The Citizens Progressive Club of Rockdale County

The Citizens Progressive Club of Rockdale County was organized in 1956 by a small group of African-American men in the Bryant Street community who had a desire to provide a playground with nice equipment where the children in the community could play safely and enjoy themselves. Ladies were not included in the men's group. The ladies were in an auxiliary group. In the early 2000s, ladies were included in the group.Leading to establishing the club’s initial purpose of owning and maintaining playground and recreation facilities along with the promotion of community civic projects in the city of Conyers and Rockdale County. An important support group for the African American community, the Citizens Progressive Club has actively mobilized, advocated, and created opportunities for African American citizens within this Conyers-Rockdale County community.

The reflections of the past 60 years are many, both told and untold. Some of their work include:

• Donating equipment to the children’s playground;
• Raised funds through road blocks to help needy families with rent, utilities, grocery, and doctor bills;
• Led the fight to integrate lunch counters and the local movie theater;
• Peaceably met and worked with county leaders prior and during the integration of Rockdale County Schools;
• Spearheaded communication between the Black community and elected officials;
• Led multiple voter registration drives;
• Instrumental in changing the Board or Commissioners from one seat to three seats;
• Instrumental in persuading the city to name its first black department director;
• Laid the walkway to the “old jail” downtown Conyers;
• Presented scholarships to graduating high school students;
• Worked with county to pave streets and repair street signs in the African American neighborhoods;
• Fought to save portions of the JP Carr school building and place many of the services currently located there;
• Honoring senior citizens for their contributions to the community over the years;
• Presented annual “Citizen of the Year” awards to Black community leaders;
• Worked with the Board of Education to name two county high school gymnasiums in honor of two longtime Coaches;
• Initiated a program to combine all JP Carr yearbooks into one volume; Honored the first students to integrate; Rockdale schools in 1965 with a 50th Anniversary Ceremony;

Members of the club have also been in Rockdale County the first African American men to be named as a head coach of a high school sport after the integration; Serve on the Zoning and Planning Board; Serve of the Recreation Board; Be elected to public office; Have a total two buildings named in their honor; Honored by the Rockdale Jaycees as “Man of the Year”; Receive the Gus Barksdale “Lifetime Achievement Award”; Be a recipient of the United States Olympic Committee’s “Jack Fisher” Award; Be a recipient of the International Olympic Committee’s “Pierre de Coubertain” Award D Be named the state of Georgia “Citizen of the Year

Citizens Progressive Club Celebrates

Citizens Progressive Club, honored students that integrated Rockdale County School System School year 1965-1966 on Saturday September 12, 2015. Dr. Linda Lee Young was the keynote speaker.

During the school year 1965-1966, about 15 - 20 black students volunteered to integrated the school system. At this time there were two (2) schools systems one for black students and one for white students. The black school was John Phillip Carr School. JP Carr was for black students from the first grade through the twelfth grade.

The full integration went into effect the school year 1969 - 1970.

Trailblazers Awards celebrates 50th anniversary of Freedom of Choice school integration

Trailblazer Awards

Cleveland Stroud and Aldren Sadler present to the Rockdale Historical Society January 2017

Progressive Club paved the way for Conyers black community during MLK era

J. P. Carr Memorabilia enshrined - Feb 16, 2020

J.P. Carr School to showcase memorabilia of Rockdale’s first black school

https://www.rockdalenewtoncitizen.com/news/history-to-be-told-citizens-progressive-club-of-rockdale-county/article_d1509a18-4699-11ea-a841-fb8a1b99b8aa.html