Located on Haynie Street, Jesse Jackson grew up in this house in Greenville, South Carolina. Born on October 8, 1941, Jackson graduated from Sterling High School. Known as a leader in high school, Jackson became known as one of the members of the “Greenville 8,” eight men and women who entered the Greenville public libraries to desegregate them.
Jackson’s mother, Helen Burns Jackson, lived in Greenville until she died in 2015.
Liberty Theater was the center of Black nightlife in Valdosta, Georgia. It used to be a theater and nightclub, but the nightclub was demolished in 2023 after it became too unstable. Built in the 1930s, it is a contributing property to the Southside Historic District.
Mother Easter Baptist Church was founded in 1894 in Moultrie, Georgia, by Rev. James O. Kelley and several community leaders. The church was named in honor of “Mother Easter,” believed to be Easter Smith, a widow who allowed worship services to be held in her home before the church was built. After early growth and multiple relocations due to fires in 1903 and 1905, the congregation purchased this location in 1906.
Rev. Kelley served as the first pastor, followed by a succession of leaders who guided the church through rebuilding and expansion. Notable growth occurred under Rev. J.J. Strickland from 1942 to the late 1950s, when membership increased significantly and the church was remodeled with an added annex. In 1962, Rev. Emory Harrison Hopkins became the church’s first full-time pastor. The congregation moved into their current structure in 1985.
In July 1963, more than a dozen young Black girls, ranging in age from 12 to 15, were arrested in Americus, Georgia, for peacefully protesting the segregation of a local movie theater. Rather than being released to their families, the girls were secretly transported 30 miles away to Leesburg, Georgia, where they were held for weeks without charges in a remote, dilapidated building. The same structure had been used the previous year to jail pastors protesting in support of civil rights. The pastors spike about the horrible conditions upon their release.
Their parents were not informed of their whereabouts. The girls later described the deplorable conditions of their confinement: they were crowded into a single cell with no beds, limited access to water, and severely unsanitary conditions. Food was delivered by the local dogcatcher, who eventually disclosed to the parents where the girls were being held. Once this information became known, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) began organizing efforts to secure their release.
The girls became known as the “Leesburg Stockade Stolen Girls.” Their ordeal remained lhidden from the public until SNCC photographer Danny Lyon documented their imprisonment. His photos were first published in Jet magazine (see below) which finally brought national attention to the girls’ unlawful imprisonment.
The girls were (I have italicized their maiden names and linked to the most current info I could find about the women):
Over the years, the 1940s building (some articles are saying Civil War era, which I do not believe to be correct) has been used as a 911 call center and an administrative office, and is in significantly better condition than when the girls were kept there. It now sits empty and was unlocked when I visited. I suggest visiting if you are in the area to get a sense of how small the room was where the little girls were held.
Located in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn Historic District, the Prince Hall Masonic Temple is a major site within the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and one of the city’s most significant historic buildings. Built in 1937 with a 1941 addition, the Renaissance Revival–style building was funded by John Wesley Dobbs and designed by Charles Hopson and Ross Howard as a meeting place for the Prince Hall Masons and the Order of the Eastern Star.
In 1957, the building became the headquarters of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. following the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Dr. King’s office and the SCLC operated on the first floor, with staff including Ella Baker, Andrew Young, and Dorothy Cotton. After Dr. King’s assassination, Rev. Ralph David Abernathy continued SCLC leadership here. The second floor housed WERD, the nation’s first Black-owned radio station.
Fully restored by Lord Aeck Sargent, the building continues to serve the SCLC. It has been renovated into approximately 16,000 square feet of multi-use space, with the National Park Service sharing educational exhibits on the first floor. Local businesses will occupy the upper levels while the Masons will continue to use the space on the 3rd Floor.
I first photographed the Lone Star Benevolent Society Hall in January 2022 with my friend Brian Brown. When I visited Waynesboro last week, I drove by to see how it looked. Much to my dismay, the hall had collapsed. I know Burke County did experience significant damage from Hurricane Helene. I could not find any information about its demise.
It was a contributing property to the Waynesboro Historic District. The image below is from the National Register of Historic Places nomination packet.
