First black Georgia state senator elected after reconstruction has died

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www.ajc.com/news/the-class/yJmwEzhKpObmxGohum7xDN/

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First black Georgia state senator elected after reconstruction has died

Politics
By Maya T. Prabhu, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Former state Sen. Leroy Johnson, the first black Georgia senator elected after Reconstruction, has died. He was 91.

Johnson, an attorney and former teacher, was elected as a Democrat in 1962 and served until 1975.

His inclusion in the 1963 class of freshman lawmakers marked him as a part of rising politicians, including former Gov. Jimmy Carter.

Johnson can be credited with working to quietly desegregate the Georgia Capitol.

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