Dawn of Mourning Exhibit in Athens

Athens OH 02-26-2013I was back in Athens, Ohio, on February 26, walking on rain-slicked cobblestones and helping set up my exhibit of photos of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Mourning taken in 1968.

Dawn of Mourning” is presented by Sigma Gamma Rho, Inc. in conjunction with the College of Arts and Sciences, the Athens Historical Society and Museum, the Foster and Helen Cornwell Lecture Series, University College, the Campus Involvement Center, The Athens Messenger and The Post.

Here is a radio interview the local NPR station, WOUB, did with me. (To be honest, I could only listen to about five minutes of it. I always cringe when I hear myself being interviewed.

Danielle Echols, who has been the Sigma Gamma Rho coordinator on the project, did a great job of keeping me more or less between the lines during the radio program. I could tell she had a basket of questions to ask if I was one of those laconic “Yes, Ma’am,” “No, Ma’am” subjects, but she need not have worried. Rambling is one of my better things.

Photo gallery of show catalog photos.

Here is a catalog of the key images showing a highly emotional day at Ohio University. Click on any photo to make it larger, then click on the left or right side of the image to move through the gallery.

Athens County Historical Society

Jessica Cyders - Curator Athens Historican Societ and Museum 01-22-2013Friend Jan Norris and I spent the day at the Athens County Historical Society and Museum meeting with curator Jessica Cyders and other folks. They are a great bunch of folks who made me feel very welcome and very flattered.

It’s fun to see people get excited about small details that help them fill in holes in the area’s history. It looks like my Ohio era photos could end up with the society when I go toes-up.

I had forgotten how hilly Athens is. If Norris stayed here a week, she’d have the Athens Calves that everybody develops here. I wish I had taken a photo of her in her many layers today. “Is there any color in the rainbow that you’re NOT wearing?” I asked her. If her lips hadn’t been frozen together, I’m sure she would have come up with a smart reply.

Jan may get to see snow falling

Weather could be interesting. The first forecast I saw this morning showed Cape getting up to five inches of snow on Thursday and Athens getting the same amount on Friday. Both have been revised downward, but the official word from the weather service is “a fast moving winter storm system is forecast to race across the quad state region Thursday night and depart Friday morning. The latest available forecast model guidance suggests while it is still too early to pinpoint exact amounts and locations… it continues to look like at least some accumulation of snow… ice… and sleet is expected with this system.