GwinnettForum | Number 26.24 | April 10, 2026
LION: Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) hosted the live performance “Frederick Douglass: The Lion of Freedom” on April 7, in Cisco Auditorium on campus. The one-man show stars actor and storyteller Darius Wallace, who first began performing historical figures such as Malcolm X.
Editor’s Note: The following edition has been delayed since late March. We apologize for the delay.
TODAY’S FOCUS: Seeing Whistler’s Mother painting in Atlanta
EEB PERSPECTIVE: NCAA men’s tourney facts and crowded Pigeon Forge
SPOTLIGHT: Gateway85 Community Improvement District
FEEDBACK: Story on elections supervisors was spot on
UPCOMING: GGC hosts performance bringing Frederick Douglass to life
NOTABLE: Raccoon tests positive for rabies near Dacula
RECOMMENDED: Furrow by Josemaria Escriva
GEORGIA TIDBIT: In 18th Century, newspapers became partisan in Georgia
MYSTERY PHOTO: Elephant Rock
Seeing Whistler’s Mother painting in Atlanta
By Michael Green
(Six in a series of local history)
MILTON, Ga. | The following is a transcription of a Facebook chat that took place a few years ago. Nancy Liddell Simpson and I are first cousins. While I was having a Sunday morning breakfast, Nancy sent me a chat message.
Nancy: Hey cuz! I need your help! Was it the Mona Lisa or Whistler’s Mother that your parents took us to see in Atlanta (when we were children)?
Mike: Hey Nancy! Good morning! It was Whistler’s Mother at The High Museum. Good memory!
Nancy: Thanks! It is something so significant that happened in my life…that’s why I wanted to get it right. I remember standing there thinking how lucky I was to be seeing such a piece of history. I remember being in awe.
Mike: I think about it and can’t imagine that many of our friends and relatives got to do that. Kind of unusual at that time…
Nancy: I knew the Mona Lisa had another name; I was just about to Google Whistler’s Mother and see what it was and also where it was housed. Thanks! I do remember it being big…but I didn’t know if that was just because we were little and it just seemed that way. LOL!!! What a great thing to have done in our lives!
Mike: “Whistler’s Mother” is the common name for the painting. The real name is Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 and it is part of the permanent collection at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, France. If I remember correctly, it is huge! I don’t think that it tours very often, so we participated in a rare event. You are right, I really have to appreciate that my parents went the extra mile. I was blessed. By the way, do you mind if I use this chat in a blog?
Nancy: I would be honored!!!
Mike: I thought the same thing about being little myself. (It is 4’9″ X 5’4”) I really appreciate your bringing this up.
It was the Fall of 1962. I think it has had two or three other U.S. trips. It is called “an American icon” and the American “Mona Lisa.”
Nancy: Have a great Sunday! Love you!
(Nancy ends chat to attend church.)
On June 3, 1962, 106 Atlanta arts patrons died in an airplane crash at Orly Airport in Paris, France. They were on a trip sponsored by the High Museum of Art. A total of 130 people were killed in that horrible crash. Many prominent Atlantans were killed. To honor those killed in the 1962 crash, the Atlanta Memorial Arts Center was built for the High. The French government donated a Rodin sculpture The Shade to the High in memory of the victims of the crash. The Atlanta arts patrons had viewed “Whistler’s Mother” at the Louvre. As a gesture of goodwill to the people of Atlanta, the Louvre sent “Whistler’s Mother” for exhibition at the High Museum of Art. We (Michael Green and Nancy Liddell Simpson) were two youngsters in the crowd that Fall of 1962.
My wife, Mary, and I also enjoyed viewing the masterpiece in April 2023 at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris.
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NCAA men’s tourney facts, and crowded Pigeon Forge
By Elliott Brack,
Editor and publisher, GwinnettForum
March 24, 2026 | Many of us have watched some (or lots) of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament over the weekend. Here are some facts about the tournament.
The Men’s NCAA Tournament, which began in 1939 with only eight teams, has grown into a 68-team event, with No. 1 seeds dominating, winning 26 of 40 tournaments since expanding to 64 teams in 1985. The first tournament saw Oregon defeating Ohio State 46-33.
- “March Madness”: The term was first applied to basketball by Illinois high school official, Henry V. Porter, in 1939.
- Top Seed Dominance: At least one No. 1 seed has reached the Final Four in 37 of the last 40 tournaments.
- Lowest Seed Champ: Villanova, in 1985, was the lowest-seeded team to win, entering as a No. 8 seed.
- The 16th Seed: No. 16 seed has never beaten a No. 1 seed in the history of the tournament, but some have come close, as with this year, when Duke beat Siena 71-65.
- Early Years: Original tournaments were played using peach baskets instead of string nets.
Perfection: Only once have all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four (2008), though it was nearly matched again recently. Those Final Four teams were Kansas Jayhawks, Memphis Tigers, North Carolina Tar Heels, and UCLA Bruins. Kansas won the tournament that year in overtime with Memphis.
