Last summer I wrote about the “Black Side of Town” in Avondale, inspired by Carl Houseworth, an African American laborer who lived in Avondale in the 1930s-1950s, and for whom the “Carl’s Corner” gateway is named. As I wrote before, Carl was part of an extended family of Houseworths who lived in and around Ingleside… Continue reading DeKalb County’s Houseworth family: Three generations of Black history
Category: race
Unsilencing the Past
This last week students in both my public history classes discussed Michel-Rolph Trouillot's Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History. Silencing the Past is one of my favorite history books, and an incredibly important discussion of how power shapes our understandings of history and how history produces and maintains power. Trouillot maintains that… Continue reading Unsilencing the Past
To be or not to be Mayberry
This is fourth in a series about the history of Avondale Estates, GA Ask people what the image of Avondale Estates is and you will get a lot of talk about a “tight-knit” community, rooted in old-fashioned traditions and local institutions that embody the shared values of family, community, and a sense of place. The… Continue reading To be or not to be Mayberry
“The Black Side of Town”: Challenging Avondale’s White-only Narrative
This is third in a series of posts about the history of Avondale Estates. Avondale Estates was restricted to white-only residents (or at least homeowners) for much of its 20th century history. And today the city is still almost 80% white.[1] Much of the recent diversification of Avondale’s population has come since 1998, as a… Continue reading “The Black Side of Town”: Challenging Avondale’s White-only Narrative
“The Right Kind of Neighbors”: Race and the Origins of Avondale Estates
This is second in a series of posts about the history of Avondale Estates, Georgia. In my last post I mentioned that racism and white supremacy were baked into Avondale Estates’ identity at its origin. This was both a function of the founder and his times. Avondale Estates was founded in the mid 1920s by… Continue reading “The Right Kind of Neighbors”: Race and the Origins of Avondale Estates
Seeing the signs in Avondale Estates, or, When the NAACP picketed my town
It was a warm day in early September of 1998 as marchers gathered in front of City Hall in Avondale Estates, a small residential enclave outside Atlanta where I currently live. Many were carrying signs with slogans like “Reject Racism in Avondale Estates,” “N-word is an evil word,” and “Parker Must Go!” The reason for… Continue reading Seeing the signs in Avondale Estates, or, When the NAACP picketed my town
Grotesque bodies redux
Last year I wrote a post about Miley Cyrus' use of the trope of large black female buttocks in her stage performances and the way it referenced earlier images of the "Female Hottentot" in deeply problematic ways. Because it seems we have learned nothing, we again have another white female unknowingly invoking this trope in… Continue reading Grotesque bodies redux
Miley Cyrus’ Grotesque Bodies
I know I'm a little late to the party here on this, but it took me some time to find the time to write this! Much has been made of Miley Cyrus's performance at the VMAs in September--most of it hand wringing and pearl clutching over the spectacle of a young woman, a former Disney… Continue reading Miley Cyrus’ Grotesque Bodies
Ask A Slave: A Comedy Web Series
Here’s an interesting public history take. Actress and comedian Azie Mira Dungey used to work as a historical reenactor at Mount Vernon. This new comedy series is based on the questions her character fielded from tourists to the site. I think it's a unique way to highlight some of the issues such "living history" raises, as… Continue reading Ask A Slave: A Comedy Web Series
Library at Georgia State University Receives $210,000 NEH Grant | University Library Blog
Next year's gig. A new project at GSU collaborating with the library to produce geoferenced maps of urban renewal in ATL. I'll be directing the oral history component. Library at Georgia State University Receives $210,000 NEH Grant | University Library Blog.
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