Book Description

DeKalb County, Georgia, is much more than just another of the suburban areas around the city of Atlanta. African Americans have long lived, worked, played, and worshiped in the area. In African-American Life in DeKalb County: 1823-1970, Herman "Skip" Mason Jr., author, professor, and historian, has compiled a lovingly crafted look at the county's rich African-American heritage. With images from the Georgia Department of Archives and History, the DeKalb Historical Society, and his own extensive archives, Mason couples fascinating images with illuminating text to create a unique look at the area and its people. Within these pages, discover little-known facts about the county's past residents, including Bukumbo, the young girl who was brought from Africa to Decatur to serve as a nurse, who quickly became a beloved member of the family and died only a short while later. Learn about the great impact that the Clark and Oliver families had on Decatur, and view famous sections and landmarks of the county, including Lithonia, Ellenwood, Stone Mountain, Doraville, Tucker, Chamblee, Clarkston, Lynwood Park, Scottdale, and South DeKalb.