Gwendolyn Middlebrooks

By Erin Fink

Gwendolyn Middlebrooks, a student at Spelman College, was one of the original members of the Atlanta Student Movement that began in 1960. Dr. Middlebrooks was jailed twice during the movement; once for picketing at the Georgia State Capitol and another for picketing at the courthouse. Middlebrooks recalls her experience in jail as a celebratory one. Those that were involved in the movement were hugging and congratulating one another on the impact their stance had already reflected.

When looking back on her experiences and their success in the movement, Ms. Middlebrooks was quoted saying, “You know, this is what people can do when they unite for the right reasons. That was a really good feeling, to know I was a part of this and although I couldn’t make them understand the night before last, they understand now.” She strongly believes that if people can come together and work together toward a goal, anything is achievable.

You know, this is what people can do when they unite for the right reasons. That was a really good feeling, to know I was a part of this and although I couldn’t make them understand the night before last, they understand now.

- Gwendolyn Middlebrows

Along with her involvement as a member in the Atlanta Student Movement, Middlebrooks also used to work as a babysitter for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King and has been a member of Ebenezer Baptist Church (where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a co-pastor until his death in 1968) since she was 10 years old.

The following link gives a transcript of an interview with Middlebrooks:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/freedomcollective-production/ncchr/docs/6/transcript.pdf?1350906038