Editing Forsyth County, Georgia (section)

====Later 20th century====
During the 1950s, with the introduction of the [[Poultry farming|poultry industry]], the county had steady economic growth but remained largely rural and all white in population. [[Georgia State Route 400]] opened in 1971 and was eventually extended through the county and northward; it stimulated population growth as residential housing was developed in the county and it became a [[bedroom community]] for people working in [[Atlanta]], which had expanding work opportunities. The opening of Georgia State Route 400 also spurred industrial growth in the South West portion of the county along the McFarland Parkway corridor starting in the early 1970s.

By 1980, the county population was 27,500, growing to 40,000 in 1987. While some blacks worked in the county in new industries, none lived there. The county gained more than 30 new industries from 1980 and unemployment was low. Such growth resulted in the median income, formerly low, "rising faster than in any other county in Georgia."<ref name="ingwerson">Marshall Ingwerson, "Facing a racial reckoning. Georgia town prepares for civil rights march", ''The Christian Science Monitor,'' January 23, 1987; accessed July 25, 2016</ref> A small civil rights march by African Americans in the county seat of Cumming in January 1987 was attacked by people throwing rocks, dirt and bottles. A week later another, much larger march took place, with civil rights activists going from Atlanta to Cumming protected by police and the National Guard. Thousands of protesters joined a counter-demonstration. Local people said conditions had been improving for minorities, but whites appeared to be reacting to the march out of fear.<ref name="ingwerson" />