Our recent trip to the Knoxville area was up Interstate 75. We decided to take the scenic route back down U.S. Highway 441, through Gatlinburg, where we honeymooned 68 years ago.
While the drive was surely scenic, we made one big mistake: getting off I-40 at Pigeon Forge, Tenn. It took an hour to drive about 10 miles through Pigeon Forge, which has mushroomed with mile after miles of tourist attractions, and of course the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. And, it was the opening weekend of Dollywood.
Then Gatlinburg also was mighty crowded. But returning over the mountains, it was beautifully scenic.
Suggestion: unless you are a tourist, avoid Pigeon Forge. Reminds me of Yogi Berra in a fashion: “It’s too crowded. Nobody goes there anymore.”
It was never intended as a scientific experiment. Before leaving for the Knoxville trip, we filled our water bottle with ice from our refrigerator. This water bottle still had cold water in it at the end of the day. It beautifully served its function.
Heading back, we got ice from the motel ice-making machine and filled the water bottle.
But halfway during the day, all the ice in the water bottle had melted and the water was not cold. We started thinking about it.
Then we realized: ice from our refrigerator was solid ice, and melted very slowly. However, ice from the motel was a different matter altogether. It was small square chunks of ice on the edges, but had a hollow center, not like chunks of frozen solid ice from the home refrigerator. Therefore, the motel ice had less solidity to melt, and just didn’t keep the water bottle cool for as long as the solid ice from the refrigerator.
Yep, two different types of ice, one much more sturdy than the other.
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Gateway85 CID
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Gateway85 Community Improvement District is a self-taxing district that includes just over 800 commercial property owners with a property value of over $1.7 billion. Gateway85 includes the southwestern part of Gwinnett County including properties along Jimmy Carter Boulevard, Buford Highway, Indian Trail Road and Beaver Ruin Road. Gateway85 is one of five CIDs to be created in Gwinnett County and is one of the largest CIDs in the state. The community is an economic powerhouse that helps fuel the regional economy.
More than 3,000 businesses employing roughly 47,400 people call Gateway85 home. The jobs in the district account for almost 16 percent of Gwinnett County’s total employment. Gateway85 provides $27.5 billion in economic output for the County and $36.4 billion economic output for Georgia. Gateway85’s mission is to improve property values through increased security, decreased traffic congestion, and general improvements to the curb appeal and infrastructure of the area. Gateway85 CID’s office is located at 6305 Crescent Drive, Norcross, Ga. 30071. For more information visit https://www.gateway85.com/, or call Robert Michener at 770 798 4700 or email him at info@gateway85.com.
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Story on elections supervisors was spot on
Editor, the Forum:
As you probably know, I attend most of the Election Board meetings. The articles on Zach and Kelvin were spot on. Gwinnett County was/is fortunate to have them.
– Roberta Cromlish, Stone Mountain
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GGC hosts play bringing Frederick Douglass to life
It’s one thing to read about history in books. It’s another to see it come alive on stage. Georgia Gwinnett College on April 7 hosted the live performance, “Frederick Douglass: The Lion of Freedom.”
Dr. Michael Gunther, associate professor of history and interim department chair located off Lonnie Harvel Boulevard, says: “In a year when we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, I’m looking forward to seeing Douglass’ 1852 speech ‘What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?’ portrayed on stage.”
The one-man show starred actor and storyteller Darius Wallace, who first began performing historical figures such as Malcolm X.
Wallace says: “The beautiful thing about Frederick Douglass is that he was born into conditions he didn’t ask for, and he didn’t allow those conditions to keep him bound. He utilized the power of the written and spoken word to free himself, and then to follow his passion and his purpose. I want young people to see that no matter what conditions they are born into, they have the ability, through literacy and the power of words, to dream bigger and achieve those dreams.”
During the performance, Wallace portrays not only Douglass, but several other historical figures. “They’ll see me as Douglass’ grandmother, as him when he was a little boy,” he says. “They’ll also see me as John Brown, President Abraham Lincoln and Emerson.”
For Gunther, hosting the performance at GGC holds personal significance.
“At one point early in my career I worked for a rare manuscript dealer and held authentic Frederick Douglass autographed and signed documents in my hands,” he says.
“From enslaved child in Maryland to world-famous author, activist, orator and statesman, Douglass is the most inspirational figure I teach about. I can’t wait for students, colleagues and members of the community to experience this performance.”
Following the show, Wallace will host a question-and-answer session with the audience.
“I want them to walk away believing there is a spark of inspiration within themselves that can help them overcome whatever obstacles they face,” Wallace says. “That realization that we each have that spark and that’s where our freedom truly begins.”
Raccoon tests positive for rabies near Dacula
A raccoon tested positive for rabies last week after attacking a dog March 17 near Tanner Road in Dacula. Diseases like rabies can be transmitted to humans and pets through bites or scratches from wild animals such as foxes and raccoons. Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement and GNR Public Health advise residents to use caution and avoid animals behaving in unusual ways.
