When the late Georgia state Sen. Leroy Johnson walked in the State Capitol in for the first time in 1963, the signs on the restrooms and water fountains read “whites only” and “coloreds only.” He was initially denied entry into the State Capitol’s cafeteria. With the help of then-Gov. Carl Sanders, Johnson quietly desegregated the State Capitol. Fanfare didn’t come along with the change. Johnson preferred it that way.
The former educator and attorney’s impact remains today. Mourners paid their respects as he lay in state in the same building that he helped integrate. Current members of the Georgia Legislature were among those in attendance. Many cite Johnson as an influence on their respective careers.
State Rep. Patty Bentley traveled from her rural district to show her respects to Johnson. The Fort Valley Democrat never met him but said she had to make the trip.
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