Michael Thurmond delivers powerful lecture.
AAHGS – Metro Atlanta chapter resumed regular
monthly meetings today, Saturday, September 22, 2012. The meeting was held at
the National Archives at Atlanta in Morrow, GA.
This meeting commemorated the 12th
anniversary of our chapter, and we were honored to have as our guest speaker
Michael Thurmond, the former Georgia Labor Commissioner.
Mr. Thurmond engaged the audience with his
extensive knowledge and quick-witted humor as he spoke on the topic: "African Americans in the Civil War: A Birth
of Freedom". Afterwards, Mr. Thurmond signed copies of his latest
book, Freedom: Georgia's Antislavery
Heritage, 1733-1865.
It was a great meeting. If you were unable to
attend, you missed an excellent lecture and lesson on Georgia history and the
Civil War.
Michael Thurmond engages the audience.
Submitted by Sandra Taliaferro / Pictures by Melvin J.
Collier
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Update on the Georgia Archives
Georgia Archives, Morrow, GA
At our 12th anniversary meeting on
Saturday, September 22, Elizabeth Olson from the Georgia Genealogical Society
gave us an update on the status of the proposed closing of the Georgia Archives. On Thursday, September 13, the state of
Georgia heard some very disheartening news.
Due to budget cuts, Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp decided to
close the Georgia Archives to public access, making it the only state with a
closed state archives. This drastic move
is scheduled to go into effect on November 1.
To add, seven of the ten remaining full-time employees will be let go,
also effective Nov. 1. This was a major blow to an already skeletal staff due
to past budget cuts. The remaining three
employees will be the director, the assistant director/archivist, and the
facility manager.
At the Archives Month Proclamation ceremony
this past Wednesday at the state capitol, Gov. Nathan Deal said to a group of
nearly 100 archivists, historians, genealogists, educators, etc., "I will keep the Archives open."
As of today, the Georgia Archives is still slated to be closed to the public
effective Nov. 1. From what we understand, the governor has placed full blame
on the Secretary of State Brian Kemp and has stated that he has no jurisdiction
over Kemp's decision. There has not been anything in writing stating that the
state of Georgia will keep the Georgia Archives open to public access.
Many feel that even when/if public access is
eliminated and visitation is by appointment only, three employees will not be
able to sufficiently handle appointments and maintain the other Archives duties
that are mandated by law. Therefore, the fight continues!
Here are three ways you can help:
(1) Sign the petition to keep the Georgia Archives open: https://www.change.org/petitions/the-governor-of-ga-leave-our-state-archives-open-to-the-public
(2) Join the Facebook group, Georgians Against Closing State
Archives:
https://www.facebook.com/GeorgiansAgainstClosingStateArchives
Submitted by Melvin J. Collier
