Albany

Albany, Georgia was a learning experience for those involved in the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King, Jr. described it as his greatest failure. It was however a success in that it was the first large scale movement with an end goal of desegregation.

There were many factors that made the Albany Movement less successful. First and foremost, there was very little publicity. At the beginning of the movement and after Martin Luther King’s arrest there was national media coverage. However, its impact was lessened by local authorities who bailed him out of jail. They did this to knowingly avoid media confrontation. They also used nonviolence by simply making arrests. There were not beatings and therefore there was no negative publicity. Those sent to jail were not sent to the same one. The authorities did this in order to avoid overfilling the jails, which was one of King’s strategies.

Religion played a powerful role in this movement. The church was at the forefront of the Albany Movement. It was a place where the oppressed minority could go for support, reinforcement, prayer, companionship, understanding, and togetherness. They would also sing together. Song was a strong force in maintaining togetherness. They would sing in church, and when they were imprisoned, they would sing together there too. Undoubtedly, the church was essential to the civil rights movement.