By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Black Easter celebration returns
Placeholder Image

Covington's most famous civil rights event, Black Easter, will be commemorated at 3 p.m. Sunday on the square.
The sixth annual event features singing, dance, speakers, prayer and fellowship.

Several original members of the 5,000-person march on Easter 1970 will attend, including the main speaker, Georgia Rep. Tyrone Brooks (D-Atlanta).

Black Easter was the culmination of months of protests, marches and economic boycotts which eventually led to the desegregation of the hospital, law enforcement and businesses in Newton County.

"A lot of people in Covington and the county don't even know this happened," organizer and local civil rights activist Forest Sawyer Jr. said previously. "They see
Covington as a lovey-dovey town, a sleepy town, but all hell was breaking loose in 1970. We had night marches every night, marched over 1,000 people every night. We had some 50 to 100 state troopers out here every night."

The event will be broadcast on WGFS (1430-AM).