As a high school student in Clarke Central's first integrated graduating class in 1970-71, Michael Thurmond was frustrated that his African American Studies class didn't have a text book. One of his teachers challenged "Why don't you write one?" A few years later, Thurmond did just that.
CLICK HERE to listen to Thurmond's story about his childhood, his first book and Athens history filmed by Walter Allen, Jr. of Zebra Publications on March 9, 2013 at the Morton Theatre in Athens, GA.
In what started out to be a 25 page pamphlet to preserve the history of a rapidly disappearing all Black culture during Consolidation, Thurmond's first book, A Story Untold: Men and Women in Athens History came to be.
Mixing lots of humor and fascinating facts, Thurmond takes the audience through Athens history from freeing the slaves to more modern times. When you listen to this archive you'll learn why many churches have the word "grove" in their names, who were the early black politicians during Reconstruction, who were the first dentists, doctors, and preachers, among other things that will add to your knowledge and appreciation of the Athens community.
Thurmond earned his juris doctor degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. In 1986, he was elected to the Georgia General Assembly. He also had a distinguished three terms as Commissioner of the Georgia Labor Department. He is currently the interim Superintendent of DeKalb County School District.
Thurmond is a distinguished lecturer at the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government. He helped found the Roosevelt Institute in Warm Spring, Georgia, for young people with developmental challenges. His latest book, Freedom: Georgia's Antislavery Heritage 1733 - 1865, was awarded the Georgia Historical Society's Lila Hawes Award.
Jerry Crawley, Roy Moseman and Johnny Kesler brought their popular FaceBook page Growing Up in Athens Georgia to life at Lyndon House Arts Center. The slide lecture, featuring over 130 of the most popular photos on the site, drew over 90 people to the event, some from Atlanta and other places around north Georgia. CLICK HERE to watch the recorded program if you missed it.
The site has been operational since 2010 and has over 11,000 followers. It started as a way for old friends to exchange photos and stories of Athens in the 50's and 60's, but it struck a chord with a much wider audience and began to grow exponentially. Crawley, Moseman and Kesler, while not the originators of the page, are the current caretakers, and there has been talk of an official archive and cross-referencing of the photos in a more permanent way.
The event was a fitting conclusion to the first three years of the U. S. Institute of Museum and Library Services grant The Boomers: Reflecting, Sharing, Learning and a reception with a delicious cake donated by Deb Dykstra of Deb's Specialty Cakes followed in the Lyndon House North Lounge. The project's Board of Directors and all participants in the Boomer projects over the last three years were invited to celebrate the completion of the grant.
