Georgia Magazine - August 2020 - 8

GEORGIA News

Compiled by Jennifer J. Hewett

Photo campaign IDs sites deemed
historic during crises
GEORGIA TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION

any of Georgia's historic sites too often go unrecognized for their contributions during critical moments
of the past. While they may not be listed on the
National Register of Historic Places, they still played prominent
roles in a community's story.
Recognizing more of those places is the goal of the Georgia
Trust for Historic Preservation and nonprofit preservation
organizations statewide, which recently launched #Preserving
Hope. The online photo campaign identifies significant sites of
relief efforts, essential services and refuge during times of war,
pandemics, unrest, natural disasters and other uncertainty.
"There's a lot of anxiety out there right now," Georgia Trust
President and CEO Mark McDonald says. "We felt it was a good
idea to remind people that our nation has been through crises
before. We got through them, and in many cases, we're stronger.
We want to honor the historic buildings associated with
those events."
The public is invited to submit photos of sites at least
50 years old that hold a special place in a community's history.
While hospitals and churches most often provided backdrops to
relief efforts or protest movements, McDonald urges people to
broaden their perspectives.
"A site could be whatever people think was a place that
provided assistance in times of need," he says. "It doesn't have
to be heroic or have a historic marker. For instance, I'm posting
one of a funeral home in Atlanta. People don't usually think
about the morticians who handle the bodies of those who

Built in 1895, this house in Atlanta was civil rights leader Martin
Luther King Jr.'s home for the first 12 years of his life.

passed away. It's a grim detail but an important one.
"The place does [have to] bear witness to the fact that we
can get through this-and we will."
Information about #PreservingHope is online at
georgiatrust.org/preservinghope.
-H.M. Cauley

What's going on in your community?
Share the good things your neighbors are doing to help
others. Email us at magazine@georgiaemc.com.

Take the Speedtest to measure internet strength

To learn more about bridging the connectivity gap for
Georgia students, turn to page 12 in this month's issue.

Georgia Magazine

August 2020

he Georgia Broadband Deployment Initiative (GBDI) is conducting the Speedtest by Ookla pilot project statewide through August.
Ookla, a company based in Seattle, measures global internet
performance and provides in-depth insights about telecommunications.
By accurately measuring internet connectivity strengths, this project
will give Georgia's school leaders a clear picture of students' internet access
in the upcoming school year.
It takes only one click to participate. To take the test on your phone,
download the Speedtest app and click "Go." If using your computer, visit
speedtest.net and click "Go." Your connection quality is measured and
collected safely and anonymously by Ookla.
State education leaders will use the Speedtest results in combination
with the GBDI's broadband availability maps in planning for online
learning.
To learn more about the GBDI, visit broadband.georgia.gov.
-Malenka Warner

http://www.georgiatrust.org/preservinghope http://www.speedtest.net http://broadband.georgia.gov

Georgia Magazine - August 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - August 2020