Janie Culbreth
Janie Culbreth was born in Albany, Georgia and as a child was prepared, from almost the beginning, to become a civil rights activist. As a young girl, Culbreth was frustrated with the fact that she could not ride at the front of the bus or drink from the "Whites Only" fountain. It seemed her frustration would change over into anger, and by the time she had made it to high school, she was rebellious. When the Civil Rights Movement came to Albany State, Culbreth became an activist anxious to make something happen in the city of Albany. She was one of the leaders in the movement at Albany State that helped organize her fellow students to march in a demonstration to protest the arrest of the first five students that tried to integrate the bus station. She also wrote a poem entitled, “A Brighter Day,” published in the Albany Herald, that expressed her disappointment and addressed the fear of students that were afraid to participate in the movement. They were so afraid because the college’s administration threatened punishment to those who wanted to participate. Even after suspension, Culbreth continued her efforts, until the movement ended. Today, as a retired school teacher, Dr. Culbreth Rambeau says that the story of the movement needs to be told to young people because they lack an understanding of how the Albany Civil Rights Movement created the rights they now enjoy. She believes it is important that workshops and courses be taught so that what happened remains alive!