This day in history: Atlanta Life Insurance continues post-war expansion

Editor’s note: This article is part of We the People, a series marking the upcoming 250th birthday of the United States of America by Gray Media, Atlanta News First’s parent company.

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - On Aug. 14, 1948, Atlanta Life Insurance Co., one of the significant Black-owned businesses in the southeast, continued its postwar expansion, reflecting the resilience and entrepreneurship of Atlanta’s African American community.

Originally founded by Alonzo Herndon, a formerly enslaved man and entrepreneur who became Atlanta’s first African-American millionaire, Atlanta Life is the lone remaining Black-founded and owned insurance company in the United States, and one of the most prominent and successful minority-owned businesses of the 20th century.

ALSO: During World War II, Coca-Cola, headquartered in Atlanta, made a commitment to supply U.S. troops with its beverage, boosting morale and cementing its global brand, an effort celebrated every August in company history.

Did You Know?

• On V-J Day, Atlanta’s Peachtree Street was filled with crowds celebrating the end of WWII.

Download our Atlanta News First app for your latest news and information.

Atlanta News First podcasts are available now on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | YouTube