The Georgia Interscholastic Association (GIA), formed in 1948, was a sports league of high schools serving African Americans in Georgia. It merged into the

Georgia High School Association The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) is an organization that governs athletics and activities for member high schools in Georgia, USA. GHSA is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations. The association has 46 ...

with desegregation in 1970. '' As If We Were Ghosts'' is a documentary film made about the league and its athletes. The Georgia Interscholastic Association held state championship competitions from 1948–70 and joined the

the following year.

History

The Big 7 Conference included large high schools for African American students in Georgia. The GIA was an expansion of this league that grew to include county high schools around the state. High schools for African Americans from 147 of Georgia's 159 counties came to be included in the league.

Walt Frazier Walter "Clyde" Frazier Jr. (born March 29, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As their floor general and top perimeter defender, he led the New York Knicks to the franchise's o ...

Wyomia Tyus Wyomia Tyus (pronunciation: ''why-o-mi''; born August 29, 1945) is a retired American track and field sprinter, and the first person to retain the Olympic title in the 100 m (a feat since duplicated by Carl Lewis, Gail Devers, Shelly-Ann Frase ...

Otis Sistrunk Otis Sistrunk (born September 18, 1946) is an American former professional football player who played his entire seven-year career as a defensive lineman for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL), from 1972 to 1978. Sistrunk ...

Monk Johnson Howard "Monk" Johnson (April 4, 1894 – November 14, 1973) was an American baseball left fielder in the Negro leagues The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans. The term may be ...

Rayfield Wright Larry Rayfield Wright (August 23, 1945 – April 7, 2022) was an American professional football player who was an offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He is a member of the Pro Football H ...

. Don Adams, Willie Seay, and

Edith McGuire Edith Marie McGuire (born June 3, 1944), later known as Edith McGuire Duvall, is an American former sprinter. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, McGuire ran for Tennessee State University. TSU had a very successful women's sprinting team, The Tigerbelle ...

emerged from the league. Seay went on to star on

Albany State University Albany State University is a Public university, public Historically Black College and University, historically black university in Albany, Georgia, United States. In 2017, Darton State College and Albany State University consolidated to become ...

's track team and carried the

Olympic torch The Olympic flame is a Olympic symbols, symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. The Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece, several months before the Olympic Games. This ceremony s ...

before the

1996 Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

in Atlanta, Georgia. Becky Taylor who works at the '' Tifton Gazette'' has been researching the league for years. Herb White, nicknamed the Elevator from Decatur, worked on the documentary film about the league. A high school basketball, star he went on to play for the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

. The GIS grew to include high schools for African American students from 147 of Georgia's 159 counties. After the film was broadcast the filmmakers and some of those featured in the film participated in a panel discussion moderated by

Ann Kimbrough Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie and Ana. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in th ...

High schools

* Henry McNeal Turner High School in northwest Atlanta * Washington High School in southwest Atlanta * South Fulton High School in

East Point, Georgia East Point is a suburban city located southwest of Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,358. The city name is derived from being at the opposite end o ...

Ballard-Hudson High School Ballard-Hudson High School was a high school in Macon, Georgia, United States. Several buildings have existed on the site. Ballard-Hudson Senior High School was built in 1949 as the only high school in Macon for African Americans in grades nine th ...

in Macon * Alfred E. Beach High School in Savannah * David T. Howard High School in Northeast Atlanta * Carver High School in Southeast Atlanta * South Fulton High School in East Point *

Josey High School T. W. Josey Comprehensive High School (commonly referred to as T. W. Josey or Josey High School) is a public high school in Augusta, Georgia, United States. Josey's campus is located several blocks south of the Medical District. The campus is b ...

in Augusta * Central High School in Springfield *

Atkinson County Training High School Atkinson may refer to: Places *Atkinson, Nova Scotia, Canada *Atkinson, Dominica, a village in Dominica * Atkinson, Illinois, U.S. *Atkinson, Indiana, U.S. *Atkinson, Maine, U.S. * Atkinson Lake, a lake in Minnesota, U.S. *Atkinson, Nebraska, ...

