Go Bo!

1966 was going to be Howard “Bo” Callaway’s year.

As the first Georgia Republican to be elected to Congress since Reconstruction, Callaway was set to move from that success to become Governor of Georgia. Everything seemed to be lining up perfectly. In many ways he was the natural successor to Carl Sanders, with his emphasis on building business and working “within the law” (shorthand for complying with federal Civil Rights rulings). He was riding a swelling Republican wave in the wake of Barry Goldwater’s Conscience of a Conservative. And, the Democratic party, much to its own surprise, went into the general election with the outsider Lester Maddox as its candidate.

However, there were two significant problems that Callaway could not have anticipated. First, that a significant write-in campaign would be waged by supporters of Ellis Arnall, one of the losing Democrats in that party’s primary. Secondly, that the progressive shift in Georgia that had brought Carl Sanders to power had significantly eroded to where a conservative populist/segregationist such as Maddox could become tremendously popular. Still, Maddox was divisive figure and Callaway had a realistic shot at winning. In fact, in the general election Callaway won the popular vote but, given Arnall’s involvement, neither candidate won the majority, and the decision was sent to the legislature. Being nearly completely Democratic, the legislature went with Maddox. To hear the full story of the race, click here for Bob Short’s account.

An often overlooked audiovisual relic in the Russell Library documenting Callaway’s campaign is a 30-minute television spot that ran the night before the general election. It demonstrates how Callaway, son of Callaway Gardens founder Cason Callaway, viewed Georgia’s future, and is also a portrait of southern Republican-ism in the early- and mid-1960s. At the end of this video is a 12-minute clip of John Sibley, prominent Atlanta attorney and, famously, chairman of the Sibley Commission. He is speaking at a Democrats for Callaway luncheon, and outlines in a reasoned and methodical manner why Lester Maddox is the wrong choice for governor of Georgia, even for Democrats. To watch the clip, click here or on the graphic above.

Post by Craig Breaden, Head of Media and Oral History, Russell Library

On Tap this Week

Lots of programs are on tap at the Russell Library in the coming weeks. With that in mind, for the next few weeks i'll post a weekly schedule of events here on the blog each Monday morning...

Thursday, January 28th, 2-3PM, Russell Library Auditorium
No Stone Unturned: An Informal Conversation about the Research Process.
Doug Blackmon, acclaimed journalist and Pulitzer-Prize winner, discusses researching his recent book, Slavery by Another Name, The Re-Enslavement of Black People in America from the Civil War to World War II. Seating is limited for this event. To reserve your spot call 706-542-5766 or email jsevern@uga.edu

Thursday, January 28th, 4:30-6:30PM, 3rd floor Reading Room, Miller Learning Center
“A Persistent Past—Reckoning With Racial History in the Era of Obama”: Douglas Blackmon Lecture, Reception, Book Signing. Douglas A. Blackmon, Atlanta Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal and a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, will draw upon his work as journalist and scholar and his experience as a southerner for this lecture. Reception and book signing follow. Sponsored by the Richard B. Russell Library, University Libraries, the Civil Rights Digital Library, the Institute for African American Studies, the History Department and the Office of Institutional Diversity

Friday, January 29th, 12-1PM, Russell Library Auditorium
Film Screening: "Hoxie - The First Stand" (2003) The story of a small Arkansas town whose school board voluntarily integrated its schools in the summer of 1955. Part of the Measuring Deliberate Speed: School Desegregation Brown Bag Film and Discussion Series. The screening and discussion is free and open to all.

For more information on any of the programs listed above, please call (706) 542-5788 or email jsevern@uga.edu. Hope to see you all there!

Post by Jan Levinson, Assistant Outreach Archivist, Russell Library

Newsflash: Special Sunday Hours

Russell Library hosts Special Gallery Hours Sunday, January 24th from 1-5PM

Greetings all! In celebration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday - and the accompanying programs happening all over the UGA campus this month - the Russell Library exhibit gallery will open for a special viewing on Sunday, January 24th from 1:00-5:00PM. Curators Jill Severn and Jan Levinson will be on hand to provide tours of the featured exhibits "Measuring Deliberate Speed: Georgians Face School Desegregation" and "With All Deliberate Speed: The AP in Little Rock."

