Black heritage trail would tell story of nearly 200 years of history in Dougherty County

ALBANY – Do a Google search for “founding of Albany,” and the results will likely mention such related topics as the Creek Indians, riverboats, plantations, cotton and, of course, Nelson Tift.

One item glaringly missing from that list, in the eyes of documentary filmmaker and former journalist Clennon King, is the people on whose backs that infrastructure and the region’s agricultural wealth were built.

King, who has returned to his native Albany, said he envisions a history trail that will tell the story of what is largely forgotten black history. Although Albany is well-known for its role in the civil rights movement, those few years of history tell only a small part of the story of black residents in Dougherty County, according to King.

This week King presented a pitch for the black heritage trail to the Dougherty County Commission.

“I am convinced Dougherty County is holy ground when it comes to civil rights history,” he said. “I’m looking to present a 20-stop heritage story here in Dougherty County. It (history) is that rich. We’re the blackest (populationwise) major city in Georgia. This whole thing is about black authenticity and (is) so much a part of our identity.”

Referencing an African proverb that states “Until the lions have a historian, tales of the hunt will always glorify the hunter,” King said he would like to tell the story at the sites where the history unfolded.

Earlier this year the Georgia General Assembly approved a bill to establish an authority to promote and provide resources related to the Weeping Time and Gullah Geechee history. While the bill refers to the sale of 436 men, women and children near Savannah in 1859 as the largest slave auction in state history, there is evidence to show that Dougherty County actually holds that dubious title, according to King.

“That’s typical,” he said. “We are not minding our own narrative, our own story. This one, on Jan. 2, 1860, this sale happened. This one was 536 (slaves). The reality is the largest sale of (enslaved) Africans is across the street from where we are right now. It happened on the courthouse steps here in Dougherty County.”

The area near the courthouse would be one of the stops for the history trail. King said he is not revealing his entire plan, including the other sites, at the moment.

The proposal would initially consist of a virtual tour of the selected sites and locations, which could be completed relatively quickly. The estimated cost would be more than $110,000, and that project would take a year to 18 months.

Placing physical markers and the incorporation of artwork such as statues would take longer and require additional money. King said he envisions that three or so of the sites would come with art.

However, King said that the trail would provide benefits by bringing travelers to Albany to visit the locations.

He has prior experience in such endeavors, including a 29-site tour in Boston that includes locations that were part of the love story of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, a project that was approved by the Boston City Council.

“It would more than easily pay for itself,” King said. “I wanted to make Albany and Dougherty County a destination, not a stopover but a destination.”

The entire concept is not built around financial considerations, however, as King said it’s important for young people in the community to learn the history it would reveal.

Nearly all of the commissioners voiced optimism about the proposal at the completion of King’s presentation.