EAM PRESERVATION

Thomasville, Georgia is a typical southern town in some ways, but very different in others. During the Civil Rights Era, the fight for equality took root here not in the glare of national media but in the steady resolve of its Black community. Led by figures like Rev. Isaac L. Mullins of First Missionary Baptist Church, and Curtis Thomas of the NAACP, local residents organized, marched, and challenged injustice from the pews to the courthouse. Though Northern influence lent the town a progressive reputation, deep-seated racism and resistance to change made progress hard-won. Through decades of marches, boycotts, voter registration drives, and legal battles, Thomasville’s Black citizens slowly dismantled segregation and secured political representation. Their story is one of persistence over spectacle—a reminder that true transformation often begins at the grassroots.