Black History surrounding the Atlanta Child Murders

Photo courtesy to ISU

NORMAL, Ill.-  Illinois State University is recognizing Black History month through lived experiences and real people.

The Atlanta Child Murders was a series of killings that took place in Atlanta between 1979 and 1981.

Up to 28 children were murdered, and Wayne Williams was convicted in 1981.

The killings seemed to have stopped immediately following Williams’ arrest and conviction.

However, there is some doubt that Williams is connected to all of the killings.

The case was reopened in March of 2019, in hopes of more recent technology being helpful in getting a conviction.

ISU wanted to have a presentation that covered the political climate of Atlanta during that time. 

Author Adolph Reed Jr. said, “I was asked to speak about this topic because I was close to the investigation and I lived and worked in the city.”

ISU also wanted to capture how different groups of people responded and are responding to the events surrounding these hate crimes.