Greenville in Meriwether County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Richmond D. Hill: Georgia’s First Black Mayor
Photographed By Brandon D Cross, October 5, 2023
1. Richmond D. Hill: Georgia’s First Black Mayor Marker
Inscription.
Richmond D. Hill: Georgia’s First Black Mayor. . In 1973, Richmond D. Hill became the first African American to be elected mayor of a municipality in Georgia. Following, the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, the NAACP began a campaign to educate, organize, and register rural African American voters. Hill, a local member of the NAACP, was instrumental in leading Black voter participation efforts in Meriwether County. This grassroots effort resulted in him becoming the county's and the city of Greenville's first Black councilman in 1968. His subsequent successful campaign for the mayor's office in Greenville illustrated the impact of the Civil Rights Movement and voter registration efforts in the rural communities of Georgla. Elections across the country in 1973 resulted in a wave of Black elected officials. Mayor Hill served the city for nearly a decade and died in 1992.
In 1973, Richmond D. Hill became the first African American to be elected mayor of a municipality in Georgia. Following, the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, the NAACP began a campaign to educate, organize, and register rural African American voters. Hill, a local member of the NAACP, was instrumental in leading Black voter participation efforts in Meriwether County. This grassroots effort resulted in him becoming the county's and the city of Greenville's first Black councilman in 1968. His subsequent successful campaign for the mayor's office in Greenville illustrated the impact of the Civil Rights Movement and voter registration efforts in the rural communities of Georgla. Elections across the country in 1973 resulted in a wave of Black elected officials. Mayor Hill served the city for nearly a decade and died in 1992.
Erected 2023 by The Georgia Historical Society, Odessadale Preservation Committee and the City of Greenville. (Marker Number 99-4.)
25.398′ W. Marker is in Greenville, Georgia, in Meriwether County. Marker is on N. Depot Street, 0.1 miles south of Reville Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 N Depot Street, Greenville GA 30222, United States of America. Touch for directions.
2. Richmond D. Hill: Georgia’s First Black Mayor Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 23, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 22, 2023, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 75 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on October 22, 2023, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