All pet owners should ensure that their pets are current on rabies vaccination. According to the National Association of State Health Veterinarians, unvaccinated dogs and cats exposed to a rabid animal must be strictly quarantined for four months and vaccinated one month prior to being released.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rabies virus attacks the central nervous system and is almost always fatal in humans if untreated. Early symptoms of rabies in people include fever, headache and general weakness or discomfort.
- If you have been bitten or scratched by any stray animals or suspected rabid animal, immediate preventive treatment is necessary. Seek medical care immediately and inform the health care provider of the exposure. Then, contact GNR Public Health at 770-339-4260 and ask for the on-call epidemiologist.
Furrow, by Josemaria Escriva
From Karen J. Harris, Stone Mountain: Saint Josemaria Escriva was the founder of Opus Dei, an organization dedicated to the formation of understanding Christian doctrine, ascetical spirit and apostolate. He is the author of several books including Passionately Loving the World, The Way, Footprints in the Snow, The Forge, and many others. In Furrow, there are 32 chapters on topics that provide thought and seeds for recollection. Included are the following: Discipline, Loyalty, The Struggle, Daring, Human Respect, Generosity, Truthfulness, Ambition, Purity, The Tongue, The Will, Hypocrisy and many others. This title is best experienced in small bites as the ideas need to percolate in the person to bear fruit. This title is well worth the reader’s time and attention.
- An invitation: what books, restaurants, movies or web sites have you enjoyed recently? Send us your recent selection, along with a short paragraph (150 words) as to why you liked this, plus what you plan to visit or read next. Click here to send an email.
In 19th Century, newspapers became partisan in Georgia
As the state grew in both territory and population in the 19th century, its papers became increasingly partisan, reflecting the bitter divides in Georgia’s antebellum politics. In early nineteenth-century Georgia, political factions were split behind two feuding politicians, George Troup and John Clark.
The Troupite faction consisted largely of planters and aristocrats, while the Clarkite faction had support from small farmers and frontier settlers. Along this divide, rival newspapers formed in Georgia’s larger cities.
At the state capital in Milledgeville, the Troup-affiliated Southern Recorder opposed the Clark leanings of the Federal Union. In Macon, the Georgia Messenger was the Troupite paper and the Macon Telegraph aligned with the Clarkites; similar journalistic divisions existed in Columbus, Savannah, and Augusta. These politically aligned papers publicized the bitter and sometimes violent confrontations between the factions, which, by the 1840s, had aligned with national parties: the Clark faction aligning with the Democratic Party and the Troup faction aligning with the Whig Party.
Despite their sometimes bitter feuds, Georgia’s antebellum papers shared an ironclad commitment to the preservation of slavery. African American papers would proliferate in the postbellum era, as freedmen sought to organize politically and advocate for community needs. But African Americans received very little coverage in Georgia’s antebellum newspapers, save for one notable exception: advertisements that offered rewards for the return of self-liberated African Americans.
These “fugitive slave ads” were a major source of income for newspaper publishers in Georgia and can be traced back to the first issue of the Georgia Gazette in 1763, which included several notices offering rewards for the return of fugitives from slavery. The purpose of the ads was to provide a description suitable for the identification and recapture of enslaved people.
As a result, they often included detailed descriptions, including names, ages, physical descriptions, family members, methods of escape, skills, life experiences, and even places of birth—information that provides a valuable record of enslavement and its grisly toll. The ubiquity of these ads in Georgia newspapers demonstrates both the economic impact of slavery in the antebellum South and the widespread determination among the enslaved to experience a life free from bondage.
- To view the Georgia Encyclopedia article online, go to https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Elephant Rock
The last mystery was solved by four people. It was of Elephant Rock in the Valley of Fire State Park in Clark County, Nevada. It was sent in by Gloria James of Lawrenceville. Getting it right were Kay Montgomery, Duluth; George Graf, Palmyra, Va.; Jay Altman, Columbia, S.C.; and Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas. Peel wrote:
“Today’s mystery photo is of Elephant Rock, a rather famous sandstone formation that remarkably resembles the animal it’s named after. It is located in the Valley of Fire State Park near Overton, Nev., approximately 40 miles northeast of the Las Vegas Strip. The Valley of Fire is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park, and was officially opened to the public on Easter Sunday in 1934.
“At over 46,000 acres in size, there are thousands of vibrant red Aztec sandstone outcrops, most of which formed during the Jurassic period, over 150 million years ago. Elephant Rock itself sits at the far eastern edge of the park and is part of a short, 1.2-mile easy hiking trail known as the Elephant Rock Loop. In addition to the many fascinating rock formations, the park also has hundreds of 3,000 to 4,000-year-old petroglyphs, many of which are located in the Petroglyph Canyon, approximately 3 miles northwest of Elephant Rock.”
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