Icon ‘took church to the streets,’ fought homelessness and helped get Confederate symbol removed from Georgia state flag
Longtime Atlanta civil and human rights activist Dr. Joseph Beasley has died, according to his family. He was 88.
Born to sharecroppers on a rural plantation in Inman, Ga., on Dec. 27, 1936, Joseph Henry Beasley rose from a segregated one-room schoolhouse to become a towering figure in the fight for justice and equality. After his family moved to Cincinnati, he excelled in local public schools and went on to earn his B.S. degree in criminal justice from Park College. He later attended graduate school at Clark Atlanta University.
Beasley, who died Tuesday, began his distinguished career with 21 years of service in the U.S. Air Force, where he retired as a police superintendent. In 1976, he joined Operation PUSH (People United to Serve Humanity) as a board member of its Kansas City affiliate, becoming Executive Director in 1978. He moved to Atlanta in 1981 and was named Southern Regional Director of the National Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in 1995 — a position he held for decades under the leadership of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
He also served as Georgia deputy director for Jackson’s presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988, working to increase African American political representation and engagement.
Global impact and local change
Beasley’s influence extended far beyond Georgia’s borders. He worked with the African National Congress to register voters for South Africa’s historic 1994 election that brought Nelson Mandela to power, served as a monitor during Haiti’s second democratic election in 1995, and made crucial visits to Zambia following its contested 2002 presidential election.
Former Georgia state Rep. Tyrone Brooks, who first met Beasley in 1979 during efforts to desegregate an Atlanta newspaper, called him “an unsung hero.” According to Brooks, Beasley played a pivotal role in removing the Confederate battle emblem from Georgia’s state flag in the early 2000s.
“When you see African-American judges in Fulton County, DeKalb, around this metro region, around the state of Georgia — on the benches, judges, particularly women — Joe Beasley was in that movement,” Brooks said.
Beasley: A champion for the unhoused
In Atlanta, Beasley dedicated himself to fighting homelessness and creating space for marginalized voices. Tim Franzen, an Atlanta organizer who met Beasley in 2008, said the civil rights leader taught him and countless others how to lead.
“Fighting for the unhoused was one of Joe’s passions, especially locally,” Franzen said. “Joe always made room for other voices.”
Franzen added that Beasley commanded respect because “he was always on the right side.”
Rev. Timothy MacDonald, pastor of First Iconium Baptist Church for 41 years and former president of Concerned Black Clergy — one of the organizations Beasley was involved with — captured the essence of Beasley’s approach: “He took the church to the streets.”
A legacy of service
Throughout his later years, Beasley focused on unifying African descendants for economic, political, social, and cultural empowerment. He served as president of African Ascension, an organization he founded to develop ties throughout Africa and the African Diaspora, and held board positions with numerous organizations including the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York City, Afronet in Lusaka, Zambia, and Afrobras in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The library at Zumbi dos Palmares College in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is named in his honor — a testament to his international impact.
Beasley’s life and work were featured in major publications including the New York Times, Boston Globe, and Los Angeles Times, as well as on CNN and other national television networks. He received dozens of awards throughout his lifetime.
Beasley is survived by three children, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. He viewed his life and numerous accomplishments as a testament to spiritual growth, vision, and unwavering commitment to justice.