We hope you will consider joining us for this special event. Admission to the Russell Library is free. For further information about the exhibits on display, please visit the Russell Library website HERE or contact us at (706) 542-5788 or jlevinso@uga.edu. For more information about programs at the Russell Library, stay tuned to the blog!

Forum Report: New Challenges of Immigration

On Friday, January 15th the Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia hosted the third event in its informal forum series. Fifteen participants, two moderators, and one recorder gathered in the Russell Library Auditorium to discuss the NIF issue guide “The New Challenges of American Immigration.”

In the opening moments of the forum moderators asked the group what brought them to attend the discussion. “I am an immigrant,” one woman began, telling the group that her family emigrated from Korea in search of greater diversity and opportunity. Another man, a student at UGA, described his work with international students on campus. Others expressed their interest in workers’ rights, the impact of immigration on schools and local governments, experiences gained from living abroad, and concern for political refugees. From there, the group moved into a discussion of stakeholders. “Who does immigration affect?” prompted one of the moderators. After a few minutes of responses – children in school, corporations, immigrants, tax payers – they came to a simple solution: immigration affects everyone in the United States.

The forum unfolded as moderators led the group through a deliberation of three approaches proposing solutions to the challenges of immigration.

Approach 1: America’s Changing Face – Is there Too Much Difference? Proponents of this approach see immigration as a looming identity crisis which threatens to break the bonds of unity that define America.

Approach 2: A Nation of Immigrants – Remembering America’s Heritage. Proponents of this approach assert that immigration has been the backbone of America’s strength and that our country should continue to welcome newcomers despite the costs.

Approach 3: A Matter of Priorities – Putting Economics First. Proponents of this approach contend that immigrants strain the public purse, compete for jobs, and exceed our carrying capacity. They say that we must restrict the number of newcomers, examining how their arrival affects the well-being of citizens already here.

The group first tackled Approach 1. Many in the group asserted that much of what makes America a unique country is its diversity and that everyone living in this country, with the exception of the Native Americans, are here as a result of immigration. Others pointed to the changing dynamic of immigration. They indicated that earlier generations of immigrants adopted the English language and American culture more readily than their modern counterparts. The conversation quickly turned to a discussion of what brings immigrants to the United States. Is it jobs? Freedom? Education? Overwhelmingly, the crowd indicated that people move here from other countries for the promise of all of these opportunities and not necessarily because they want to adopt American culture. Participants examined the recommended actions in approach one, such as the proposal to increase assistance to local governments in communities that have a disproportionate amount of immigrants. “If they mean positive support, like increased numbers of translators, and not punitive actions like increased law enforcement to scare off illegal immigrants, then I favor that action,” said one man. In general, most in the group seemed to empathize with the plight of immigrants and did not favor actions that would limit their continued ability to move to and live in the United States.

Approach two, which suggests that immigration is America’s heritage and that our country should continue to welcome newcomers despite the costs, brought to light some more tensions in the group. “The problem with letting anyone come in is that anyone can come in,” said one participant, referring to the security concerns of an open immigration policy. Another man said it simply did not make sense to have so many undocumented people in the country. Discussion on this point included the taxation of immigrants and their buying power in our economy. If many immigrants send their earnings to family members in their home countries, are they really contributing to America’s marketplace? Shouldn’t they have to pay income tax like everyone else? Others countered that more often than not immigrants take jobs that Americans don’t want and are filling a vital role in our economy. Further, they asserted that while illegal immigrants don’t pay income tax they do contribute to the taxes taken out of paychecks, investing in programs like social security that they will never be able to benefit from. Proponents of this approach offered that if Americans attempted to become more familiar with immigrants and their cultures, we would have an increased understanding of international relations and could perhaps begin to contradict outsider notions that American culture is simply consumerism, fast food, and reality television. Many expressed a strong feeling of obligation to political and climate refugees from other countries fleeing persecution or in some cases, the actual physical deterioration of their homes.

