October 2018 Heritage Room Events
Athens Historical Society and Athens Clarke County Library are proud to present "A Story Untold: Black Men and Women in Athens History 40th Anniversary" with Michael Thurmond!
Join us Sunday October 21, 3:00 - 5:00 pm, Athens Regional Library Appleton Auditorium
Mr. Thurmond's presentation will cover the rich Heritage and History of African-American Athenians, on the 40th anniversary of the publishing of his book A Story Untold: Black Men and Women in Athens History.
Raised as a sharecropper's son in Clarke County, Georgia, Michael Thurmond graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and religion from Paine College and later earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina’s School of Law. He also completed the Political Executives program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In 1986, he became the first African-American elected to the Georgia General Assembly from Clarke County since Reconstruction. During his legislative tenure, Thurmond authored major legislation that provided more than $250 million in tax relief to Georgia's senior citizens and working families. Thurmond received a gubernatorial appointment to lead the state Division of Family and Children Services and direct Georgia's historic transition from welfare to work. He created the innovative Work First program, which helped more than 90,000 welfare dependent Georgia families move from dependence into the workforce. In 1997, Thurmond became a distinguished lecturer at the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government. The following year, he was elected Georgia labor commissioner. During his three terms as labor commissioner, Thurmond’s most significant achievement was the construction of a $20 million school for children with disabilities at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute. Thurmond’s latest book, Freedom: Georgia’s Antislavery Heritage, 1733-1865, was awarded the Georgia Historical Society’s Lilla Hawes Ward. In 2004, The Georgia Center for the Book listed Freedom as one of The 25 Books All Georgian’s Should Read. He serves on the University of Georgia Libraries Board of Visitors. In 2016 he won a landslide victory to become chief executive officer of DeKalb County, one of the most diverse counties in the Southeast. He is married to Zola Fletcher Thurmond, and they have one daughter, Mikaya.
Join us after the program for a reception with light refreshments.
Night Owl Prowl
Friday, October 26, 2018, 6 p.m. - 11 p.m., Athens-Clarke County Library, Heritage Room
Cost: $10 members/$15 guests; registration required
Attention family history enthusiasts! Are you ready to research, scan family photos, explore Heritage Room resources, ask questions, and chat with others that share your passion for genealogy?!
We are sponsoring a genealogy research lock-in, Friday, October 26 in the Heritage Room at the Athens-Clarke County Library. The library closes at 6:00pm, but Night Owl Prowl participants can stay and research after the library closes!
In addition to access to the amazing genealogy resources of the Heritage Room (print, microform, and digital), thanks to Archives and Special Collections Coordinator, Ashley Shull, Heritage Room staff will assist us with scanning family photos, documents, and slides! When registering for the event, you will need to let us know if you want to be included in the scanning schedule and approximately how many photos, documents, and/or slides you will be bringing. A USB drive will be provided for saving scanned images. The last scanning appointment will begin at 10:00pm. Clarke-Oconee Genealogical Society volunteers will also be available to assist with your genealogy research questions.
Your registration fee helps pay for security, a light supper catered by Honey Baked Ham, and snacks. (No refunds.) Don't like to stay up late? No problem, you are free to leave at any time!
Registration deadline is Tuesday, October 23 at 8:00pm. The number of participants is limited, so register to today! You may register online, by mail, or in the Heritage Room.
Co-sponsored by The Clarke-Oconee Genealogical Society and The Athens-Clarke County Library Heritage Room
