Banners Herald 60th Anniversary of Black Student Matriculation

Celebratory banners will be on display through end of May.
The four-banner series highlights past, present, and future Georgia Tech trailblazers. A total of 24 banners are affixed to light poles across campus and will be on display through the end of May. (Photo by Allison Carter)

The four-banner series highlights past, present, and future Georgia Tech trailblazers. A total of 24 banners are affixed to light poles across campus and will be on display through the end of May. (Photo by Allison Carter)

Georgia Tech’s first three Black students — trailblazers Ford C. Greene, Ralph A. Long Jr., and Lawrence Williams — began taking classes in September 1961. Ronald L. Yancey enrolled a year later, in 1962, and became Tech’s first Black graduate in 1965. The 60th anniversary of Black student matriculation at Tech is being celebrated by the Georgia Tech Black Alumni Organization (GTBAO) and the Institute with a series of banners across campus.

The four-banner series highlights past, present, and future Georgia Tech trailblazers. The four designs feature the trailblazers statue; Atlanta mayor and Tech alumnus Andre Dickens; Joycelyn Wilson, assistant professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication; and Ph.D. student De’aira Bryant. A total of 24 banners are affixed to light poles across campus and will be on display through the end of May.

The banner celebration is a collaborative effort of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, GTBAO, and Institute Communications.

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