Having already broached many of the points in Approach 3 – “Putting Economics First” – the group continued to discuss immigrants in relation to the economic downturn. One participant said that sending back illegal immigrants was “shortsighted and false” stating that we live in a global economy and immigrants help to make many American industries function. Others spoke out about the exploitation of undocumented workers and determined that, at least in part, the reason for such high rates of illegal immigration in America is because there are individuals and corporations who are willing to provide jobs to illegal aliens. The conversation branched into a question of what defines American culture – for native-born people as well as for immigrants. Do we still hear “America” and think of freedom and democracy?

“So why is this a tough issue,” one moderator asked in closing. Some answered that it pits a moral obligation against a legal issue. Many people who are concerned for the welfare of immigrants still have a real issue approving of illegal immigration – because it is against the law. Others saw immigration as a wedge issue – one that divides people along partisan lines and seems to offer very little middle ground. The group began to analyze the word “assimilation” – asking what expectations are inherent. What are we asking people to do when we use this word? And, does it imply an unequal power relationship? One participant suggested that we need a new way to describe what we want, perhaps “communion” or “connection” would better express what we hope to accomplish with newcomers to the United States. In the end, most in the group affirmed their belief that America is a culture of diversity and while the challenges of immigration are complex, and many people wear several different hats when considering the issue, we must continue to look for solutions that keep the door open for newcomers.

The Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia will take place on Friday, February 19th from 3:00-4:30PM in the Russell Library auditorium. The topic: The New Science of Food, Facing Up to Our Biotechnology Choices. For more information call (706) 542-5788 or visit http://www.libs.uga.edu/russell/rfclg/. The dates for all of our upcoming forums can be found on the Russell Forum Training and Program Calendar.

Post by Jan Levinson, Coordinator, Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia

Pulitzer Prize Winner on Campus

The Richard B. Russell Library and Partners Present Pulitzer Prize-winning Author and Journalist Douglas Blackmon on campus January 28, 2010

The Russell Library and partners are pleased to share two special opportunities to meet and hear acclaimed Atlanta Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Douglas Blackmon on Thursday, January 28, 2010.

Blackmon is a passionate advocate for history and research as a tool for social justice. He has also applied the most painstaking and rigorous standards to his research and his quest for sources. To construct a more complex history of forced labor African Americans after the Civil War, Blackmon embarked on an exhaustive search through county records, legal files, oral history, family histories and even historical archeology. In the end his research yielded an unparalleled detailed account of the “tens of thousands of African Americans who were arbitrarily arrested, hit with outrageous fines, and charged for the costs of their own arrests. . . [who were] sold as forced laborers to coal mines, lumber camps, brickyards, railroads, quarries and farm plantations.”

From 2-3 p.m. in the Russell Library Auditorium, Blackmon will discuss his approach to research as a journalist and as scholar working to reconstruct a fragmentary history of forced labor of African Americans in years between the Civil War and World War II for his award-winning book, Slavery by Another Name, The Re-Enslavement of Black People in America from the Civil War to World War II. He will also be glad to entertain questions and ideas from those in attendance. This program should be great chance for the campus community to compare notes, share ideas with one of the country’s preeminent journalists and authors. The 2 p.m. program is free and all are welcome, but seating is limited, so please contact me to reserve a space for the program by calling 706-542-5766 or emailing your rsvp to jsevern@uga.edu

From 4:30-6ish in the Reading Room on the 3rd floor of the Miller Learning Center, Blackmon will also present a more formal free lecture entitled, “A Persistent Past: Reckoning With Racial History in the Era of Obama." The Miller Learning Center is located on the northeast corner of Baxter Street and South Lumpkin Street. Parking is available in the adjacent Tate Center Parking Deck (entrance via South Lumpkin Street). University of Georgia and Athens-Clarke County City Buses stop in front of the Tate Center, which is next to the Miller Center. (No r.s.v.p. for this program is necessary—Just come!)

