Laney Walker in Augusta in Richmond County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Rev. Dr. William Jefferson White, Sr. (1881-1913)
The Georgia Baptist Man
Photographed by Brandon D Cross
1. Rev. Dr. William Jefferson White, Sr. (1881-1913) Marker
Religious and civil rights leader William Jefferson White lived in Augusta most of his life. Regarded as a free man of color, White was a carpenter, educator, and minister before emancipation. Immediately following the Civil War, White served as an educational agent of the Freedmen's Bureau and principal founder of Harmony Baptist Church and the Augusta Baptist Institute (now Morehouse College). Throughout Reconstruction, White led efforts to organize the new Republican Party, advocating for Black civil rights and education. In 1880 white helped establish Augusta's Ware High School and founded the Georgia Baptist, a weekly African-American newspaper that covered religious and civil rights issues. White endured threats and harsh criticism, often because of his journalism condemning racial violence and lynching. A working pastor until his death. White is buried in Augusta's Cedar Grove Cemetery.
Erected 2024 by Georgia Historical Society; the Lary Craft Laney Museum of Black History; the USC Center for Civil Rights History and Research; Augusta Universitys History, Anthropology and Philosophy Department. (Marker Number 121-28.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights
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Location. 33° 27.917′ N, 81° 58.417′ W. Marker is in Augusta, Georgia, in Richmond County. It is in Laney Walker. It is at the intersection of Hopkins Street and James Brown Boulevard, on the right when traveling west on Hopkins Street. The marker is located in front of Harmony Baptist Church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 909 Hopkins 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: Dyess Park (approx. 0.2 miles away); Neighbors on the Canal (approx. 0.2 miles away); Reverend C. T. Walker (approx. 0.2 miles away); Frank Garvin Yerby (approx. 0.2 miles away); Dr. Thomas Walter Josey (approx. 0.2 miles away); Trinity CME (approx. Ό mile away); Silas Xavier Floyd, D.D. (approx. 0.3 miles away); Dr. James Edward Carter (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Augusta.
Also see . . .
1. Rev. Dr. William Jefferson White, Sr. (1881-1913). (Submitted on November 27, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. Local church creates marker of civil rights trailblazer William Jefferson White. (Submitted on November 27, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 27, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 106 times since then and 31 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on November 27, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide shot of the marker showing it in relation to the street • Can you help?
