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1912: The Forsyth County Expulsion and Its Aftermath

1912 is a podcast about the expulsion of more than 1,000 Black residents from Forsyth County, Georgia and its lasting impact on the families affected. We’ll explore how a combination of popular myth and generations of displacement contributed to the attempted erasure of an entire Black community.
A limited series from <a href="https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/">Atlanta History Center.</a>
Find more at <a href="https://www.wabe.org/1912">wabe.org/1912</a>

WABE

Four days before Christmas in 1957, Clarence Horatious Pickett, a preacher and newspaper ad salesman in Columbus, Georgia, walked into town to pick up his paycheck. Forty-eight years old and known as “Reverend” to many, the tall, lean man with wire-rimmed glasses left his home and headed toward The Columbus World, a black newspaper where Pickett worked. Pickett, who’d been a boy preacher, was showing signs of mental instability and had spent time in the county jail and the state mental hospital, which was notorious for employing doctors with addictions, poor training and racist beliefs. Before the day was over, Pickett would be arrested, jailed, and beaten senseless by a white police officer. An examining physician would conclude that Pickett was “putting on.” He wasn’t. His injuries would lead to his death two days later. Pickett’s killing would spur police and FBI investigations where a remarkable number of eyewitnesses would come forward to testify on what they saw. But would an all-white criminal justice system bring charges against a white cop for beating a black man? Season 5 of Buried Truths follows the story of Pickett and the criminal justice and medical professionals who failed him. Why was he thrown in jail in the first place? Why wasn't he able to receive adequate medical care in those fragile days after his encounter with police? We'll explore Pickett’s life as a mentally disturbed Black man in the dark heart of the Deep South in the 1950s. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or listen at wabe.org/podcasts/buried-truths/ starting August 26.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing Buried Truths, Season 5: A Preacher, a Policeman, and a Physician

A live panel discussion moderated by Rose Scott and featuring voices from series. In this bonus episode, Scott leads an insightful conversation with Sophia Dodd, co-host of 1912, Monica Goings, a researcher from Clark Atlanta University, and descendants featured on the podcast, Elon Osby, Charles Grogan, and Chase Evans. Panelists talk about origins of the podcast and myths surrounding Lake Lanier, while descendants ruminate on what the future looks like for them. 1912 is a limited series from Atlanta History Center and WABE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Making of ‘1912’ (Live from the AHC)

In the final episode of 1912, hosts Rose Scott and Sophia Dodd reflect on Forsyth County’s journey from the violent expulsion of its Black residents in 1912 to today’s ongoing struggle for justice and reconciliation. The episode opens with the story of Alexander Akers, a biracial student who grew up in Forsyth County during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Akers endured relentless racism, highlighting how deeply rooted racial hostility persisted, even as the county’s demographics began to shift. As Forsyth’s population grew, fueled by an influx of white families seeking prestigious schools and suburban security, the number of Black residents remained small. Yet, hope emerged through efforts like the Forsyth Descendants Scholarship. Established by Durwood Sneed, a white resident of Forsyth County, the scholarship honors the legacy of those forced out in 1912. The episode also examines ongoing efforts toward reparations, focusing on the preservation of Black cemeteries and the restoration of historical sites like Bagley Park. While private initiatives have made progress, descendants are clear: true reconciliation must come from the county itself. Forsyth’s leadership has yet to fully confront the realities of 1912, and until they do, the past will continue to cast a shadow over the present. 1912 is a limited series from Atlanta History Center and WABE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 5: The Present

In Episode 4 of 1912, hosts Rose Scott and Sophia Dodd look at the legacy of the 1912 expulsion, tracing its ripple effects into the 1980s and culminating in the powerful 1987 Brotherhood March. The episode opens with a reflection from Patrick Phillips, who recalls his realization of Forsyth County’s violent past when his family moved there in the 1970s. Even decades after the mass expulsion of more than 1,000 Black residents, the county remained resolutely segregated — a bastion of whiteness where the legacy of 1912 had never truly faded. As Scott and Dodd guide listeners through the racial tensions of the 1960s and 1970s, they highlight the county’s continued resistance to integration. From the harassment of Black campers at Lake Lanier to the shooting of Miguel Marcelli, a Black firefighter, these incidents revealed how some white residents clung to a history of exclusion. The unspoken rule was clear: Forsyth County was to remain a place where Black people were neither welcome nor safe. The story reaches a turning point in 1987 with talk-show host Oprah Winfrey’s visit as well as the Brotherhood March, a bold display of defiance against deep-rooted racism. For all the challenges of reckoning with such a painful history, these events offered a glimpse of hope — that perhaps, finally, Forsyth County could begin the slow work of reconciliation. 1912 is a limited series from Atlanta History Center and WABE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 4: The Land