Both of these programs are presented by the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies and cosponsored by the following units of the University of Georgia: University of Georgia Libraries, the Office of Institutional Diversity, the Civil Rights Digital Library, Department of History, and the Institute for African American Studies. For more information please contact Jill Severn at 706-542-5766 or jsevern@uga.edu

To learn more about Blackmon and his book, visit: http://www.slaverybyanothername.com
To learn more about the program or to register, please contact Jill Severn at 706-542-5766 or jsevern@uga.edu

Forum (1/19/2010): Racial and Ethnic Tensions

We have come a long way in the United States, but lingering racial and ethnic discrimination continues to strain the bonds that hold us together. It is time we set our minds to achieving Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream of true equality. How can we work to accomplish this?

Join the Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia, a civic engagement program of the Russell Library, for the third annual deliberative discussion of this tough question, tonight, January 19, 2010 from 6:00-8:00PM at the Russell Library. The program will use an issue guide developed by the National Issues Forums Institute to tackle this issue from three different perspectives, and to suggest varied approaches by which these problems might be addressed. Each approach offers a different diagnosis of what's wrong. Each provides a direction for public action. Each includes ideas and proposals that are drawn from across the political spectrum. For a closer look at the issue guide, click HERE.

Moderators for this program will be Melissa Shivers, Director of Intercultural Affairs for UGA and Jill Severn, Director of the Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia and head of Access and Outreach at the Russell Library at UGA. All opinions and ideas are welcome! Program is free and all are welcome. For more information, please call (706) 542-5788 or email jlevinso@uga.edu.

As a special side note...
Pat Priest, a steering committee member for the Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia, composed the following opinion piece on racial and ethnic tensions which appears in today's Athens Banner-Herald. Check it out here: http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/011910/opi_551687180.shtml

Informal Forum (1/15/2010): New Challenges of Immigration

The Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia (RFCLG) is hosting National Issues Forums on a monthly basis at the Russell Library. Our next informal forum will take place this Friday, January 15th from 3:00-4:30PM in the Russell Library auditorium.

What effects does immigration have on our society? Are America's immigration policies in need of reform? And, how should we tackle the issue of illegal immigrants? This month's deliberative forum considers the questions surrounding the evolving issue of immigration in the United States. Using the NIF issue guide The New Challenges of American Immigration, neutral moderators Monica Pereira and Jan Levinson will guide the discussion.

The event is free and open to all. More information is available by contacting Jill Severn at 706-542-5766 or emailing
russellforum@gmail.com. For more information about Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia, visit http://www.libs.uga.edu/russell/rfclg/.

How to Find the Russell Library: The Russell is located on the bottom floor of the Main Library building on UGA's north campus. Follow the path down the right side of the main library building (the west facing side) and down the stairs to access our door!

Brown Bag Film Series

On May 17, 1954 the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas, putting an end to legal segregation in public schools. A major triumph in the struggle for civil rights, the Brown decision fueled an entrenched campaign of massive resistance by many fearful whites throughout the region. In the years that followed, school desegregation took center stage in the media, as well as in the hearts and minds of citizens across the country. This spring, the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies at the University of Georgia, invites you to consider the history and legacy of school desegregation by attending the Measuring Deliberate Speed Brown Bag Film & Discussion Series.

The Russell Library will host lunchtime screenings of five documentary films that explore the impact of school desegregation in the United States. Drawn from the collection of the Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection, the short films examine different perspectives and range in creation date from 1961 to 2007. Each screening will begin with an introduction from Peabody Awards Collection Archivist Mary Miller, and will conclude with an informal discussion about the topics addressed. The series will take place each Friday afternoon, from 12:00-1:00PM, January 22, 2010 through February 19, 2010 at the Richard B. Russell Library. A final screening and discussion event will be held on the evening of February 25, 2010 from 7:00-9:00PM, also at the Russell Library.

Schedule of Screenings:

Film: School: The Story of American Public Education (2001)
Date: Friday, January 22, 2010
Time: 12:00-1:00PM

Film: Hoxie: The First Stand (2003)
Date: Friday, January 29, 2010
Time: 12:00-1:00PM

Film: A Tale of Two Cities, 1961: Atlanta-Dallas Prepare for School De-Segregation (1961)
Date: Friday, February 5, 2010
Time: 12:00-1:00PM

Film: Busing: Some Voices from the South (1972)
Date: Friday, February 12, 2010
Time: 12:00-1:00PM

Film: The Education of Ms. Groves (2006)
Date: February 19, 2010
Time: 12:00-1:00PM

**Evening Screening Even!**
Film: Little Rock Central High: 50 Years Later (2007)
Date: February 25, 2010
Time: 7:00-9:00PM

This program series is free and open to all. For further information, please contact jlevinso@uga.edu or call (706) 542-5788. For more information on the films listed above, visit the Peabody Awards Collection Database.

