Benjamin Elijah Mays High School

Benjamin Elijah Mays High School is a public school located in southwest Atlanta, Georgia, serving grades 9-12. The school is a part of the Atlanta Public School System and is a Georgia School of Excellence. The school was established in the fall of 1981 and the school's mascot is the Raiders. The school was named after prominent civil rights leader Benjamin Elijah Mays, who is best known for his outstanding leadership and service as an educator, author and civil rights activist. The staff at Mays High School makes it their mission to provide students with an outstanding education and numerous social and athletic programs.

Academic programs

Benjamin E. Mays High School students and faculty are a part of five Small Learning Communities (SLCs) Academies. While the principal oversees the school as a whole and focuses on building-wide issues, an assistant principal administers each academy. The students’ enjoy enormous academic successes from being a part of small learning communities. Since students ideally remain within the same academy for their entire academic career, this organizational structure allows teachers, counselors, administrators, parents and students to foster close relationships and ensure greater opportunities for success. The academies are:

• Business Entrepreneurship Academy
• Science and Mathematics Academy
• Eagle Leadership Academy (all boys)
• Mass Communications Academy
• Dorthy Heights female Academy

Athletics

The Mays High School Raiders athletic teams compete in Region 6-AAAA of the Georgia High School Association.

Mays High offers a wide variety of athletic programs including Varsity Girls Softball, Varsity Boys Track, Varsity Boys Soccer, Varsity team Varsity Football, Varsity Boys Basketball, Junior Varsity Boys Basketball, Varsity Girls Basketball, Junior Varsity Girls Basketball, Varsity Basketball,Junior Varsity Basketball, Cheerleading, Co-ed Step Team, Varsity Boys Swimming, Varsity Girls Volleyball, Varsity Girls Swimming, as well as many others. All home Varsity Football games, as well as track events are held at Lakewood Stadium.

State Championships

• 2003 GHSA AAAA Girls Basketball Champions
• 2004 GHSA AAAA Boys Basketball Champions
• 2005 GHSA AAAA Boys Basketball Champions

Notable alumni

• Cee-Lo Green, Singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer and member of the groups Goodie Mob & Gnarls Barkley
• Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, Singer/Actress and member of the R&B/Hip-Hop/Pop girl group TLC (band)
• Dewayne Searcy, a.k.a. Emperor Searcy, On-Air Personality / Mixer on Atlanta's Hip Hop radio station HOT 107.9 & National mix-show coordinator for Radio One
• Shanti Das, Music industry executive, marketing consultant, entrepreneur, philanthropist and author
• Craig Love, Music Producer
• Art Terrell, Radio host for KISS 104.1 Atlanta's Old School R&B Station
• Ceasar Mitchell, Atlanta City Council President
• Kwanza Hall, American politician
• Aaron Watson, American politician
• Keisha Lance Bottoms, American politician
• Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough, President of Dillard University
• James S. Bronner, The IT Director and part owner of the multi-million dollar family-owned corporation Bronner Bros
• Radcliffe Bailey, Internationally renowned artist, He is the first Atlanta-based artist to headline a exhibition in The High Museum of Art main gallery
• William Jimmerson, Founder & Director, Musa Capital
• Arle Michel, Singer/Actress
• Brian Hooker, Invented measuring carbon monoxide by determining iodine levels that was purchased by the City of Atlanta, 1988 NAACP ACT-SO Gold Medal Award winner for Chemistry
• Rashanda Scott, The Controller for The Atlanta Voice the largest audited African American community newspaper in Georgia
• Dr. Kimberly Edwards Beal, Student National Dental Association President (1999-2000)
• Simone Ward, Atlanta Hawks TV Sideline reporter and Ex wife of Hines Ward, WR for the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Vincent P. McCant, Founder & Publisher for AtlantaHapps.com a national web publication
• Winston Warrior, President of Creative Force & Artist at Vintage R&B
• Tim Murray, Comedian
• Gerald Wilkins, Retired NBA player and younger brother of former Atlanta Hawks superstar Dominique Wilkins
• Kelly Campbell, CFL player for the Edmonton Eskimos
• Robert Neely, Athlete/Actor Retired NFL player for the Chicago Bears
• Nigel Reynard, American Writer, "In Due Time" Novel
• Ray Culpepper, American Filmmaker, Directed "The Naked Truth and Big Aint Bad"
• Kavian Anderson, Entrepreneur and co-founder of N.U.B.B. Entertainment