Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr.
Civil rights activist Reverend Dr. Arthur "Art" Rocker, Sr. was born on June 22, 1955 in Atlanta, Georgia to Samuel William Rocker, Sr. and Reba Craft-Rocker. From the age of seven until eighteen years of age, Rocker was raised and mentored by Reverend Dr. William Holmes Borders, pastor of Wheat Street Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. At the age of sixteen, Rocker became the president of the youth chapter of the Democratic Party Club. After graduating from L.J. Price High School in 1963, Rocker enlisted in the U.S. Army and served for three years. Rocker then attended the Massey Business College earning his Associate’s degree. He then went on to attend Carver Bible Institute in 1969 and was ordained as a minister and evangelized by Reverend Dr. William Holmes Borders. He also served as assistant Pastor of his father’s church, the late Reverend Samuel William Rocker, Sr. After enrolling at Albany State University, Rocker became the chief organizer of the Shirley Chisholm Campaign under the leadership of Lonnie King, Executive Director for the Atlanta NAACP. Rocker majored in accounting at ASU, and went on to receive his Series 63, 7 and 24 investment banking licenses from the Investment Training Institute in Atlanta, Georgia. He is one of the founders of the National Association of Security Professionals in Atlanta, along with Mayor Maynard Jackson.
From 1994 to 2008, Rocker worked several jobs, but was primarily active in community organizing. Mentored by the late Dr. Benjamin Mays, former president of Morehouse College, he worked under the leadership of Dr. Warren Cochrane, General Secretary of the Butler Street YMCA in Atlanta, Georgia and Reverend Hosea Williams, President of Atlanta SCLC. He served as a consultant for the National Presidential Election Campaign, and co-chairman of National Presidential Campaign. Prior to his appointment as senior vice president of Governmental Affairs at LHS EV in 2008, Rocker worked briefly as a real estate agent at the Grand Bahamas Developments in the Grand Bahamas Islands. Additionally, Rocker served as an investment banker at Stuart-James Investments, Portfolio Management Consultants and Rocker Securities, Inc. In 2008, Rocker began his tenure as the Chairman of Southern Christian Leadership Conference for the entire state of Florida. In the wake of the 2010 British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Rocker founded Operation People for Peace, Inc., an organization which serves on the United Nations (UN) Council in the area of Civic and Society. In 2015, Rocker was appointed Presiding Bishop of University of Bethesda Biblical Institute of North America.
Rocker also played a central role in local and national community organizing and politics throughout his career. He served as vice chairman of City of Atlanta transition team for Mayor Maynard Jackson, and the transition team for Governor Charles Christ of Florida. In recognition of his service, Rocker received numerous awards including The Good Brother Award from National Congress of Black Women, Inc., the Chairman’s Award from the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, the Business Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the Outstanding Business Award from the Atlanta Jewish Center. Additionally, Rocker has been named Senior Fellow of the James Madison Institute. Rocker has received honorary degrees from Faith Bible College in Milton, Florida and A.P. Clay Bible College in New Orleans, Louisiana. Rocker is the father of three children and is married to Jessica Donahue-Rocker. He resides in the Gulf Coast region in Florida.
Arthur M. Rocker, Sr. was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on October 26, 2012.
A2012.201
Male
10/26/2012
Rocker
Widowed
Morehouse College
Price Middle School
Massey College of Business & Technology
Carver Bible College
Albany State University
Faith Bible College
A.P. Clay Christian College
Georgia Institute of Real Estate
Investment Training Institute
James Madison Institute
Yonge Street Elementary School
Arthur
Atlanta
ROC01
All Seasons
Georgia
Anywhere
Thank You, God.
Florida
6/22/1955
Pensacola
USA
Civil rights activist Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. (1955 - ) was the founder and chairman of Operation People for Peace, Inc.
Grand Bahama Development
Rocker Chemical Co.
