Black History Banner

The City of Dublin’s Black History Banner Committee was created to recognize and honor individuals who made a positive impact within our city.  Each individual recognized by this committee will be honored through the display of a pole banner hung throughout our historic downtown from January 3 through March 1.  The local honorees were selected from nominations submitted by the public.  Others recognized by the banner committee are Herbert & Mamie Dudley, Reverend Amos O. Holmes, Ruby Jefferson, Reverend H. B. Johnson, Jr., Dr. Henry Thomas Jones, William May, Sr., Warren McLendon, Jr., Samuel Moore, Sr., Emery C. Thomas, George Wyche, Sr., John Wesley Pooler, and more.

Dublin’s first black history banners came about after the City Council attended a National League of Cities convention, where the meeting space was decorated with banners from around the world. Dublin City Councilman Gary Johnson returned to Dublin with an idea for celebrating black heritage and history through banners downtown.

For more information on the nomination process and to view the current honorees, please visit Black History Banners in Downtown Dublin, GA.

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The 2026 honorees were recognized at the City Council Meeting on December 11, 2025. 

 

Pauline Lattimore Smith

Entrepreneur • Community Advocate • Trailblazer

In the early 1980s, Pauline opened Paula’s Fried Chicken on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive—a small restaurant that became a cultural cornerstone in Dublin. Known for its soul food and spirit of unity, Paula’s offered more than meals; it provided jobs, mentorship, and hope in an underserved neighborhood.

Pauline was a quiet force for change—reducing crime, empowering youth and single mothers, and modeling Black female entrepreneurship during an era of systemic barriers. Her restaurant became a safe haven, fostering dignity and inclusion across racial lines.

Grounded in faith, Pauline turned her passion for cooking into a ministry of love. She fed the hungry, mentored employees, and began the tradition of free Thanksgiving meals for the community.

Despite challenges of poverty and discrimination, she built a lasting legacy of resilience, service, and compassion. Today, Paula’s Fried Chicken continues to honor her vision—bringing people together and inspiring generations.

Pauline Lattimore Smith transitioned on March 23, 2017, but her impact lives on in every life she touched and every meal shared.

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Rev. Richard Earl Sheffield

Civil Rights Activist • Community Leader • Servant of Christ

In the 1960s, while many chose silence, Richard Sheffield chose resistance. Inspired by Frederick Douglass’ words- “If there is no struggle, there is no progress” -he became a driving force for civil rights in Dublin, Georgia. Through protests, boycotts, and lawsuits, Richard fought systemic injustice, helping secure fair hiring practices, greater Black representation, and dismantling discriminatory voting systems.

His courage came at a cost: harassment, job loss, and even a year on a Georgia chain gang. Yet in 1975, Richard’s life transformed when he accepted Christ. From then on, he combined his fight for justice with a mission of faith—pastoring, mentoring, and serving communities across Georgia and Texas. He and his wife, Monica, opened their home to the hungry and homeless, taught values, and helped families access vital resources.

A graduate of Penn Academy and Bayridge Christian College, Richard rose from Jones Village playgrounds to the pulpit and the Chairmanship of the Dublin City School Board. Once branded a “troublemaker,” he became a beacon of hope—leading boycotts, marching for equality, and inspiring generations.