In this episode of 1912, hosts Rose Scott and Sophia Dodd investigate the myths and realities surrounding Lake Lanier and its connection to the 1912 expulsion of Black residents from Forsyth County. Over time, these myths have transformed a brutal history into ghost stories, but the trauma endured by Black families during and after 1912 remains undisputed. The podcast addresses the persistent legend that Lake Lanier was created to cover up racial crimes and investigates whether Oscarville was a prosperous Black town destroyed to make way for the lake. As the episode progresses, Scott and Dodd shift their focus to the economic disparities that emerged after Lake Lanier's creation. White residents of Forsyth County benefited greatly from the lake's development and the resulting economic boom, while the displaced Black families, driven away long before, were never compensated—nor did they receive an apology. The hosts question whether the sensationalized myths about Oscarville obscure the real horrors of the Black displacement from Forsyth County and, more importantly, whether they dilute attention to the lasting impacts of these atrocities. 1912 is a limited series from Atlanta History Center and WABE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 3: The Myth

In the second episode of 1912, Rose Scott and Sophia Dodd peel back the layers of history to reveal the personal stories of some of the Black families exiled from Forsyth County. The episode opens with Elon Osby recounting the life of her grandfather, William Bagley — a man who, alongside his wife Ida, embodied the promise of post-Emancipation life in Forsyth. Born into the first generation of free Black Americans, the Bagleys carved out a prosperous life on 60 acres of land, only to see it ripped away by the racial hatred in 1912. As the episode unfolds, Scott and Dodd follow the Bagley family's journey out of Forsyth County. They resettled in Macedonia Park, an area that would eventually become Bagley Park, nestled in what is now Buckhead. There, the Bagleys didn’t just survive — they thrived, building a community that became a focal point for Black life in the area. Dorothy Pemberton describes growing up in Bagley Park, where the threat of the Ku Klux Klan was ever-present and a constant reminder of the hatred that had driven them from Forsyth. The episode widens its lens to include the stories of other displaced families such as the Stricklands and the Merritts, whose lives were also turned upside down by the violence that swept through Forsyth County in 1912. 1912 is a limited series from Atlanta History Center and WABE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 2: The Families

In the inaugural episode of Atlanta History Center’s "1912" podcast, hosts Rose Scott and Sophia Dodd delve into one of Georgia’s most unsettling events. The episode transports listeners to the racially charged atmosphere of Forsyth County in 1912 — a year marked by the violent expulsion of the county’s Black residents. Accusations by white women against Black men ignited a wave of racial violence that ravaged the community. Through descendant testimonies and oral histories, Scott and Dodd examine the terror of those tumultuous days. Central to their exploration is the testimony of Fred Brown. Brown, one of the expelled, recounts the fires, frantic escapes, and the tragic aftermath for families forced to abandon their homes, livelihoods, and communities. His words, recorded by his son decades later, breathe new life into this often overlooked chapter in Georgia’s history. As the episode progresses, Scott and Dodd discuss how Forsyth County remained almost exclusively white for decades. They also focus on the 1987 Brotherhood March, led by civil rights leader Hosea Williams, which brought national attention to the county’s deep racial divide. 1912 is a limited series from Atlanta History Center and WABE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1: The Expulsion

1912 tells the story of the expulsion of more than 1,000 Black residents from Forsyth County, Georgia and its lasting impact on the families affected. We’ll explore how a combination of popular myth and generations of displacement contributed to the attempted erasure of an entire Black community. A limited series from Atlanta History Center and WABE. Premieres November 19th. Subscribe now.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'1912: The Forsyth County Expulsion and its Aftermath' Premieres on 11/19

1912 tells the story of the expulsion of more than 1,000 Black residents from Forsyth County, Georgia and its lasting impact on the families affected. We’ll explore how a combination of popular myth and generations of displacement contributed to the attempted erasure of an entire Black community. A limited series from Atlanta History Center and WABE. Premieres November 19th. Subscribe now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.