Agony & uplift: For Georgia’s unvarnished racial history, this is the essential book

The Way It Was in the South: The Black Experience in Georgia by Donald L. Grant Edited with an Introduction by Jonathan Grant 624 pp., paper University of Georgia Press, 2001   Editors’ Choice — American Heritage Winner, Georgia “Author of the Year” Award Available wherever books are sold, or from the University of Georgia Press.  Read about the effort to complete my late father’s life’s work This readable, fast-paced account covers 450 years of Georgia’s African-American experience. Solidly researched and documented, The Way It Was in the South sets the record straight on the progress of blacks and the contributions they made to the state — and the solid wall of white resistance they encountered nearly every step of the way.…

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Brambleman is an award-winning novel about Forsyth County, Georgia. Check out the Prologue and Chapter One

The story: Down-and-out Atlanta writer Charlie Sherman has no idea what madness awaits him when a mysterious stranger convinces him to finish a dead man’s book about a horrific crime that’s gone unpunished for decades. What Charlie inherits is an unwieldy manuscript about the mob-driven expulsion of more than 1,000 blacks from Forsyth County, Georgia in 1912. During the course of his work, Charlie uncovers a terrible secret involving a Forsyth County land grab. Due to its proximity to Atlanta, the stolen farm is now worth $20 million—and a sale is pending. When he finds the land’s rightful owner, Charlie becomes convinced he’s been chosen by a Higher Power to wreak justice and vengeance on those who profit from evil. Winner of the IBPA’s…

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Teresa Tomlinson’s home state advantage: $400K more in-state money, 3 times as many Georgia donors as Jon Ossoff

Teresa Tomlinson has the floor at January Democratic candidate forum in Dunwoody By Jonathan Grant @Brambleman Jon Ossoff has been using a bagful of cash and the endorsement of one man, Rep. John Lewis, in an attempt to convince people that he’s the inevitable Democratic nominee to face Sen. David Perdue in November. It’s the tactic he used to muscle his way to the front of the line among Democrats in the 2017 Sixth Congressional District special election. That year, the strategy worked–up to the jungle primary, at least. After spending more than $30 million—while refusing to live in the district–Ossoff lost the runoff to Karen Handel. A year later, Democratic gun-reform advocate Lucy McBath beat the pedestrian Trumpist Handel by a…

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Father, son arrested and charged with murder in death of Ahmaud Arbery

GBI Press Release Ahmaud Arbery Death Investigation Glynn County, GA  – On May 7th, 2020, the GBI arrested Gregory McMichael, age 64, and Travis McMichael, age 34, for the death of Ahmaud Arbery.  They were both charged with murder and aggravated assault.  The McMichaels were taken into custody and will be booked into the Glynn County Jail. On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery was in the Satilla Shores neighborhood in Brunswick, GA when both Gregory and Travis McMichael confronted Arbery with two firearms.  During the encounter, Travis McMichael shot and killed Arbery. This case is being investigated in partnership with District Attorney Tom Durden. On May 5th, 2020, District Attorney Tom Durden formally requested the GBI investigate the death of Ahmaud Arbery. …

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Georgia can’t even pass a weak hate crimes bill. Wonder why?

Note: Not a damned thing has happened on this issue since I originally posted in February (except for hate crime) so I’m re-posting with a more exasperated headline. Update: In an article published today, Gov. Kemp said he’s “open” to hate crime legislation, but wouldn’t say he’d sign it–essentially the same message I received from Rep. Mitchell, who met with Kemp on the issue early in the General Assembly session. Nothing has changed. If Governor Kemp hates crime so much, why doesn’t he hate hate crimes? By Jonathan Grant @Brambleman Brian Kemp hates gangs. In 2018, the self-described “politically incorrect conservative” promised he would “protect Georgia families by crushing street gangs.” Now, his second year in office, the governor has unveiled his…

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GOP Georgia Public Service Commissioner trolls Democrats’ coal ash town hall

I looked up “Tool” in the Urban Dictionary. Echols fits every definition except “Kanye West” by Jonathan Grant @Brambleman On the Georgia Public Service Commission, Tim Echols  functions largely as a cheerleader for Georgia Power Company and Plant Vogtle. Like every other PSC member—and all statewide officeholders—he’s a Republican. He’s also a proud pro-lifer, Trumpist evangelical, and founder of TeenPact, “a hands-on leadership experience for Christian students,” which gives out the Tim Echols Political Involvement Award and sells Frisbee discs for $12 at its online store. I think his goal is to build a next-gen army of Republican politicians. To top off Georgia’s misfortune, he’s also active on social media and seems to be the most outspoken, loquacious, and insufferable commissioner, by…

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