Our Legacy: The Griffin-Spalding African-American History Museum

05/15/2026

Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784) was an enslaved African girl brought to Boston who became the first African American woman to publish a book of poetry. Taught to read and write in the Wheatley household, her work gained international acclaim and challenged assumptions about Black intellectual and artistic ability in colonial America.

Check out the following links for more information:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/phillis-wheatley

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/phillis-wheatley



InSpalding In Griffin City of Griffin, GA - Government Spalding County Leisure Services Downtown Griffin

05/14/2026

05/12/2026

Beuna Nell Crew was a driving force behind student life, leadership, and school tradition. A dedicated member of the Busy Matrons Leisure Hour (B.M.L.H.) Bridge and Social Club, she also served for years as chairman of the Athletic Committee, shaping opportunities for student involvement beyond the classroom.

Her commitment to students was clear in her roles as an advisor to both junior and senior classes, as well as the National Honor Society. In the classroom, she taught a wide range of subjects, including biology, chemistry, and health, leaving a lasting academic impact.

Crew’s influence extended deeply into school culture. Beginning her career at Vocational High School in 1946 and later serving at Fairmont High School until 1965, she became the executive producer of the yearbook and pioneered the inclusion of Class Histories—an inclusion that disappeared after her departure. Her absence was felt profoundly; following a serious car accident (in either late 1952 or early 1953), the 1953 yearbook could not even be published.

From supervising a playground at Spring Hill in the summer of 1948 to shaping generations of students and traditions, Beuna Nell Crew’s influence have long lasted after her time at Vocational/Fairmont High Schools.



InSpalding In Griffin City of Griffin, GA - Government Spalding County Leisure Services Downtown Griffin

05/10/2026

Mother's Day is an annual holiday that celebrates motherhood and maternal bonds, typically observed on the second Sunday of May in the United States. It is a day to honor and appreciate mothers, as well as other maternal figures like grandmothers and aunts.

For more information, check out the following link:
https://www.history.com/articles/mothers-day



InSpalding In Griffin City of Griffin, GA - Government Spalding County Leisure Services Downtown Griffin

05/08/2026

Henrietta Lacks (1920-1951) was a Black mother whose cancer cells--taken without her consent in 1951-- became the first immortal human cell line ("HeLa"), revolutionizing medical research and helping lead to breakthroughs like the polio and COVID-19 vaccines. Her story also sparked vital conversations about informed consent and ethics in science. Today, the Henrietta Lacks Foundation supports people whose contributions to research went unrecognized, honoring her legacy and pushing for equity in healthcare and research.

Check out the following link for more information:
https://henriettalacksfoundation.org/



InSpalding In Griffin City of Griffin, GA - Government Spalding County Leisure Services Downtown Griffin

05/05/2026

Morris Stroud Jr. (May 17, 1946 – October 17, 2016)

Born on May 17, 1946 in Miami, Florida, Stroud was raised in Griffin, Georgia where he attended public schools and graduated from Fairmont High School in 1964. He went on to study at Clark Atlanta University, excelling not on the football field—but on the basketball court as a center and power forward.

Despite limited football experience, his rare athleticism and towering 6’10” frame caught the attention of Hank Stram, who drafted him in the third round of the 1969 NFL/AFL Draft to the Kansas City Chiefs. Stroud didn’t play in the 1969 regular season but was part of the championship roster that went on to win Super Bowl IV. He would go on to play six seasons with the Chiefs from 1969 to 1974, becoming one of the tallest players in NFL history and leaving a unique mark on the game. He helped to change the NFL, he inspired the “Stroud Rule”:
“Goal tending by any player leaping up to deflect a kick as it passes above the crossbar of a goal post is prohibited.”

Off the field, Stroud built a steady life rooted in family and community. He worked for 27 years as a supervisor at Harold Pener Suits before retiring in 2013. In 1977, he married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Ponder, and together they shared 39 years of marriage filled with love, family, and simple joys.

Stroud passed away on October 17, 2016, leaving behind a story that bridges sports, perseverance, and devotion to family.



InSpalding In Griffin City of Griffin, GA - Government Spalding County Leisure Services Downtown Griffin

05/05/2026

Cinco de Mayo, which translates to "Fifth of May" in English, is a Mexican holiday that commemorates the Mexican army's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. While it is celebrated in Mexico, particularly in the state of Puebla, it is more widely observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage.

