Georgia Writers Museum participated in Black Writers Weekend, a conference held Aug. 1-3 in Austell that brought hundreds of writers from all over the U.S.
As the only museum invited to exhibit at the conference, GWM hosted a compelling panel discussion and showcased a new traveling exhibit on African American Distinguished Georgia Writers.
The discussion, moderated by GWM Executive Director Melissa Swindell, focused on the timely topic of banned books and featured three renowned panelists, including journalist Wanda S. Lloyd, DeKalb Chief Executive Officer Michael Thurmond, and Rev. Dr. Avis Williams.
Lloyd is a retired newspaper editor for USA Today, The Greenville News, and The Montgomery Advertiser. A native of Savannah, she served as a member of the board of trustees for Spelman College for 19 years. She was an associate professor and chair of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications at Savannah State University.
Lloyd is the author of Coming Full Circle: From Jim Crow to Journalism and the co-author of Meeting at the Table. In 2023, she was a GWM Meet the Author presenter.
In addition to being Dekalb’s current CEO, Thurmond previously served as interim superintendent of the DeKalb County Public School System, was a representative in the Georgia Assembly, and was the first African American elected to a statewide office without prior appointment. Following his Juris Doctorate, Thurmond completed the Political Executives program at Harvard University.
Thurmond is the author of Freedom: Georgia’s Antislavery Heritage, 1733- 1865, and the bestselling book, James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia.
Williams served as pastor of community transformation for Lake Oconee Community Church from 2007 to 2018 and has served on the boards of numerous community organizations, including Saint Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital, Life Source Food Distribution, and The Plaza Arts Center, both in Eatonton.
Presently, Williams serves as the community liaison for the Putnam County Charter School System. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry, a Master of Divinity degree in theology, and a Doctor of Ministry from Emory University.
The exhibit featured 23 Black writers in the museum’s Distinguished Georgia Writers Hall of Fame. It also showcased three authors in a lifelike hologram—Alice Walker, Jean Toomer, and Raymond Andrews—all of whom lived at one time within 30 miles of GWM.
Black Writers Weekend presented an opportunity for GWM to witness and test the holography-like technology created by Eatonton business Vizitech USA, which is expected to be installed in the museum, which is currently closed for renovations.
“We are honored to have had the opportunity to open this exhibit at Black Writers Weekend, and excited to share it with museums and other cultural and learning centers across the state,” Swindell said.
The exhibit also featured never-before-seen artifacts, including surgical instruments used in 1958 to operate on the right eye of 14-year-old Alice Walker. Thanks to sponsorship by Georgia Humanities and the Southern Literary Trail, the exhibit will travel across the state.