John Rushing Howell (November 7, 1933,
Durant, Mississippi – June 28, 1988, Atlanta) was an
Atlanta, Georgia grassroots civic activist, well known for his strong support of human rights, civil liberties, neighborhood preservation, and the arts.
[John Howell Park Project]
, Atlanta-Midtown website[Mary Davis, "In Memoriam: John Howell", ''Virginia-Highland Voice'', 1988]
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As a resident of the Virginia-Highland neighborhood of northeast Atlanta, Howell was highly instrumental in stopping the construction of Interstate 485 through the neighborhood, thereby preserving one of Atlanta's vibrant and architecturally intact intown communities.[
Howell served as the first president of the Virginia-Highland Civic Association; he was active in the Virginia-Highland Civic Fund until his death and served on many other community and civic boards. Employed by the Veterans Administration, Howell also served as chapter president of the Georgia American Civil Liberties Union, and on the city License Review Board. Professionally, Howell was a social worker in the area of alcohol and drug abuse. Howell died in 1988 from complications of HIV infection.][ He was buried in Mizpah Cemetery in his native Durant, Mississippi.
John Howell Memorial Park was dedicated to his memory in 1989. It occupies the site of 11 houses that were demolished to make way for the planned freeway. His activism prevented this and preserved the neighborhood.][
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Background
Howell was the son of William Edgar Howell, who at one time was mayor of Durant, Mississippi."Former Durant mayor dies; rites Wednesday"
''Holmes County Herald'', August 29, 1968, p.1
References
Links
City of Atlanta, Park Locations
atlantaga.gov
External links
Findagrave record via Ancestry.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howell, John Rushing
American human rights activists
American LGBT rights activists
People from Durant, Mississippi
AIDS-related deaths in Georgia (U.S. state)
1933 births
1988 deaths