Georgia

A Black author takes a new look at Georgia's white founder and his failed attempt to ban slavery

Published

2 years ago

February 17, 2024

A Black author takes a new look at Georgia's white founder and his failed attempt to ban slavery

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Michael Thurmond thought he was reading familiar history at the burial place of Georgia’s colonial founder. Then a single sentence on a marble plaque extolling the accomplishments of James Edward Oglethorpe left him stunned speechless.

Within a lengthy tribute to the Englishman who died in 1785, the inscription read: “He was the friend of the Oppressed Negro.”

Oglethorpe led the expedition that established Georgia as the last of Britain’s 13 American colonies in February 1733. Thurmond, a history aficionado and the only Black member of a Georgia delegation visiting the founder’s tomb outside London, knew Oglethorpe had tried unsuccessfully to keep slaves out of the colony. Historians widely agreed he was concerned for the safety and self-sufficiency of white settlers rather than the suffering of enslaved Africans.

Could Georgia’s white founding father possibly have been an ally to Black people in an era when the British Empire was forcing thousands into bondage?

“It was stunning,” Thurmond recalled. ”Initially, I was consumed by disbelief. I didn’t believe it was true.”

Thurmond would grapple with questions raised by that visit for the next 27 years, compelled to take a closer look at Oglethorpe. Now he has written a provocatively titled book: “James Oglethorpe, Father Of Georgia — A Founder’s Journey From Slave Trader to Abolitionist.”

Published this month by the University of Georgia Press, Thurmond’s book makes a case that Oglethorpe evolved to revile slavery and, unlike most white Europeans of his time, saw the humanity in enslaved Africans. And while Oglethorpe’s efforts to prohibit slavery in Georgia ultimately failed, Thurmond argues he left a lasting — and largely uncredited — legacy by influencing early English abolitionists.

“He is shining a spotlight on the part of Oglethorpe’s life that most people have kind of thought was just periphery,” said Stan Deaton, senior historian for the Georgia Historical Society. “I think he’s thought deeply about this. And let’s be honest, there have not been many African-Americans who have written about colonial Georgia and particularly about Oglethorpe.”

Though this is Thurmond’s third book about Georgia history, he’s no academic. The son of a sharecropper and great-grandson of a Georgia slave, Thurmond became an attorney and has served for decades in state and local government. His 1998 election as state labor commissioner made Thurmond the first Black candidate to win statewide office in Georgia without first being appointed. He is now the elected CEO of DeKalb County, which includes portions of Atlanta.

His book traces Oglethorpe’s origins as a wealthy Englishman who held a seat in Parliament and served as deputy governor of the slave-trading Royal African Company before departing for America. Thurmond argues that seeing the cruelty of slavery firsthand changed Oglethorpe, who returned to England and shared his views with activists who would become Britain’s first abolitionists.

“What I tried to do is to follow the arc of his life, his evolution and development, and to weigh all of his achievements, failures and shortcomings,” Thurmond said. “Once you do that, you find that he had a uniquely important life. He helped breathe life into the movement that ultimately destroyed slavery.”

In its early years, Georgia stood alone as Britain’s only American colony in which slavery was illegal. The ban came as the population of enslaved Africans in colonial America was nearing 150,000. Black captives were being sold in New York and Boston, and they already outnumbered white settlers in South Carolina.

Historians have widely agreed Oglethorpe and his fellow Georgia trustees didn’t ban slavery because it was cruel to Black people. They saw slaves as a security risk with Georgia on the doorstep of Spanish Florida, which sought to free and enlist escaped slaves to help fight the British. They also feared slave labor would instill laziness among Georgia’s settlers, who were expected to tend their own modest farms.

It didn’t last. The slave ban was widely ignored when Oglethorpe left Georgia for good in 1743, and its enforcement dwindled in his absence. By the time American colonists declared independence in 1776, slavery had been legal in Georgia for 25 years. When the Civil War began nearly a century later, Georgia’s enslaved population topped 462,000, more than any U.S. state except Virginia.

