Hinesville’s city council chambers now bear the name of the city’s first Black council member.
Members of the late Booker T. Burley’s family and Hinesville officials named the room in honor of Burley, who was appointed to serve on the council in 1972.
Burley, who was 93 when he died in 2014, is regarded as one of the legends of civil rights activism in Liberty County. He was one of the founders of the Liberty County NAACP chapter and also hosted the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his home during Dr. King’s visits to the county.
His daughter, Patricia Burley Jackson, said he worked to build a bridge between the city and its Black residents.
“His story was one of service, resilience and unwavering commitment to justice,” she said.
Then-mayor Glenn Bryant appointed Burley to the council in 1972, and that year, Burley was appointed to what was then known as the Coastal Area Planning and Development Commission, the forerunner of the Coastal Regional Commission.
Burley was chosen to serve as grand marshal of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade in 2011.
Jackson recalled how her father spoke in churches, at civic meetings, Dorchester Academy — where he went to school — “anywhere he could get a venue to talk about opportunities for Blacks, focusing on our voting rights, educational opportunity and accountability,” she said.
Her father addressed racial equality, community integration, rehabilitation for those who had run afoul of the law and guidance for youth to prevent them from going to jail. Most importantly, she said, her father advocated for universal acceptance, regardless of race, creed or color.
“He was a voice of moral clarity and approached things from a practical perspective,” Jackson said. “He wasn’t just a man of words — he was a man of action.”
Burley mentored a young Earnest Williams, and the now older Williams reflected on the impact Burley had on his life.
“God will put people in your life that will turn you around. Mr. Burley was one of those people,” he said. “I learned how to treat and love other people. He always had something good. I thank the Lord for putting him in my path.”
Hinesville Mayor Karl Riles also issued a hope that naming the council chambers for Burley can help “One thing I have learned is we are entitled to all of our history,” he said. “It is our responsibility to showcase that and to make sure that for generations they don’t have to learn about these individuals accidentally. It’s never too late to do the right thing.”
Liberty County Commissioner Gary Gilliard, a lifelong friend of one of Burley’s sons, noted that Burley remained both prominent and influential to the end.
“He knew what was going on and helped establish things to make things in Liberty County better for our lives,” he said.
Yet from the time Burley was appointed, it was 16 years until Hinesville City Council seated its first elected Black member, the late Charles Frasier. Liberty County Commission Chairman Donald Lovette recited the tale of a young man inquiring of an older man why he was repairing a bridge.
The older man replied it wasn’t for him but those who would come across in years to come, Lovette said.
“This generation is challenged to accomplish in our time with all that we have what Mr. Burley accomplished with grit, stamina and plain old perseverance,” he said. “Thank you Mr. Booker T. Burley for building the bridge.”