The Russell Library's exhibit, Measuring Deliberate Speed: Georgians Face School Desegregation, will remain on display in the library's main gallery through February 26, 2010. For more information on guided tours for groups or individuals, contact jlevinso@uga.edu.

From the Director

2009 marked the Russell Library’s 35th year—a year so busy that we have had no time to pause or reflect. Our celebration seemingly has been an acceleration of activities that demonstrate the growth and prominence of the Russell. If you follow us on the Web or otherwise, you have a good idea of what’s happening. With my first blog post, however, I am going to pause and reflect about the productive year we have had.

In September 2009, our online launch of a new database of research finding aids eclipsed any other event. A project of several years (not counting those in which we only could dream of the possibility) brought to fruition, it was almost “show-stopping”; we are so proud. The database allows patrons to conduct full-text searching of collection finding aids, browse by subject, and browse alphabetically by collection title and collection creator. Not only are our collections more accessible for off-site users but also all patrons can target collections that are most relevant to their areas of interest. At present, the database contains finding aids for over a hundred of our collections – a number that will grow extensively as staff members continue to build this resource.

The same month, the Vintage Baseball database was put online. It was also a project of numerous years, but so worth the wait. The development of the databases was a collaborative effort among former and current staff members of the Russell Library, the Digital Library of Georgia, and the Libraries Systems department. On the frontline for us was Abby Griner, who is persistent and obviously loves challenges. Brava, Abby.

Below: oral history interview with Bill Stuckey

Our Media and Oral History unit spent the year on the road again with Bob Short. Reflections on Georgia Politics produced its 89th interview and the project team has great plans for 2010. Fortunately, this project continues to garner financial gifts for its operation. Chris Lopez’s arrival in midyear was welcomed by all and allowed the unit more flexibility for completing administrative work and managing the media collections. The unit has also expanded partnerships on and off campus that will build collections, promote programming, and provide needed support. Congratulations to Craig Breaden and MOH for steadily building one of the top such programs among research centers.

Below: Sheryl and Kat on collecting trip
Arrangement and Description, led by Kat Shirley, bears the challenge of preparing for our first move. Conducting a complete inventory of holdings at four sites, correcting intellectual and physical errors and updating records; contributing to decision-making on bar coding and high density retrieval systems, on new building workflow, storage, and office systems, specs for a paper Conservation Lab; planning the physical move of collections and re-shelving are just a few of Kat’s tasks. Although there is some student assistance, she has no respite from regular duties such as collection pick up, accessioning, processing and supervising. She is a “Wonder-Woman,” and we appreciate her. Project Archivist Renna Tuten has completed the two-year grant to process the Hugh Peterson, Sr. Papers and announced the opening of the collection. We all rejoice at job well done—and meeting deadline.

Jill Severn, with Jan Levinson and Abby Griner, has taken Access and Outreach to new heights. Jill and Jan managed to fabricate two major exhibits during the year while promoting partnerships and public programming on and off campus. I am exceptionally proud of their presentation of Measuring Deliberate Speed: Georgians Face School Desegregation, the culmination of a year of research and planning. The exhibit was created to showcase materials that illuminate the tactics, rhetoric, and reactions of Georgians to federal school desegregation mandates. Using text panels, artifacts, and selected audio and film clips, the display examines the landmark federal and state legal decisions that led to the desegregation of public schools in Georgia between 1950 and 1961.

