Atlanta is digging deep into its history with a community engagement project centered on the former Chattahoochee Brick Company site. The City, in partnership with the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (NCCHR), is launching a series of seminars aimed at informing locals about the site's dark past and its future reimagining. Starting this February through June, these seminars will be held at The Carter Presidential Center, inviting public participation in understanding and acknowledging the area's significance.
The engagements will kick off on February 17 with a session devoted to project updates and the significance of memorializing our histories. Controversially, Atlanta's growth post Civil War heavily leaned on convict leasing, a system where predominantly Black prisoners were essentially re-enslaved, leased out to businesses like the Chattahoochee Brick Company. This history, often sidestepped in our narratives, is critical to the aims of the NCCHR's Truth & Transformation Initiative, which believes in confronting historical racial terror for shaping a fairer future.
Each seminar is slated to focus on different aspects of the region’s history. The March 16 event will trace the origins of native peoples, while the April 20 meeting will examine the African American experience before and after the Civil War – each intending to provide context and depth to the unfolding dialogue around the site’s future. Later seminars delve into labor practices, environmental concerns, and the intersection of race and criminal justice as they pertain to Atlanta's foundational industries.
According to a statement obtained by the City of Atlanta's website, the historic site acquisition happened in 2022, and the city is determined to engage the community in its repurposing. Plans include forming eleven-member Chattahoochee Brick Company Memorial, Greenspace, and Park Board, representing a collaborative vision for transforming the site whilst preserving its historic narrative and trust between the city and its residents.
Details for the seminar series and updates on plans for the Chattahoochee Brick Company site are available to the curious and concerned citizens on the City’s website. All eyes are now on how these educational endeavors will guide the redevelopment and whether the city will succeed in aptly honoring the site's complex lineage – from a symbol of oppression to a beacon of honest remembrance and rebirth.
