Black History

Horace King: A Genius Builder and Architect in Old South

One of the greatest fears of a slave owner was Black literacy. An uneducated slave was thought to be nonthreatening and “necessary to their security.”

Published

5 years ago

October 30, 2021

Christy Price

Horace King. Public domain photo.

One of the greatest fears of a slave owner was Black literacy. An uneducated slave was thought to be nonthreatening and “necessary to their security.”

Reading and writing posed a threat to the system of slavery, and strict laws were enforced against it. Simply put: educating an enslaved person was a crime. John Godwin, however, ignored this law, giving his slaves, including Horace King (1807–1885), a great degree of freedom.
King was born in South Carolina. He was taught to read early and thought to have been literate when purchased by Godwin around 1830. Soon after, Godwin, a builder, relocated from Alabama to a suburb of Columbus, Ga. There, he was awarded the contract to build the first public bridge connecting the two states.
It is said that King planned the project and supervised the enslaved people tasked to erect the span. It was then that Godwin realized King’s talents and natural genius as a builder. He made the decision to take King on as his protégé. Soon after, he sent King to Oberlin College (Ohio), the first college to admit African-American students.
After graduation, King returned to work with Godwin. The two collaborated on the construction of courthouses and bridges throughout Georgia and Alabama. In 1841, they rebuilt their Columbus City Bridge which had been destroyed in a flood.
King also served as superintendent and architect of major bridges at Wetumpka, Ala., and Columbus, Miss. Godwin did not supervise those projects.
Godwin experienced financial difficulties in the late 1830s, forcing him to transfer ownership of King to his wife and her uncle. In 1846, King was freed. It is said that Godwin came to these decisions because he needed to “protect this valuable asset (King) from his creditors.”

King could possibly have bought his freedom, but the relationship between the two men continued.
In the mid-1850s, King erected Moore’s Bridge, which stretched over the Chattahoochee River between Newnan and Carrollton. In lieu of cash, he accepted stock in the enterprise as payment. King’s wife and their five children are believed to have moved to this site. There they tended the bridge and farmed until 1864, when the Union cavalry burned the span.
The Civil War (1861–65) brought an economic boom to Columbus. King, at that time, worked for the Confederacy, supplying timber. He also took on the project of erecting a major building for the Confederate navy.
During Reconstruction (1863–77), King became a Republican politician. He served two terms as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives, although his presence was minimal. His focus was on rebuilding wagon and railroad bridges, grist and textile mills, cotton warehouses, and public buildings. He did not seek a third term.
In 1872, King and his family moved to LaGrange, Ga., where he continued to design and construct bridges, stores, houses, and college buildings. He had become the most respected bridge builder in west Georgia, Alabama, and northeast Mississippi from the 1830s until the 1880s. King died in 1885.

Christy Price

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of May 6 – 12, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of may 6 – 12, 2026

Published

2 days ago

May 10, 2026

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post

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Activism

On the Frontlines of Hate: NAACP Links Victims to Critical Support

The NAACP CA/HI has a long and well-established record of supporting victims of discrimination and hate crimes — providing critical referrals and, when necessary, direct assistance through legal advocacy and other forms of support. Beyond responding to incidents, the organization continues to advocate on broader civil rights issues, including voting rights and legal protections. It has also worked to counter efforts at the state and federal levels that could weaken the voting power of communities of color.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 1, 2026

Oakland Post

NAACP members at a recent advocacy day in Sacramento urging lawmakers to protect voting rights. Photo courtesy of California Black Media.

By Joe Kocurek
California Black Media

The California/Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP (CA/HI NAACP) has expanded its efforts to respond to rising hate incidents and civil rights complaints across California, supported in part by funding from California’s Stop the Hate Program

Through that grant, NAACP CA/HI has strengthened its ability to connect individuals experiencing hate or discrimination with critical resources. This includes referring those who file complaints to the CA vs Hate hotline, a statewide, non-emergency hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal created to help counter a more than 50% increase in reported hate crimes in California between 2020 and 2024. The system helps ensure incidents are documented, and victims are guided toward appropriate support.

LaJuana Bivens says the work of NAACP is as urgent as ever. Photo by Regina Wilson, California Black Media.

LaJuana Bivens, who has served in a number of roles within the NAACP, said California has seen an increase in civil rights violations and hate-related incidents.

“We have 52 branches, and they are constantly receiving complaints,” she said. “So, without the Stop the Hate, we would not be able to refer those cases up to attorneys at the state level. A lot of the people would not have had an opportunity to be heard.”

Carmen-Nicole Cox helps survivors of hate with their legal options. Photo courtesy of Carmen-Nicole Cox.

Carmen-Nicole Cox, an attorney who works with NAACP CA/HI – as a part of California’s Stop the Hate Program – provides legal consultation to victims of hate incidents and discrimination through her legal practice, the Cox Firm for Law and Policy.

She said the complaints she receives span a wide range of issues.

“People are having home builders and landlords refusing to provide repairs, a student was denied promotion in an academic program, and targeted scrutiny at work,” she said. “It’s typically employment; it’s housing; it’s education.

“We’ll meet and they’ll share their experiences,” she said. “And then I make assessments about possible legal claims.”

According to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), nearly 1,200 reports of hate against minority groups were submitted in 2024 through the CA vs Hate hotline and online portal for non-emergency incidents.

While the California/Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP, which has tens of thousands of members, does not directly investigate hate incidents or crimes, it plays a key role in connecting victims to the state’s reporting systems and support services.

Beyond responding to incidents, the organization continues to advocate on broader civil rights issues, including voting rights and legal protections. It has also worked to counter efforts at the state and federal levels that could weaken the voting power of communities of color.

Bivens recently traveled to Sacramento to speak with state lawmakers about voting rights during an advocacy day event hosted by the organization.

“It’s just so hard for communities of color to be up to date because of all of the confusing information coming from the federal level,” she said. “I love our great state of California because here it is possible to vote by mail and to vote early.

“And I’m seeing that trying to be eroded. So, I’m here to urge continued support for vote by mail and early voting.”

When Texas moved to redraw congressional districts in ways critics said would dilute minority voting strength, NAACP CA/HI supported the passage of Proposition 50 in California. The organization also intervened in United States v. Shirley Weber, where federal officials sought access to unredacted California voter records, including Social Security numbers, raising concerns about misuse and voter intimidation.

Cultivating the advocacy and leaderships of young people is central to NAACP’s mission to fight racism and dismantle inequality. Photo courtesy of California Black Media.

A federal district court dismissed that case in January 2026.

The organization’s current work builds on a long history of civil rights advocacy. Today, Bivens says, the organization’s mission remains as urgent as ever.

“We are the oldest, boldest, most feared Civil Rights organization,” Bivens said. “What we do every day is fight for better housing, education, economic development and political inclusion. We take it on because there are just so many people who need that support.

“You would be amazed that our phones ring every single day.”

Get Support After Hate:

California vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hotline and online portal offering confidential support for hate crimes and incidents. Victims and witnesses can get help anonymously by calling 833-8-NO-HATE (833-866-4283), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. PT, or online at any time. Anonymous. Confidential. No Police. No ICE.

This story was produced in partnership with CA vs Hate. Join them for the first-ever CA Civil Rights Summit on May 11. More information at www.cavshate.org/summit.

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