“At best, you could say Oglethorpe was naive,” said Gerald Horne, a professor of history and African-American studies at the University of Houston and author of the book “The Counter-Revolution of 1776.” “Almost inevitably, like kudzu in the summer, slavery started spreading in Georgia.”

Like other historians, Horne is highly skeptical of Oglethorpe being a forefather of the abolitionist movement. He says the Georgia colony ultimately protected slavery in its sister colonies by serving as a “white equivalent of the Berlin Wall” between South Carolina and Spanish Florida.

Oglethorpe used slave labor to help build homes, streets and public squares in Savannah, the colony’s first city. Escaped slaves captured in Oglethorpe’s Georgia were returned to slaveholders. Some colonists angered by the slave ban made unproven accusations that Oglethorpe had a South Carolina plantation worked by slaves.

Thurmond’s book openly embraces such evidence that Oglethorpe’s history with slavery was at times contradictory and unflattering. That makes his case for Oglethorpe’s evolution even stronger, said James F. Brooks, a University of Georgia history professor who wrote the book’s foreward.

“He has engaged with the historiography in a way that is clearly the equivalent of a professional historian,” Brooks said. “This is good stuff. He’s read everything and thought about it. I don’t see any weakness in it.”

Thurmond’s evidence includes a letter Oglethorpe wrote in 1739 that argues opening Georgia to slavery would “occasion the misery of thousands in Africa.” Thurmond describes how Oglethorpe assisted to two formerly enslaved Black men — Ayuba Suleiman Diallo and Olaudah Equiano — whose travels to England helped stir anti-slavery sentiments among white Europeans.

Oglethorpe befriended white activists who became key figures in England’s abolitionist movement. In a 1776 letter to Granville Sharp, an attorney who fought to help former slaves retain their freedom, Oglethorpe proclaimed “Africa had produced a race of heroes” in its kings and military leaders. He also spent time with the author Hannah More, whose writings called for the abolition of slavery.

In 1787, two years after Oglethorpe’s death, Sharp and More were among the founders of the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Thurmond argues Oglethorpe deserves credit as an inspiration to the budding movement.

“He founded slave-free Georgia in 1733 and, 100 years later, England abolishes slavery,” followed by the U.S. in 1865, Thurmond said. “He was a man far beyond his time.”

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Georgia

Student vows to honor former Hall County teacher after fatal prank

Published

1 hour ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Student vows to honor former Hall County teacher after fatal prank

article

(L) Jayden Wallace (R) Jason Hughes (Credit: Hall County Sheriff’s Office, GoFundMe)

HALL COUNTY, Ga. – As a community mourns the death of Jason Hughes, the 18-year-old accused in his death has pledged to live the rest of his life in memory of his former teacher, according to a statement released by his family.

What they’re saying:

Jayden Ryan Wallace faces felony charges of first-degree vehicular homicide and reckless driving after a Mar. 6 prank that turned fatal.

Deputies said the incident happened around 11:40 p.m. after Hughes caught a group of teenagers throwing toilet paper across his yard. When Hughes ran to catch the teens as they were fleeing, he slipped on wet pavement into the path of a vehicle driven by Wallace.

Authorities said the group stayed with Hughes, trying to help him, until he was taken to a hospital.

Wallace’s family said Coach Hughes “meant the world” to him, and they are in “deep remorse and grieving” over his loss.

Wallace expressed his sorrow over what happened that night when he and four other teenagers had pulled a prank on Hughes, who taught at North Hall High School.

“I pledge to live out the remainder of my life in a manner that honors the memory of Coach Hughes by exemplifying Christ. He will never be forgotten,” Wallace said.

Dig deeper:

Hughes’ brother-in-law, Ben Palmer, said the family believes his death was a tragic accident and has called for the charges to be dropped against the teens.

In a written message to media outlets, Palmer said Hughes was aware the students were coming to his home and was excited about the prank.

