John Wesley Dobbs
John Wesley Dobbs (March 26, 1882 – August 30, 1961) was an African-American civic and political leader in Atlanta, Georgia. He was often referred to as the unofficial "mayor" of Auburn Avenue, the spine of the black community in the city.
John Wesley Dobbs | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 26, 1882 Atlanta, Georgia |
| Died | August 30, 1961 (79 years old) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Morehouse College |
| Occupation(s) | Civil and political leader |
| Organization | Atlanta Negro Voters League |
| Known for | Involvement in the Civil Rights Movement |
| Political party | Republican |
| Children | 6, including Mattiwilda Dobbs |
Dobbs co-founded the Atlanta Negro Voters League with civil rights attorney A.T. Walden, leading voter registration efforts that registered 20,000 African Americans in Atlanta from 1936 to 1946. This new political power helped gain the hiring in 1948 of the first eight African-American police officers in Atlanta, the same year that the federal government began to integrate the armed services. In 1949 the city finally installed lighting along Auburn Avenue, the main retail street of the African-American community.