Matthews, Jefferson County

Charles Oatman was an Augusta teenager who was brutalized and murdered while he was in jail. His death spawned a multi-day protest where protesters demanded answers. Six men lost their lives, 60 were wounded, and property damage was significant. All men were unarmed and shot in the back by police officers.

It is impossible for me to succinctly describe the events of the 1970 Augusta Riot. For website reading, I would suggest the The 1970 Augusta Riot Observance Committee site. For a great podcast, I would recommend GPB’s Shots in the Back.

Charles is buried in the Flat Rock Missionary Baptist Church in Matthews, Georgia. Several generations of his family rest here.