• 9:00am

    Bus departs from Courtyard Marriott

  • 9:10am

    Arrival at Thomasville History Center

    725 N. Dawson Street, Thomasville, Ga 31792

  • 9:15am

    Morning Session

    Gregory Mixon and Kurt Piehler will offer a broad overview of the African American history of Thomasville and how it relates to the wider community. The Thomasville History Center is located in the Flowers family home, The Flowers were a prominent white family that owned the Flowers Baking Company and whose home became the headquarters for the Thomas County Historical Society’s museum in 1969. In her presentation, Anne McCudden will discuss recent changes to the exhibits in 2021 which were done to provide a more inclusive history of Thomasville. She will also give an overview of the artifact and manuscript collections and offer a behind-the-scenes tour.

    In a discussion led by Dr. Piehler and Rhonda Grim, the K-12 Educator, we will have attendees view several material objects and images from the holdings of the Center and discuss strategies for interpreting and using them in the classroom. We also will ask workshop attendees, as they go through the museum, to select objects and images on display that should be added to the History Center’s Website so they can be accessed by their classes when they return home.

  • 11:50am

    Bus Departs for Eating Establishments

  • 12:00 Noon

    Arrive at Restaurants for Lunch

    (Attendees purchase lunch at their own expense). Since most downtown restaurants are closed on Monday, the bus will take attendees to an area where they can walk to several casual chain restaurants.

  • 1:30pm

    Bus Departs from Restaurants

  • 1:45pm

    Arrival at Thomasville History Center.

  • 1:45pm

    Afternoon Session

    Dr. Mixon will discuss how the African American community in Thomasville intersects with broader trends in U.S. History, focusing on the themes of Reconstruction, Redemption, Populism, and Disenfranchisement. Dr. Mixon will examine African American efforts to secure and protect the hard-won gains made during Reconstruction. The loss of political rights after the end of Reconstruction with Redemption was a gradual one. Even after 1877, Black voters continued to participate in electoral politics in the 1880s and 1890s in Thomasville and throughout much of the South. In Thomasville and Thomas County, Republicans continued to win elections during this period. He will show that white elites in Georgia and other southern states moved to systematically strip Black citizens of the vote, mostly as a reaction to the threat posed by the Populist movement. 

  • 3:00pm

    Break

  • 3:30pm

    Question and Answer Discussion with Dr. Mixon.

    Question and Answer Discussion with Dr. Mixon. Session will be moderated by Dr. Piehler and attendees will discuss Mr. Mixon’s scholarship focusing on the Black militia in Georgia. 

  • 5:30pm

    Bus departs from Thomasville History Center for dinner

    Since most downtown restaurants are closed on Monday evenings, the bus will take attendees to an area where they can walk to a number of casual chain restaurants.

  • 7:00pm

    Bus departs restaurant area for Courtyard Marriott

  • 7:15pm

    Arrival at Courtyard Marriott

    Workshop Concludes For the Day