Atlanta, GA
Moore’s Ford Bridge: Remembering America’s last mass lynching
About 50 miles east of Atlanta, along Highway 78 near the Oconee County line, a modest roadside marker tells the story of one of the most horrific racial crimes in American history.
It marks the site of the Moore’s Ford Bridge lynching — widely recognized as the last documented mass lynching in the United States.
Between 1880 and 1968, Tuskegee University researchers say Georgia recorded 637 lynchings — one of the highest totals in the nation. Most went unprosecuted.
Among them: the killings on July 25, 1946.
On that summer day, George Dorsey — a World War II veteran — and his wife Mae, along with Roger and Dorothy Malcolm, were traveling near the Apalachee River in Walton County.
The Malcolms and Dorseys were sharecroppers who had encouraged Black community members to vote in Georgia’s all-white primary earlier that year.
After a confrontation with a wealthy white landowner, Roger Malcolm was arrested and jailed in Walton County. He was later bailed out by Loy Harrison, a local farmer who was also identified as a Klansman.
As Harrison drove the two couples toward his farm, their car was stopped at Moore’s Ford Bridge by a mob of roughly 30 white men.
George Dorsey and Roger Malcolm were dragged from the car, tied to a tree in a nearby field, and shot. Dorothy Malcolm, who was seven months pregnant, and Mae Dorsey were also killed. According to statements later given to authorities, the four were shot dozens of times.
No one was ever convicted.
A case that still haunts Georgia
For Cassandra Greene and Nicole King-Crawford, the site is not just history — it is sacred ground.
“I immediately feel sad… hurt,” Greene said during a recent visit to the bridge. “This is exactly where they were killed.”
For two decades, Greene and King-Crawford have helped organize an annual July 25 reenactment of the lynching. They say the performance is not about spectacle, but remembrance.
“It reconnects you to your humanness — your compassion, your empathy,” Greene said. “That’s what it should do.”
Despite four sweeping investigations by the FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation over 81 years, no suspects were publicly named and no arrests were made.
Many in the community believe prominent local residents were involved.
“This town… there were prominent people here that were involved,” Greene said. “Would you want your family’s name to be out? They don’t want it.”
The sealed grand jury testimony
One potential key to the case remains locked away: sealed federal grand jury testimony from 1946. More than 100 witnesses reportedly testified.
Hank Klibanoff, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and director of the Georgia Civil Rights Cold Cases Project at Emory University, has long pushed for access to those records.
“I do believe the secrecy behind grand juries — including Moore’s Ford — is to protect the bad guys, not the good guys,” Klibanoff said.
He remains hopeful that answers may still exist in archives — or within families.
“You don’t know if someone gave a deathbed confession 40 years ago,” he said.
Authorities acknowledge it is unlikely that anyone who directly witnessed the lynching is still alive. But descendants in Walton County may hold pieces of the truth.
Greene says she prays one day a family member will come forward — not just for accountability, but for reconciliation.
“We want reconciliation,” she said. “That’s what’s important.”
A national reckoning
The impact of Moore’s Ford reached beyond Walton County.
In December 1946, the killings helped prompt President Harry Truman to establish the President’s Committee on Civil Rights — a 15-member panel tasked with investigating racial violence and recommending federal action to protect civil rights.
Nearly 80 years later, Moore’s Ford Bridge stands as a reminder of terror, silence, and unfinished justice — and of a chapter of Black history that remains as difficult to confront as it is necessary to remember.
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Jeff Galloway, pioneer of run-walk-run, dies at 80
The running world is mourning the loss of Jeff Galloway, a transformative figure who democratized distance running for millions. An Olympian and the winner of the first-ever Peachtree Road Race in 1970, Galloway was best known for his revolutionary Run-Walk-Run method.
ATLANTA – Atlanta runners are finding ways to honor the legacy of former US Olympian Jeff Galloway, who was widely known for his run-walk-run strategy, after his death on Wednesday at 80.
What we know:
Officials say Galloway suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and died in a hospital in Pensacola, Florida.
His daughter-in-law, Carissa Galloway, also a running enthusiast, shared a tribute to him through social media following his death.
What they’re saying:
“With Jeff being the winner of the first Peachtree, he sort of automatically is a legend here in Atlanta,” said Rich Kenah, Atlanta Track Club CEO.
Kenah says Galloway will likely be remembered most for inspiring so many people to lace up their sneakers and start running.
Running legend Jeff Galloway passes away in Florida
“We know Jeff in the running world as our hometown hero. You know, our celebrity. But he leveraged that celebrity to bring more people into the sport than anybody else that I can think of. I think that should be his legacy,” said Kenah.
At a Thursday night run along the Beltline, the group held a moment of silence in Galloway’s honor.
“He’s a big advocate for encouraging people to go and run. I was influenced by him. I ran my 1st marathon back in December of 2024,” said Alex Lewis.
As the group took off on their run, they remembered the elite athlete who spent a lifetime motivating others to lead a healthy life one step at a time.
“Even though he was an Olympian and kind of like a celebrity in his own right, he still acted and talked to us normal people, just like a regular guy. He’ll be deeply missed here in Atlanta,” said Lewis.
Atlanta Track Club officials say there will be a moment to recognize Jeff Galloway before the start of Sunday’s Publix Atlanta Marathon.
They’re still planning how they will pay tribute to him at this year’s Peachtree Road Race.
The Source: This is a FOX 5 original report where Denise Dillon spoke with members of the Atlanta running community.
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Two Atlanta institutions are coming together to bring a new experience to NBA fans.
The Atlanta Hawks and Magic City are partnering for “Magic City Monday,” a celebration of a cultural institution during the team’s game against Orlando Magic on March 16.
Magic City is a self-identified “premier Atlanta strip club,” and well-known across the city for their performances as well as their kitchen. The club is regularly featured in lists identifying the best chicken wings in the city. Magic City is in downtown Atlanta.
What to expect at ‘Magic City Monday’
Before the game, Hawks’ principal owner Jami Gertz, a filmaker and actor, will present a live recording of the Hawks AF podcast, according to a news release from the organization.
Gertz recently produced a five-part STARZ docuseries about Magic City, working with Atlanta native Jermaine Dupri and featuring interviews with Big Boi, Killer Mike and T.I. The series explores the “pivotal role” the club played in “hip-hop and Black culture,” in Atlanta and beyond.
The live recording will include a conversation about the documentary, as well as chats with Magic City founder Michael “Mr. Magic” Barney, T.I. and D.C. Young Fly.
“This collaboration and theme night is very meaningful to me after all the work that we did to put together ‘Magic City: An American Fantasy,’” Gertz said in the release. “The iconic Atlanta institution has made an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.”
During halftime, T.I will perform in State Farm Arena, and the organization will rely on DJ Esco for pregame music.
“We doin’ this one for the city… Magic City,” T.I. said in the release.
Magic City is bringing the wings
Magic City will bring their famous lemon pepper wings into State Farm Arena, serving the Louwill Lemon Pepper BBQ wins and traditional Lemon Pepper at sections 114, 120 and 211. Wings will also be available at two all-inclusive premium experiences including Harrah’s Cherokee Casino’s Club and the Players Club.
“From the food to the music to the exclusive merchandise, we are excited to team up with Magic City to create an authentic, True to Atlanta-inspired game experience,” Melissa Proctor, Hawks executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said in the release.
Limited-edition merchandise, including a ‘MAGIC CITY’ hoodie, will be available at State Farm Arena and online starting Monday, March 16.
The game tips off at 7 p.m. E.T., but fans are invited to enter the arena early for the podcast taping. You can purchase tickets here.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
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