Historic Savannah Foundation

During the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King, Jr. noted that Savannah was a leader in the Southeast in terms of race relations.  No one knew or understood the struggles and triumphs better than Savannah's own W.W. Law. 

W.W. Law  fought for equality side-by-side with Martin Luther King, Jr. and worked tirelessly in Savannah where he was the local president of the NAACP for 26 years and led meetings, sit-ins, and boycotts all in the name of equality.

Law also wanted equality in preservation.  He believed in saving and celebrating black history and culture in Savannah. His efforts saved a historically African-American cemetery, began the Savannah Negro Heritage Trail, saved the King Tisdell Cottage and created a Civil Rights Museum.  In order to preserve one of Savannah's last remaining black neighborhoods, Law organized the Beach Institute Historic Neighborhood.  His life-long efforts were recognized by the National Trust with an Honor Award in 1998. 

In the 1950's Law bought a house for his mother, who had never owned her own home, and they lived together until her death.  Over time, Law's house had become an archive of the Civil Rights Movement and the events in his life.  Since his death, many have worked to ensure that Law's collection is safe and to encourage the building of a cultural arts center in honor of W. W. Law. The City of Savannah, with support from the community, will soon build the center to house Law's collection of art, artifacts, memorabilia and manuscripts.

With the collection to be housed in a central location for visitors, Law's house sits empty with structural scars from the weight of his collection.  With no means or plan in place to rehabilitate the house, there is concern that the home of Savannah's greatest Civil Rights leader could be lost. At a time when Savannah seems to have forgotten its progress in the last half century, such a loss would be a tragedy.  W. W. Law would have led the way for Savannah to come together to continue the progress of preserving our heritage and protecting our sense of community.

Preserving Law's archive is an important step in recognizing and honoring his legacy.  Preserving Law's home is an equally important and appropriate step in preserving a tangible element of his life.  He inspired a new generation of African-Americans to take pride in their history, and he did so by encouraging them to preserve their family homes.
There is no better way for Savannah to put an ugly episode behind us than to rally behind the legacy of a man who continues to inspire us to be better humans.  Law fought for equality and preservation for his entire life and it is now time for the citizens of Savannah to take the torch. 

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