COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — Earlier on Thursday morning, Brewer Elementary held its annual Dr. Brewer Day celebration ceremony on what would have been his 129th birthday. 

Community leaders and Brewer Elementary 3rd through 5th graders came together to celebrate the life of Dr. Thomas H. Brewer. The celebration included guest speakers, music, poverty, dancing, and more. According to Patricia Woodall, the principal of Brewer Elementary, it is imperative that students know the legacy of their namesake.

“He had a huge impact on the community here in Columbus, and we’ve been working with our kids all month, teaching them about Dr. Brewer, what he did, what his accomplishments were, what he stood for,” Woodall said.

Born in Saco, Alabama, Dr. Brewer completed his education at Selma University and Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. In the 1920s, he relocated to Columbus, where he set up his medical practice downtown. He helped found the Columbus Chapter of the NAACP and would later become the first president. Dr. Brewer was one of Columbus’s most influential civil rights leaders who fought for equality until he was assassinated in 1956.