Additionally, Palmer said that Hughes loved the students involved and did not want their lives permanently affected by the incident.

“We are thankful for the outpouring of prayers and support as we grieve the loss of Jason. We ask that you continue to pray for our family and also for the students involved in the accident, along with their families. Please join us in extending grace and mercy to them as Christ has done for us,” the Hughes family said in a statement.

School district officials said Hughes was beloved by his students and colleagues as the community continues to mourn his passing.

What you can do:

A GoFundMe in memory of Hughes has raised nearly half a million dollars as of Mar. 11.

To see the fundraiser, click here.

The Source: Information in this report comes from the family of Jayden Wallace and prior FOX 5 reporting.

Hall CountyCrime and Public SafetyNews

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Georgia

Daily Briefing: All eyes on Rome, Georgia

Published

13 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Daily Briefing: All eyes on Rome, Georgia

Welcome to the Daily Briefing. Here’s what’s breaking this morning:

Nicole Fallert here, wishing I were frolicking in this superbloom. Wednesday’s headlines begin with a Georgia special election and then we’ll talk about that Team USA World Baseball Classic loss.

Who will replace Marjorie Taylor Greene?

Trump-endorsed Republican Clay Fuller, a former prosecutor, came in second among a field of more than a dozen candidates in Georgia’s special election on Tuesday to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene, who resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives in January after months of clashing with the president.

Retired Brigadier General Shawn Harris, one of just three Democrats on the ballot, topped the votes after consolidating most of his party’s support. But neither candidate received the required threshold under Georgia law of more than 50% to win outright. That means the two are headed for an April 7 runoff election.

Mississippi also had a primary election on Tuesday. See the results.

And this all begs the question: Can Trump run both a war and a midterm campaign at the same time?

More news to know now

Should we worry about Iran sleeper cells? Trump said the administration is “on top of” possible Iranian sleeper cells operating inside the U.S. — offering few details about their existence and level of potential threat.
Don’t miss your flight! Americans are enduring long wait times as a partial federal government shutdown strains staffing at the Transportation Security Administration. Check these resources before waiting too long to leave for the airport.
It’s been six years since the COVID-19 pandemic began. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Here’s a look back at what happened since.

Dunk!

NBA history made

Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo scored 83 points on Tuesday against the Washington Wizards. Yes, 83. That’s the second-most points scored in an NBA game, surpassing late Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant.

Something to talk about

Italy just upset USA baseball

Team USA suffered one of the most embarrassing losses in World Baseball Classic history, 8-6 to Italy in front of a stunned crowd at Daikin Park on Monday. Now, they must rely on Italy to beat Mexico on Wednesday night, or hope a tiebreaker works in their favor.

Before you go

Have feedback on the Daily Briefing? Shoot Nicole an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.

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Georgia

With voting over, Georgia’s election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene could be test of Trump’s influence

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

With voting over, Georgia’s election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene could be test of Trump’s influence

Polls have closed in the Georgia 14th Congressional District special election to elect who will replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress.

The seat has been vacant since January, when Greene resigned following a monthslong public fight with President Trump over foreign policy issues and the release of documents involving the Jeffrey Epstein case. A week before she announced her plans to resign, Mr. Trump said he would support a primary challenge against her.

Twenty-two candidates filed to run for the seat, but the number dropped to 17 candidates — 12 Republicans, three Democrats, one Libertarian, and one independent — all of whom appeared on Tuesday’s ballot.

Among the top candidates are former District Attorney Clay Fuller, who was endorsed by Mr. Trump, former Republican state Sen. Colton Moore, and Democrat Shawn Harris, a retired Army brigadier general who lost to Greene in the 2024 race for the seat.

Harris has raised more than $4.3 million for the race, with about $290,000 in the bank.

Greene has declined to endorse anyone in the race.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene talks to reporters after meeting privately with House Speaker Mike Johnson as he wrestles with a spending bill to fund the government, at the Capitol on Jan. 12, 2024.