For more information, check out the following link:
https://www.history.com/articles/cinco-de-mayo



InSpalding In Griffin City of Griffin, GA - Government Spalding County Leisure Services Downtown Griffin

05/01/2026

In 1969 Gordon Parks became the first African American to write and direct a major Hollywood studio feature film, The Learning Tree, based on his bestselling semiautobiographical novel. His next film, Shaft (1971), was a critical and box-office success, inspiring a number of sequels. Parks published many books, including memoirs, novels, poetry, and volumes on photographic technique. In 1989 he produced, directed, and composed the music for a ballet, Martin, dedicated to the late civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Source: https://www.gordonparksfoundation.org/gordon-parks/biography



InSpalding In Griffin City of Griffin, GA - Government Spalding County Leisure Services Downtown Griffin

05/01/2026

In the month of May, we take time to reflect and celebrate the important role that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) have played in our shared history.

For more information, please click the following link:
https://asianpacificheritage.gov/



InSpalding In Griffin City of Griffin, GA - Government Spalding County Leisure Services Downtown Griffin

04/29/2026

Myrlie Louise Beasley was born on March 17, 1933 in Vicksburg, Mississippi. She was an honor student at Alcorn A&M College, Lorman, Mississippi, where she met and married another outstanding student, Medgar Evers. They moved to historic Mound Bayou, Mississippi. Determined to make positive changes in that society, both Medgar and Myrlie opened and managed the first NAACP Mississippi State Office. In 1967, four years after her husband's death, Myrlie Evers-Williams moved to California with her three children and earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Pomona College. That year, she published a chronicle of her late husband's life and work, For Us, the Living. In 1976, she married civil rights activist Walter Williams. From 1968-1970, she took a job in university administration, serving as a planning director at Claremont Colleges. Evers-Williams later held prominent positions in the corporate world, serving as vice-president at a New York-based advertising form and as a community affairs executive at a Los Angeles oil company. In 1987, Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley appointed her the first Black female commissioner to the Board of Public Works, a position she held for eight years. In the 1990s, Myrlie Evers-Williams joined the NAACP board of directors, and in 1995, ran for chair of the board. At the same time, the organization was experiencing a financial squeeze. Evers-Williams spearheaded efforts to put NAACP on firm financial footing. Saying she had successfully completed his mission, she stepped down after three years and turned her efforts to establishing the Medgar Evers Institute to preserve her husband's legacy in Jackson, Mississippi.

Learn more:
https://naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/civil-rights-leaders/myrlie-evers-williams

Be sure to check out OLM's first ever Book Club meeting where we'll discuss the book:
Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America
by Joy-Ann Reid



InSpalding In Griffin City of Griffin, GA - Government Spalding County Leisure Services Downtown Griffin

04/28/2026

Mrs. Mamie Smith-Harris grew up in rural Griffin-Spalding County, Georgia, as the eldest of three in a sharecropping family. Her childhood involved hard work, cultivating crops, and raising livestock, all while maintaining a strong sense of community and familial support despite economic hardships like the absence of electricity until high school. Her father, a military veteran, and her visionary mother instilled resilience, which was further developed through her experiences, such as saving for electricity with school stamp programs. Education was her key to progress, attending segregated schools and excelling in academics, particularly math and public speaking, with the encouragement of teachers like Margaret Kendall and Josephine Johnson. They helped her gain confidence in oratorical contests, despite challenges like the lack of proper clothing for competitions. Unfortunately, her educational journey was interrupted by teenage pregnancy, leading to homelessness and a significant life turning point that prevented her from graduating in 1963.

Later, Mrs. Smith-Harris married and traveled due to her husband's military service, noticing changes in race relations post-Civil Rights Movement, which influenced her community engagement in Griffin. She became active in local initiatives, including the NAACP, and played a crucial role in preserving local history, such as successfully campaigning to rename a street (D.F. Fuller Drive) after a local figure, showcasing her commitment to community empowerment.

Despite early hardships, she raised four successful children, emphasizing perseverance and educational advocacy. Her journey included overcoming personal tragedies, such as her husband's sudden passing and financial uncertainty, attributing her endurance to faith and community support.

A pivotal aspect of her life is her religious faith. She became one of the first African American women ordained in a traditional Baptist context and later founded her own church, cultivating a thriving ministry focused on inclusivity and spiritual purpose, lasting over 25 years.

Mrs. Smith-Harris's life spans the era of segregation to desegregation, emphasizing progress in race relations and the importance of character over race. Her roles as an EEO counselor highlight her commitment to dialogue and reconciliation. Her story stands as a testament to overcoming barriers and transforming adversity into leadership and service, demonstrating how individual determination and community support can create lasting impact.



InSpalding In Griffin City of Griffin, GA - Government Spalding County Leisure Services Downtown Griffin