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Long
before it came to prominence as the model city of the New South, as well
as earning the title “the new Motown,” Atlanta was a hotbed of entertainment,
business, and civic life for African Americans. At the same time
that Harlem was undergoing its acclaimed renaissance, Atlanta could boast
of excellent colleges, a thriving social environment, and an entertainment
scene that could rival those of much larger cities. From Auburn Avenue,
the hub of the city’s African-American activity, a spirit of vibrant change
and excitement radiated out to reach people across America.
Black Atlanta in the Roaring Twenties, Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr.
noted author draws from his extensive collection of photographs and memorabilia
from the Digging It Up archives. From the dignity and tragedy of Tiger
Flowers, world famous boxer, to the art of Paul Poole, who photographed
the energy and humanity of area residents, Black Atlanta in the Roaring
Twenties is a lovingly crafted look at a proud people and their
heritage. |
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African-American
Life in Jacksonville is a fascinating look at a city that has long
been a thriving center of African-American activity. Using photos taken
from both public and private collections, the book is a moving tribute
to an almost forgotten era. The reader is taken on a tour of Jacksonville
life that features such figures as young Ray Charles, who got his start
at Manuel’s Tap Room. The city’s rich sporting life, which included the
Lincoln Golf and Country Club and the Jacksonville Red Caps of the Negro
Southern League, is also captured in wonderful photographs. Included
are glimpses at such famous civic, social and business figures as James
Weldon Johnson, principal at Stanton Public School and composer of the
great anthem “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing”; James “Charlie Edd” Craddock,
owner of the palatial Two Spot nightclub; Eartha M.M. White who operated
the Clara White Mission; and Abraham Lincoln Lewis, founder of Afro-American
Life Insurance Company. This book is work that will delight the lifelong
resident and the first time visitor, the serious scholar and the casual
observer. It is a lovingly composed look at a proud people and their heritage. |
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DeKalb
County, Georgia, is much more than just another of the suburban areas around
the city of Atlanta. African Americans have long lived, worked, played,
and worshiped in the area. In African-American Life
in Dekalb County: 1823-1970, Herman "Skip" Mason Jr., author, professor,
and historian, has compiled a lovingly crafted look at the county's rich
African-American heritage. With images from the Georgia Department of Archives
and History, the Dekalb Historical Society, and his own extensive archives,
Mason couples fascinating images with illuminating text to create a unique
look at the area and its people.
Within these pages, discover little-known facts about the county's past
residents, including Bukumbo, the young girl who was brought from Africa
to Decatur to serve as a nurse, who quickly became a beloved member of the
family and died only a short while later. Learn about the great
impact that the Clark and Oliver families had on Decatur, and view famous
sections and landmarks of the county, including Lithonia, Ellenwood, Stone
Mountain, Doraville, Tucker, Chamblee, Clarkston, Lynwood Park, Scottdale,
and South DeKalb.
Whether one is well acquainted with the county's rich heritage or a newcomer
just becoming familiar with the poeple and places that make up the county's
history, African-American Life DeKalb County: 1823-1970 offers
something for everyone. |
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For
many years, Atlanta, considered to be the Harlem of the South received
virtually every well-known entertainer and musician in the country. African-American
Entertainment in Atlanta, written by Skip Mason, is a fascinating
and lively look at the individuals and institutions that comprised the
entertainment industry in Atlanta from the post Civil War era to 1970.
The many night clubs, musicians, managers, promoters and performers of
Atlanta's African-American community are well represented, from the Roof
Garden to the Magnolia Ballroom, from Blind WillieMcTell to Aretha Franklin,
from Barbecue Bob Hicks to Louis Armstrong. Elegant jazz musicians such
as Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald star alonside raucous rock stars Jackie
Wilson and Little Richard. Mason's work documents the people who made a
areer out of traveling the "chittling circuit" and came to Atlanta to perform
on its many stages, as well a the hundreds of local musicians, singers,
and dancers, managers, promoters and booking agents. African-American Entertainment
in Atlanta is a lovingly crafted look at a fascinating people and their
time. |
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Going Against the Wind: A Pictorial History of African-mericans in Atlanta
is the first comprehensive photographic history of African-Americans in
Altanta. The book portrays the rich texture of African-American life from
the city's founding until the present. Hundreds of priceless photographs
have been gleaned from the homes and attics of scores of Atlanta citizens
to produce this remarkable book. Though the images tell a story, a detailed
timeline of events satisfies readers who want further documentation. Playing
off the universally recognized title Gone With The Wind, Going Against
The Wind sweeps aside the misconception that all black men and women in
the Old South worked in cotton fields. African-Americans have long engaged
in a wide variety of occupations and lifestyles in Atlanta, while at the
same time struggling to survive in a society fraught with discrimination
and adversity. See Atlanta in the days of carriages and streetcars; see
the famed "Sweet Auburn" Avenue and Hunter Street bustling in its prime;
see African-Americans of all ages and rank "going against the wind" as
they shaped this unique capital city. Maynard Jackson wrote the foreword
for the book |
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In the fall of
1906, seven unique AFRICAN-AMERICAN men found themselves on campus of Cornell
University laying the foundation for the first AFRICAN-AMERICAN fraternity
for College men. Who were these men? Where did they come from? What did
they do after Cornell? What were their thoughts and beliefs on the fraternity
that they created? Now for the in print, brothers may experience through
text and photographs the Jewels phenomenal careers, family histories, speeches
and letters. In addition, for the first time collectively, the biographies
of the 30 men who served as General President are also included. Over 100
photographic images (many never before seen photos of the Jewels and their
families), documents and an extensive bibliography are presented in this
volume every member of the fraternity should add to his collection. Written
and edited by Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., the former National Archivist for
the fraternity. |