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

Georgia voters enthusiastic to choose their representative

Voters in Rome, Georgia, said they expect to return and vote in what is likely to be a runoff election because of the number of candidates.

“Too many people that think they’re politicians — some I know personally that has no experience, that, you know, Washington would just swallow them up like it does most people,” one voter said.

“What I look for in a candidate is tell me your policies. That’s the problem that I have with both sides today,” another voter said. “They attack each other, they hate each other, and they don’t ever get around to telling you what their actual policies are.”

Despite voters saying they planned to return to the ballot box, Floyd County Republican Vice Chair David Guldenschuh said the complicated schedule had party heads worried.

“There’s real fatigue out there, and I sense and feel for them,” he said.

A crowded field of candidates has made a runoff in the Georgia special election likely.

CBS News Atlanta

Still, Guldenschuh said he doesn’t feel like the crowded field would hurt the GOP’s chance to hold the seat that Greene once occupied.

“I think that, you know, we have an unusual situation here. We all appreciated and loved Marjorie. And when she and Trump had the falling out, we still supported both here in this district, even though they weren’t getting along very well. And still are, as I understand,” he said. So I do know that this district is very solid conservative, and from Floyd County north, it’s really conservative. So I don’t see a big change going on now.”

Vincent Mendes, the chair of the county’s Democratic Party, expected Harris to get to the runoff, but said it would take effort to flip the seat.

“We will have to work our butts off to make him win if he gets to a runoff, but that’s how we should treat every single election,” Mendes said.

A local race with national implications

CBS News Political Director Fin Gómez said this special election is about more than just one seat in Congress. It’s being watched by politicians across the state and around the nation as an early indicator of where the Republican Party and its voters stand right now.

Gómez said this race could offer one of the first real tests of Mr. Trump’s influence within the party, with the president throwing his support behind Fuller.

The results could show whether the Republican base is still fully aligned with him after his rift with Greene.

The key question, according to Gómez: Does the president still have the influence that he did back in 2024?

“I do think that if Clay Fuller does well, even if he doesn’t clear the threshold that’s needed to avoid a runoff, I think that bodes well for the president, because that means Republican voters are still adhering to what the president says, and it shows the influence that that the president still has on the Republican Party, including in northwest Georgia,” he told CBS News Atlanta.

If another candidate, such as Moore, pulls off a win, it could signal the Republican base isn’t always following the president’s lead.

“If Fuller does not when I think it would surprise a lot of the Trump faithful who really adhere to who he supports in these type of elections, but if, let’s say, if it doesn’t go Fuller’s way and Moore picks off this win, I think what you are seeing is that the base might be a little more unpredictable, similar to what we saw perhaps in 2010.”

Georgia Runoff For Greene Seat Looms With 17 Candidates Running — A ‘Vote Here’ sign in front of a polling station at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Hiram, Georgia, US, on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

Elijah Nouvelage / Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Special election marks start of busy campaign stretch

With how crowded the field is, it is very likely that this will be only the first step to choosing Greene’s replacement. Georgia’s special election rules require a candidate to win a majority of votes. If that threshold is not met, the top two candidates will go on to the April 7 runoff.

Whoever eventually wins the seat will serve out the rest of Greene’s term — a relatively short time in office. If they want to remain in the seat, they’ll have to run again in the May 19 party primaries. That race could possibly go to a party runoff, which would take place on June 16. The winners of the primaries will advance to the general election in November.

Last week, 10 Republicans, including Fuller and Moore, qualified to run in November’s election for a full two-year term. Harris also qualified, the sole Democrat who did in what has been rated as the most Republican-leaning district in Georgia by the Cook Political Report.

Mr. Trump carried the 14th Congressional District with 68% of the vote in the 2024 election, with Greene receiving over 64%. Republicans want that rightward trend to continue in the district. Democrats are hoping that the potential GOP infighting and crowded field could help them secure a surprise electoral win, shrinking the already-narrow margins in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Republicans currently control 218 House seats to the Democrats’ 214.

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