Unlearning Some American History

Screen capture from Michael L. Thurmond’s website.

Many of us know Michael Thurmond as the chief executive officer of DeKalb County. He has been in Georgia politics for decades, serving as a state legislator, the head of the Division of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS) and commissioner of the Georgia Department of Labor.

However, his true passion is researching and writing about Georgia history, which led him to author James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia: A Founder’s Journey from Slave Trader to Abolitionist. We discussed how the story of our state’s founding father might change how we view Georgia history.

Q: What inspired you to write this book?

A: In October 1996, Gov. Zell Miller asked me to serve as a delegate on a trip to England to commemorate the anniversary of Oglethorpe’s 300th birthday.

On the last stop of that pilgrimage, we visited the parish Church of All Saints located in the village of Cranham, where he is buried. Inscribed on a marble plaque erected near his tomb was an obscure passage: “He was the friend of the oppressed Negro.” I questioned the veracity of those eight words but was inspired to undertake a decades-long journey to learn more about his life and legacy.

Q: What did you learn from Oglethorpe’s legacy?

A: Oglethorpe was among the first white men in North America to oppose chattel slavery. Due primarily to his strident advocacy, Georgia was the only British American colony to prohibit chattel slavery prior to the American Revolutionary War. Oglethorpe’s personal transformation from slave trader to abolitionist was propelled by two formerly enslaved Black men, Ayuba Suleiman Diallo and Olaudah Equiano. Most importantly, his deep commitment to human rights empowered Oglethorpe to change himself and … the course of world history.

“James Oglethorpe, the father of Georgia, should be celebrated as the ‘North Star’ of our great state.” Michael Thurmond, Chief Executive Officer, DeKalb County

Q: What did you learn about yourself while writing this book?

A: Unlearning is equally as important as learning and much more difficult. Researching Oglethorpe’s life forced me unlearn some of the most basic tenets of American history.

For example, the cornerstone of African American history is the inspiring story of the courageous Black freedom seekers who “followed the North Star to freedom.” Rarely taught or emphasized is that the most traveled route on the Underground Railroad ran southward through the dense swamps and forests of what is modern-day South Georgia and North Florida.

Spain controlled colonial Florida, and South Georgia was Seminole territory. Thousands of Black people enslaved by British and later American slaveholders successfully escaped south, established military fortifications, towns and villages and assimilated with their Native Indian and Spanish allies.

Q: What do you think Oglethorpe would have to say about Georgia today?

A: Oglethorpe was not decades but centuries ahead of his time. He asserted that all human beings, regardless of color or legal status, possessed the God-given right to live as free people. He also believed that all people deserved to be treated with dignity, including Native Americans and women.

He was driven by an unrelenting desire to enhance opportunities for the most marginalized British subjects.

If the old general were alive today, I believe that he would be delighted to know that his vision for a slave-free Georgia had been redeemed and restored. Oglethorpe would be … proud of our growth, prosperity and enterprise, not to mention the incredible diversity found among our residents.

However, he would be deeply troubled by the plight of millions of Georgians who are uninsured, unemployed, homeless and facing food insecurity. If he could speak across the centuries, I am certain that Gen. Oglethorpe would encourage present-day Georgians to follow his noble example by recommitting to solving these vexing problems.

My research confirms that Oglethorpe’s life and legacy are truly deserving of our admiration and emulation. James Oglethorpe, the father of Georgia, should be celebrated as the “North Star” of our great state.

Tharon Johnson can be seen Sunday mornings on The Georgia Gang on Fox 5 Atlanta and the founder and CEO of Paramount Consulting Group. For more information, see michaelthurmond.net