Below: Participants at RFCLG 2009 PPI

The Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia continues to prosper under Jill’s leadership. Now the core outreach program for the Russell, the Forum fulfills Senator Russell’s call for an informed citizenry and follows the National Issues Forums model for civic engagement and deliberative discussion. Jill, Jan, and Forum consultant Margaret Holt, with various partners held institutes and forums this year. Crusaders or not, this is one dedicated and enthusiastic team. Abby Griner also established the Russell’s electronic records program for its collections. She inventoried and assessed collection electronic records, worked with local Systems personnel for server needs, outsourced old formats for transfer or evaluation, and began contacting congressional offices’ systems managers. Woo Hoo!!! You go, girl, and we’ll soon be in the advance.

And, what have I done? I’ve pedaled hard to keep abreast of the talented Russell staff; it’s a reward for me to encourage, support, advocate, cheer on, and participate in their visions, projects, and accomplishments. I, too, have been embroiled in new building and moving plans, meeting with architects and consultants, responding to Spec requests, and traveling to see how others have done it. It is challenging, it is exciting, and it is almost unbelievable that we are breaking ground in late January.

I have to observe that the Russell’s 35th year is also my 35th year at the Russell. Spending most of my time now with donor relations and development, I have traversed Georgia and ventured to the DC area to meet with former, new, and prospective stakeholders. What a delight to renew old friendships and make new ones. What a reassurance to engage with Georgians and others who are interested in our work, active in politics and policy, and who recognize the importance of preserving and making accessible our record as a democracy. What an affirmation of our mission and Senator Russell’s legacy.

Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season. We look forward to seeing you in 2010.

Sheryl B. Vogt
Director

Forum Report: Work-Life Balance

Work-Life Balance: A Matter of Policy and Philosophy
Policy and attitudes related to balancing work with quality of life were the focus of the Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia’s December informal Forum on Friday afternoon. Led by new moderators Monica Pereira and Pat Priest, the group of 12 participants used the Lattice Group’s deliberative issue guide to consider three approaches to achieving a work life balance.

Moderators Pat Priest (left) and Monica Pereira (right)

Before the group tackled each approach they talked generally about the issue and their relationship to it. There was a wide range of ages in the forum group and this diversity was reflected in participant’s attitudes about the challenges of balancing work and life. Younger twenty-somethings who were either single or in relationships that didn’t include children felt that often definitions of life balance were too narrowly defined around childcare and family issues in American society. Some of the older forum participants reflected on experiences and expectations from their earlier working lives when it was more typical for workers to achieve acclaim in their jobs by working long hours and always putting work before family.

Other areas of early reflection were the impact of women in the workforce and the consideration of an international perspective -- thinking about policies in place in European countries regarding vacation time. Rounding out the initial discussion, one forum participant commented that she felt that discussion of this topic in the midst of all the economic turmoil the country faces feels almost like a luxury since so many people aren’t balancing work with life, but are struggling to balance their personal relationships and family connections with the time and energy and emotionally draining challenge of unemployment and economic hardship.

Informed by this historical and geographic overview of the issue, and chastened by the harsh reality of the economic times, the group moved to consider the three approaches:

Approach 1: Balance is Unrealistic: This approach argues that to maintain the United States’ competitive edge, worker productivity must remain the most important goal, and as such, people should develop realistic priorities even if it means difficult choices between work and family.

Approach 2: Balance is Good for Business: This approach argues that implementing policies that help workers achieve better work life balance is actually a good business strategy. Proponents of this approach site studies that show that flexible work life policies improve productivity increase the pool of competent workers and retain good workers over time.

Approach 3: Balance is a Social Responsibility: Proponents of this approach argue that the current work-life model is bad for American families and perpetuates gender-based inequalities. The government plays a role in this approach by providing, mandating, and enforcing paid maternity and paternity leave, paid sick leave, and public childcare.

The conversation was rich and the group grappled with the tensions in each of the approaches. Great consideration was given to what people were best and least served by each solution - from corporations to small business owners, service industry employees to white collar workers. For a full report on the deliberative discussion at this forum, click HERE or on the image of our moderators above.

Mark your calendars for our next informal forum on Friday January 15, 2010 from 3:00-4:30PM at the Russell Library -- the topic: "The New Challenges of American Immigration: What Should We Do?" For more information call (706) 542-5788 or visit http://www.libs.uga.edu/russell/rfclg/ The dates for all of our upcoming forums can be found on the Russell Forum Training and Program Calendar.