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The story behind Georgia’s first Black legislators

Richardson-Davis Park in downtown Athens
Emma Auer
/
WUGA
Richardson-Davis Park in downtown Athens

After the Civil War, the United States went through Reconstruction, when the federal government had to decide whether to admit the rebel Confederate states back into the Union.

In Athens, Georgia voters elected two recently freed men as their state representatives. But like many stories from that period, this one takes a dark turn.

WUGA’s Emma Auer reports as part of NPR’s America In Pursuit series.

Emma Auer is an award-winning reporter who joined WUGA as a full-time producer in 2024. She is also a graduate student in UGA's Romance Languages Department, studying French and Spanish. She covers the breadth of Northeast Georgia stories, from Athens City Hall to Winterville farmers' markets. Emma's work has also been heard on Georgia Public Broadcasting.
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