Stuart-James Investments
Portfolio Mgt. Consultants
Operation People for Peace
White Rocker Baptist Church
Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney
Office of State Representative Billy McKinney
All Colors
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640867">Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr.'s interview</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640868">Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. lists his favorites</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640869">Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes his mother's family background</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640870">Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes the racial violence in Atlanta, Georgia</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640871">Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes his mother's upbringing</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640872">Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. talks about the sundown towns near Atlanta, Georgia</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640873">Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes his maternal uncles' migration to Chicago, Illinois</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640874">Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes his father's family background, pt. 1</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640875">Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes his father's family background, pt. 2</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640876">Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. talks about his father's education</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640877">Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes his father's occupation</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640878">Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls his family's home on Georgia Avenue, pt. 1</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640879">Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes how his parents met</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640880">Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. lists his siblings</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640881">Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls his family's home on Georgia Avenue, pt. 2</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640882">Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. remembers finding chickens for his mother</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640883">Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. remembers Yonge Street Elementary School in Atlanta, Georgia</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640884">Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls his route to school</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640885">Tape: 2 Story: 9 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. remembers moving to the Thomasville Heights section of Atlanta, Georgia</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640886">Tape: 2 Story: 10 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes the smells of his childhood</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640887">Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes his relationship with his siblings, pt. 1</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640888">Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. remembers the Zion Hill Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640889">Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. talks about race relations in Atlanta, Georgia</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640890">Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes his relationship with his siblings, pt. 2</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640891">Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls his misconceptions about Jewish people</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640892">Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. remembers his favorite elementary school teachers</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640893">Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. remembers living with William Holmes Borders</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640894">Tape: 3 Story: 8 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes William Holmes Borders' relationships with other ministers in Atlanta, Georgia</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640895">Tape: 3 Story: 9 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls William Holmes Borders' visitors, pt. 1</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640896">Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls William Holmes Borders' move to Hunter Street</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640897">Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls William Holmes Borders' departure from the Morehouse College School of Religion</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640898">Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. remembers Joseph H. Jackson</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640899">Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls Coretta Scott King's circumstances after her husband's assassination</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640900">Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. talks about the establishment of the Wheat Street Federal Credit Union</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640901">Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls attending meetings with William Holmes Borders</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640902">Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes the rivalry between Martin Luther King, Sr. and William Holmes Borders</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640903">Tape: 4 Story: 8 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. remembers Julia Pate Borders' friendships</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640904">Tape: 4 Story: 9 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls William Holmes Borders' visitors, pt. 2</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640905">Tape: 4 Story: 10 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. remembers working for Benjamin Mays</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640906">Tape: 4 Story: 11 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls his early interest in art</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640907">Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls his fundraising efforts for Luther Judson Price High School</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640908">Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. remembers living at William Holmes Borders' house</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640909">Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls his brother's membership in the Nation of Islam</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640910">Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls his decision to join the U.S. Army</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640911">Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. talks about the civil rights activities of 1963</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640912">Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls his refusal to serve in the Vietnam War</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640913">Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes his small loan business in the U.S. Army</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640914">Tape: 5 Story: 8 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. remembers his interactions with the Central Intelligence Agency</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640915">Tape: 5 Story: 9 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. remembers his return to Atlanta, Georgia</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640916">Tape: 5 Story: 10 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. talks about the impact of the Vietnam War</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640917">Tape: 5 Story: 11 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls his decision to further his education</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640918">Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls visiting Julia Pate Borders on her deathbed</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640919">Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. remembers his expulsion from Morehouse College</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640920">Tape: 6 Story: 3 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. talks about his brothers' occupations</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640921">Tape: 6 Story: 4 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, pt. 1</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640922">Tape: 6 Story: 5 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, pt. 2</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640923">Tape: 6 Story: 6 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. remembers Samuel Dewitt Proctor</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640924">Tape: 6 Story: 7 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes the split of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640925">Tape: 6 Story: 8 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. remembers Hosea Williams</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640926">Tape: 6 Story: 9 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. talks about William Holmes Borders' friends in Atlanta, Georgia</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640927">Tape: 6 Story: 10 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes his interest in accounting</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640928">Tape: 7 Story: 1 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes how he met his wife</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640929">Tape: 7 Story: 2 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. talks about African Americans that passed as white</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640930">Tape: 7 Story: 3 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes the effects of integration</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640931">Tape: 7 Story: 4 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls his conversations with Benjamin Mays</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640932">Tape: 7 Story: 5 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. talks about skin color prejudice</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640933">Tape: 7 Story: 6 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls working for Warren Cochrane</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640934">Tape: 7 Story: 7 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls organizing voters for Shirley Chisholm's presidential campaign</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640935">Tape: 7 Story: 8 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. recalls being asked to leave Albany State College</a>
<a href="https://da.thehistorymakers.org/story/640936">Tape: 7 Story: 9 - Reverend Dr. Arthur Rocker, Sr. describes the accusations against him at Albany State College</a>
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