Beverly Long

Beverly Benson Long (March 3, 1920 – October 30, 2015) was an American activist from Athens, Georgia. She was particularly invested in the fight to desegregate Georgia's public schools between 1958 and 1961. Later, she became an advocate for those with mental illnesses.

Early life and education Beverly Benson Long was the daughter of William Howard Benson and Charlotte Moor Benson of Athens, Georgia. Long's father founded Benson's Bakery in downtown Athens in 1918, two years before Long was born.

In 1941, Long earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Georgia. To counter this ruling, Georgia passed several laws with the intent of preserving segregation throughout the state. These laws decreed that all Georgia public schools would close if any school integrated within the state. To appeal to the largest demographic of Georgians, the organization maintained a neutral stance on the issue of integration, but by advocating for the retention of the public school system HOPE Inc. implicitly supported desegregation.

While working with Hope Inc., Long assisted with a variety of outreach projects. Long also worked with 986 of Georgia's leading businessmen to send a telegraph to the state government advocating for new laws. In 1960 she assumed the position of chair of the executive committee.

Mental health advocacy Throughout her life, Long served on several committees and worked with numerous organizations committed to advocating for mental health awareness on local, national, and global levels.

Within her home state of Georgia, Long served as the president of the National Mental Health Association of Atlanta between 1968 and 1969. She then took on the role of president of the National Mental Health Association of Georgia (now known as Mental Health America of Georgia) from 1973 to 1974. Between 1975 and 1978, Long served as the first chair of the Georgia Governor's Advisory Council on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse. The commission was instrumental in formulating the National Plan for the Chronically Mentally Ill that influenced governmental policy regarding Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability Insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare. Between 1979 and 1980 Long served as President for the National Mental Health Association. She also worked with the United Nations on issues related to mental health and was an active committee member of the Biennial Conference series produced by the Global Consortium for the Advancement of Promotion and Prevention. Together, they had two children, Anne Catherine Long Key and Elizabeth Long Rice. Long also had two children from a previous marriage, Theodore Douglas Downing and Beverly Patricia Downing.