 11, 2022
2. The Riot of May 11-12, 1970 Marker
Also see . . .
1. Remembering The Augusta Civil Rights Riot, 50 Years Later. Despite the death, damage and news coverage it caused, the riot and the causes behind it had largely been forgotten in the decades afterward. ("All Things Considered," National Public Radio, Oct. 1, 2020) (Submitted on June 17, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Shots in the Back: Exhuming the 1970 Augusta Riot. This podcast series tells the story of one of the first major Civil Rights Era riots in the South. The immediate cause of the riot in Augusta, Ga. was the brutal murder of Charles Oatman, an African American teenager held by police in the county jail. During the riot, six black men were killed by white police officers, all of them shot in the back. (Georgia Public Broadcasting, in collaboration with students at Jessye Norman School of the Arts, 2020) (Submitted on June 17, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
3. Photos: May 11, 1970 Augusta Riots. Collection of photographs taken by The Augusta Chronicle photojournalists. (Submitted on June 17, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, April 10, 2025
3. The Riot of May 11-12, 1970 Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on June 6, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 17, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,021 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 17, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3. submitted on May 31, 2025, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan.
