Rage in the Gate City: The Story of the 1906 Atlanta Race Riot

In September 1906, triggered by sensational newspaper accounts accusing black men of sexually assaulting white women, Atlanta’s simmering racial tension exploded. Over four days of rioting, mobs of violent whites killed at least 10 blacks, looted black-owned businesses, and ransacked homes and neighborhoods. In the days immediately following the riot, black and white leaders came together in an unprecedented move, setting the stage for Atlanta’s emergence as the city too busy to hate” decades later. But while their business-first attitude may have quelled the most overt rhetoric and raging violence, it also reinforced class prejudices that existed in both the black and white communities.

Released on the 100-year anniversary of the riots, Rage in the Gate City provides a compelling narrative of the events during the month that shaped Atlanta and explores questions of race and class prejudice that are as relevant today as they were a century ago.