Explore African American contributions at the University of Georgia with the self-guided Celebrating Black History Through Steps Towards Inclusion site tour, featuring 10 locations across the UGA Athens campus. The tour can be completed in person by walking, driving, or biking at your leisure, or online through our immersive virtual experience during the month of February.
Black-Diallo-Miller Residence Hall
315 Baxter Street, Athens, GA
In 1962, Harold A. Black, Mary Blackwell Diallo, and Kerry Rushin Miller became the first Black students to enroll at the University of Georgia as freshmen and complete their undergraduate degrees. Black-Diallo-Miller Residence Hall opened in the fall of 2022 and was named in their honor to mark the 60th anniversary of their enrollment.
Black was the University’s first African American male freshman and the first African American graduate of the Terry College of Business. He retired as professor emeritus of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville after 24 years of service as a professor of finance. Through the years, Black served on the faculties of American University, Howard University, the University of North Carolina, and the University of Florida.
Diallo was the first African American student from Athens to enroll at the University of Georgia. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in French literature from UGA and her doctorate from Emory University. She taught at Morehouse College and Florida A&M University before retiring in 2021.
Miller was the first African American to earn a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Georgia in 1966 and, shortly after, began an extensive professional career in the telecommunications industry. She retired from BellSouth after 29 years, primarily based in Charlotte, North Carolina. As a later member of the Charlotte Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Miller developed an education program designed to help at-risk elementary and middle school students raise their self-esteem, strive for excellence, and achieve their personal best.
