“The Conscience of the South”

Next time you’re whizzing down Ralph McGill Boulevard, take time to remember one of the most influential Atlanta journalists who served as a catalyst for racial tolerance in the South.

McGill came to Atlanta in 1929 covering sports for the Atlanta Constitution, but moved to international reporting, covering the Cuban revolution and Hitler. In the 50s, he wrote on the failures of “separate but equal,” earning him death threats, national syndication and a Pulitzer.

During his career, he published over 10,000 columns, was editor-in-chief and publisher of the Constitution while breaking down walls of silence on segregation and political disfranchisement.

– Mark C. McDonald, Georgia Trust