| In 1994, Griffin made history by defeating an incumbent Georgia State Senator, becoming the
first African American in modern times to be elected in a rural, majority-white district. In 2000,
he broke barriers once again as the first African American mayor of Milledgeville. In 2025,
Griffin continues to make history as the first African American to serve as the Georgia House
Representative for District 149.
In 2021, the City of Milledgeville honored Griffin's profound contributions to the community by
naming Floyd L. Griffin, Jr. Street and The Floyd L. Griffin, Jr. Black Heritage Plaza in his
honor. His oral history video is preserved in the History Makers Collection at the Library of
Congress, and his personal papers are housed at the Ina Dillard Russell Library Special
Collections at Georgia College and State University. Additionally, Griffin is featured in the W.J.
Usery Jr. Special Collections Leadership Gallery at Georgia College and State University's
Heritage Hall Museum.
Griffin has served on the Board of Directors of the National Center for Missing & Exploited
Children and the Board of Trustees at Tuskegee University, his alma mater. He holds a Bachelor
of Science in Building Construction from Tuskegee University, a Master of Science in Contract
and Procurement Management from the Florida Institute of Technology and an Associate of
Science in Funeral Service from Gupton-Jones College. Griffin is also a graduate of the Army
Command and General Staff College and the National War College, where he further honed his
leadership skills.
A prolific author, Griffin penned two autobiographies- Legacy to Legend- Winners Make It
Happen (2009) and Life- Four Quarters Plus Overtime (2019), sharing lessons from his
extraordinary journey. He is a life member of Omega Psi Phi and Sigma Pi Phi fraternities,
exemplifying a commitment to excellence and community.
Griffin is married to Nathalie Huffman Griffin, also a graduate of Tuskegee University.
Together, they have two sons and a grandson, all of whom are Tuskegee alumni. In furthering
their dedication to education, the Griffins established the Floyd Griffin Jr. and Nathalie Huffman
Griffin Endowed Family Scholarship at Tuskegee University to support students pursuing studies
in the Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science. |