Anniversary Of Battle Of Atlanta

Karen Hatchett, Hatchett PR

karen.hatchett@charter.net

770-433-1137

A riveting documentary set in Memphis, Tennessee during the 1960’s, At The River I Stand is a narrative about mobilization, determination and tragedy during the civil rights movement. It’s about two eventful months in 1968 that culminate with the success of the unionization of sanitation workers and the tragic death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Believing himself to be the last surviving Civil War Confederate veteran, 114-year-old Threadgill Pickett is visited one day in 1964 by the ghost of his deceased brother, Ben. When Ben tells him that one Union soldier is still alive in Bangor, Maine, Threadgill leaves his nursing home in Mobile, Alabama to fight one last battle. Charles McNair’s compelling story of intrigue and Civil War high drama explores the meaning of valor and vengeance. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.

Since the early nineteenth century, Jews have played important roles in the dry goods and merchandising industries of this country. With the onset of the Civil War, the demand for uniforms helped Jewish merchants transform themselves into clothing manufacturers. In Atlanta, the end of the Civil War saw the advent of what would become an Atlanta institution for 138 years: Rich’s Department Store. Join us for an afternoon at the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum for a fascinating tour of the exhibit, Return to Rich’s, and a lecture by Professor Adam Mendelsohn. Tickets range from $4-$12.

When Major General Granger arrived in Texas on June 19, 1865, to deliver General Order Number 3 informing enslaved African Americans they were free, the news came two and a half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Upon hearing the news, African Americans started a tradition called Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the US. Celebrations included rodeos, fishing and baseball. Events also focused on remembering the past, education and self-improvement. Come to Cyclorama for a day of fun, educational activities, poetry slams, and theater as we honor the memory of all formerly enslaved African Americans and celebrate this long-standing tradition. This event is being presented in partnership with the Atlanta History Center. Delicious foods and refreshments will be available for sale.

From the beginning of the Civil War, African Americans knew it was a unique opportunity. With thousands of white men joining the Confederate army, farms and plantations were left largely unattended. African Americans fled by the thousands to seek better conditions and freedom. Using the lives of enslaved, fugitive and free African American Union informants as a window into the Civil War era, contemporary jazz tap dancer and folklorist Germaine Ingram will present a powerful one-woman dance performance accompanied by live violin music. Tickets range from $8-$10.

As the Civil War raged on, concerned businessmen, politicians and abolitionists fought hard against slavery. Poetry set to popular and religious tunes, work songs, and Negro spirituals served as a redemptive balm for many African Americans during this time. Music provided moments of sustenance and hope for otherwise tortured bodies and souls. Join us as famed abolitionist and statesman Frederick Douglass recounts the tragedies and victories of those turbulent war years, set to music of the enslaved, in a special performance by the world-renowned voices of Opera Ebony. Tickets range from $8-$10.

Creatively weaving the threads of her personal family story with those of the Nation’s, Pulitzer Prize winner Natasha Trethewey’s book of poetry is masterful. The poems intertwine memory and the immediacy of lived history. In each of the book’s three sections, Trethewey gives voice to a specific person or experience, and focuses on themes related to miscegenation, slavery and race, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement. It is a poignant collection of work that poetry lovers and historians will want to own. Join Poet Laureate, Professor and Author Natasha Tretheway for a very special evening. Copies of her book will be available for purchase. Tickets range from $8-$10.