Writing about Reverend Willie M. Bolden as a history maker is a piece of cake – in other words, a welcomed assignment and a labor of love. Over the past five or six years, I have come to know Willie much better; don’t know why it has taken us so long to get to know […]
Billye Jewel Suber Aaron – DESTINED TO MAKE HISTORY
Sometimes when you meet people, you just know they are someone special. It may be the tone of the voice, the slight move of the hand, or just their presence in a room. Billye Jewel Suber Aaron is just such a person. She is more than a history maker, she is living history. Born in […]
Henry “Hank” James Thomas – One of the original Freedom Riders – Making his indelible mark in history; providing a legacy that continues
When I think about Henry “Hank” James Thomas, and reflect on the many twists and turns that his life’s journey has brought him through, my thoughts go immediately to an old saying that we often hear – “to whom much is given, much is expected. Except in Hank’s life, this statement seems to be upside […]
J O Wyatt, a public servant and treasured jazz and saxophone enthusiast. A double-duty history maker!
Everybody who was anybody in Atlanta knew JO Wyatt – as a friend when needed; a friend to big folks and little folks alike; and as a friend across the aisles. And anybody who could do just that has to be written up in a history book. Most known for his long-standing career in public […]
Dr. June Dobbs Butts – an amazing woman and a history maker at a time when women were not making much history
I learn to call her Aunt June when I married her nephew, Maynard Jackson II. She was, and still is, a “grand-dame.” When I first met her, she was tall and elegant and she spoke with authority; and I, a newly wed and very new to the Atlanta social scene, was in awe of her […]
Tyrone Brooks – Georgia’s Genuine History Maker
I sincerely admire and respect Tyrone Brooks; and I wish I could be more like him. He has made a life time of sacrifices for his people; he has been beat-up and locked-up, and he continues to get up and keep coming back for more – for his people. He is dedicated to the people’s […]
Lyndon Wade is a history maker who helped change history
Best known as the chief executive officer and president of the Atlanta Urban League, Lyndon Anthony Wade was unafraid to take action to institute a change, to oversee a change, and to follow-through and make certain that the change, for the good of his people, stayed changed. He was a doer and a shaker in […]
A Recent Visit to the Legacy Museum and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice Museum in Montgomery
Black History Makers is a publication created by Bunnie Jackson-Ransom, President of First Class, Inc. and the first African-American “First” Lady of Atlanta Georgia. For Thanksgiving this year (2018) I invited myself to go on a trip to Montgomery, AL, with my daughter, Beth Jackson Hodges, and my son-in-law, Howie Hodges. Howie wanted to […]
Young Black History Maker Ashley Derby is making history at Chick-fil-A
History is made everyday by people of all ages, and from all walks of life. In order to make sure that all of the people who are making history get recognition for their achievements we are starting a new blog within our usual Black History Makers blog. We will now feature blog posts that focus […]
Andrew Patterson – A History Maker who knows how to make “good” history.
It is time to refresh the information, written in 2007, because – you see – there are not too many people in Atlanta who have not been helped by Andrew Patterson when one traces the thread of good deeds he gives to this community. Recently appointed to the Board of Trustees at Gammon Theological Seminary, […]