Trailblazer. Icon. Revolutionary. Hero. All of these words can be attributed to local legend Joseph “Joe” W. Lightfoot.
Lightfoot, widely known throughout the community as a civil rights icon, passed away on Feb. 6 at the age of 75. He was officially laid to rest on Feb. 15.
Born on May 6, 1949, Lightfoot grew up in an era where segregation was prevalent. In a time when Jim Crow laws still held weight, he endured an era filled with discrimination.
While desegregation of schools throughout the U.S. was made official in 1954, the problem still persisted in Newton County throughout the 50s and 60s. Integration of Georgia schools was made mandatory in 1969 as part of a lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice against the state.
As part of the lawsuit, the Newton County School System adopted a desegregation plan that would consist of seven years of elementary school and five years of high school. The plan would also phase out the Washington Street Elementary School with an all-Black student body and a 2:1 ratio of White teachers to Black teachers. Additionally, the all-Black R.L. Cousins High School was slated to become a satellite campus for the then all-White Newton County High School.
However, once rumors spread that Black teachers and administrators at R.L. Cousins would be terminated, the students decided to take action. Students at R.L. Cousins decided to walk out of class on Feb. 27, 1970, and march to the Board of Education in protest, with Lightfoot joining in alongside them.
Protests continued throughout much of March, expanding to the Newton County Sheriff’s Office as well as segregated stores in downtown Covington. Eventually, the protests caught the eye of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Rev. Hosea Williams, a key member of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s inner-circle. Williams sent Tyrone Brooks, a now-former Georgia State representative, to help lead the protests.
The next step in the protests was taken with what was called “Black Easter,” a boycott measure designed to hamper the local economy. Instead of buying new clothes for Easter Sunday, approximately “80 percent” of Black residents decided to wear older clothes instead.
This drew the ire of then-Sheriff Henry Odum, who elected to take harsher measures. Odum ordered the jailing of six people: SCLC leaders Leon Walker, Lloyd Jackson and Brooks as well as Newton County residents Forrest Sawyer Jr., Robert Johnson and Lightfoot.
Together, the collective would be known as the “Newton Six,” which remains one of the more influential groups in Newton County history.
The Newton Six, Lightfoot included, were held without bond in Newton County Jail on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. After 45 days, they were released on orders from the federal government.
Eventually, the work from the Newton Six began to take shape, with Black representation increasing throughout the county for years to come.
But even though the original protests ended 55 years ago, Lightfoot remained active in fighting for what he felt was right.
“We want to keep the dream alive, keep Dr. King’s dream alive - one nation, under God, with individual rights,” Lightfoot said in a Covington News interview in 2009. “On the local level that includes education, community advancement and creating jobs.”
Since that 2009 interview, the dream has continued to live on. Black History Month proceedings are larger than ever in Newton County, with events like the Leonard Moody HBCU Invitational and the annual Black History Month Parade taking place to honor the importance of Black history.
While there may still be work that needs to be done, many were quick to point out the impact that Lightfoot had in his 75 years on Earth.
“Mr. Lightfoot was a phenomenal man and great leader for the community,” said Newton County Board of Commissioners community liaison Nwaka Hughes. “His words of encouragement and wisdom will be remembered and forever missed. May he Rest in Peace and Power.”
“I will cherish all the stories that Mr. Lightfoot shared with me about his life in Newton County,” said District 3 Commissioner Stephanie Lindsey. “He truly will be missed.”
“He was a pillar in the community that will be missed,” said Dr. Gwen Cattledge, Immediate Past President of the Newton County NAACP. “Remember that earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. Rest in Power.”