Please join us for the February Lunch and Learn program and viewing of Georgia’s recorded copy of the Declaration of Independence and Georgia’s Royal Charter.

The Georgia Archives Lunch and Learn presentation, “Voices Across the Color Line: An Oral History of the Atlanta Student Movement,” by Paul Crater, will be held onsite. The presentation is on Friday, February 10, 2023, from noon to 1:00 p.m. at the Georgia Archives, 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, Ga.

The Lunch and Learn presentation is free, and no registration is required.

Paul Crater of Atlanta History Center will present a description of Voices Across the Color Line, an oral history collection and exhibition of the Atlanta Student Movement. Told through the 36 interviews by individuals involved in the activism and documentation from theinstitution’s archives, the exhibition depicts the story of a group of Atlanta students who quickened the pace of the Civil Rights Movement, altered the course of history, and extended the legacy of struggle and determination for freedom of African Americans.

Paul Crater manages the Kenan Research Center. He is the author of three books on the history of Atlanta, including Baseball in Atlanta, World War II in Atlanta, and co-author of Lost Atlanta. He is the curator of Voices Across the Color Line, an award-winning exhibition of the Atlanta Student Movement that appeared at the Atlanta History Center in 2010. In 2014, he was awarded an Emmy for his contribution in the development of 37 Weeks: Sherman on the March, which aired on Georgia Public Broadcasting. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Georgia State University.
In addition to the Lunch and Learn presentation, we will celebrate Georgia Day, the commemoration of the founding of Georgia. On February 12, 1733, James Oglethorpe landed the first settlers from the ship Ann at what was to become Georgia's first city and later the first state capital, Savannah.

The official American copy of Georgia's Royal Charter (June 9, 1732) and Georgia's recorded copy of the Declaration of Independence (March 2, 1777) will be on display in the outer exhibit room from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Royal Charter was issued by King George II of England and created a corporation, “the Trustees for establishing the Colony of Georgia in America.”

On January 18, 1777, Congress was meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. Although copies of the Declaration of Independence had already circulated throughout the colonies, Congress ordered that copies be printed by Mary Katherine Goddard of Baltimore and sent to each of the 13 states. Georgia created an official record by hand-copying the Declaration into a state record book. This book will be on display.

These documents spend most of their time safely in our vaults, so do not miss your opportunity to view these important pieces of Georgia’s history.

The Georgia Archives is a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The Georgia Archives identifies, collects, manages, preserves, provides access to, and publicizes records and information of Georgia and its people, and assists state and local government agencies with their records management.