in Pearson *

Appling High School Appling may refer to: Places *Appling, Georgia *Appling County, Georgia People *Daniel Appling (1787–1817), officer in the United States Army * Dean R. Appling, American biochemist * Howell Appling Jr. (1919–2002), American businessman and ...

in Macon *

Eva Thomas High School Eva L. Thomas High School was a high school for African Americans in College Park, Georgia established in 1964, and closed in 1969. It was named after Atlanta Public Schools educator Eva Louise Thomas, who died less than a year before the school o ...

in College Park * Harrison High School in West Point * Risley High School in Brunswick * Calhoun High School * Carver High School in Dawson * Lee Street High School in Blackshear *

Hutto High School Hutto High School is a public high school located in Hutto, Texas, USA, and classified as a 6A school by the UIL. It is part of the Hutto Independent School District located in east central Williamson County (part of the greater Austin-Round R ...

in Bainbridge * Macon County Training High School in Montezuma * Holsey-Cobb Institute in Cordele * Thomaston Training School in Wayne County * Training School in Jesup * Hill High School in LaFayette * Edison Negro High School * Alma Consolidated High School * Fairmont High School in Griffin * Richland High & Industrial *

Hunt High School R. E. Hunt High School was a public Secondary education in the United States, secondary school in Columbus, Mississippi, United States. It served as the high school for black students until the public schools were integrated in 1970. After integ ...

in Fort Valley * Haralson County Consolidated High School in Waco * Monitor High School in Fitzgerald * Harrison High School in West Point * South Fulton High School in East Point * Central High School in McRae * George W. Drake High School in Thomaston * R. L. Cousins High School in Douglasville * Bethune High School in Folkston * West End School in Hogansville * Ralph Bunche High School in Canton * St. Pius X High School in Savannah * Eureka School * Liberty County High School * Bailey-Johnson School in Alpharetta * Calhoun Crawford County Training School in Roberta * Whitman Street High School in Toccoa *

Stephens High School Stephens High School was a comprehensive public high school located in Stephens, Arkansas, United States. The school provided secondary education in grades 7 through 12 for approximately 175 students. It was one of four public high schools in O ...

in Calhoun * Lucy Craft Laney High School in Augusta, Georgia * Luther Judson Price High School in southeast Atlanta * Sophronia Tompkins High School (became Woodville-Tompkins) *Houston High School, Indians *Wilson High School * William H. Spencer High School in Columbus * Ralph Bunche High School * Dasher High School * Pinevale High School in Valdosta, the Fighting Tigers * Boggs Academy, a Presbyterian parochial school * Elm Street High School, now Rockmart Middle School *

Cedar Hill High School Cedar Hill High School (CHHS) is a comprehensive public high school located in the city of Cedar Hill, Texas (USA) in Dallas County and is classified as a 6A school by the UIL. It is a part of the Cedar Hill Independent School District locat ...

Cedartown, Georgia Cedartown is a city and the county seat of Polk County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 10,190. Cedartown is the principal city of the Cedartown micropolitan area, which is included in the Atlanta ...

* William Bryant High School in Moultrie, formerly Moultrie High School for Negro Youth It became a junior high school after integration * Lemon Street High School of Marietta, the Hornets *

Elder High School Elder High School is a Catholic all-male, college-preparatory high school in the Price Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. The high school has been in existence for over 100 years, and is a diocesan high school within the Archdiocese of Cinc ...

Sandersville, Georgia The city of Sandersville is the county seat of Washington County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,813 in 2020. It is also a part of the Central Savannah River Area. Sandersville is known as the "Kaolin Capital of the World" due to ...

* Maggie Califf High School in

Gray, Georgia Gray is a city in Jones County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,276 at the 2010 census, up from 1,811 at the 2000 census. In 2020, its population was 3,436. The city is the county seat of Jones County. It is part of the Macon metro ...

* Peabody High School in

Eastman, Georgia Eastman is a city in Dodge County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,658 at the 2020 census, up from 4,962 at the 2010 census. The city was named after William Pitt Eastman, a native of Massachusetts who purchased a large tract of l ...

References

{{Reflist 1970 mergers and acquisitions Historically segregated African-American schools in Georgia (U.S. state) High schools in Georgia (U.S. state) 1948 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Sports in Georgia (U.S. state) Sports organizations established in 1948