Field Notes

One of Lithonia’s most influential mayors reflects on her life and times in office. Lithonia’s first Black female mayor Marcia Glenn Hunter still remembers when her hometown was segregated and […]

A Lithonia local plans to turn the old Woman’s Club into a viable institution again. Born and raised in Lithonia, businesswoman Dawn Massey was always aware of the historic Lithonia […]

Jacqueline “Jackie” Echols: Board President of the South River Watershed Alliance Rivers are a crucial part of any ecosystem. Unfortunately, more rivers and waterways are becoming polluted due to a […]

A photo blog of the annual NHA Meeting in our nation’s capital. Every year, team members from across the nation’s National Heritage Areas converge in Washington D.C. for an important […]

 Mermaid-Lion Entertainment turns tales from Arabia Mountain, Stonecrest and Lithonia into awesome audio dramas.  Angel Forte wasn’t certain about true love. That is until she met Gazza, her now husband […]

Tyrone Burkette: The Trailblazer Behind Many of the Heritage Area’s Most Popular Hikes and Soft Trails.  Tyrone Burkette first started volunteering as a trail guide around Arabia Mountain in 2001. […]

“You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. […]

When President Joe Biden signed the National Heritage Area Act into law on January 6, 2023, it capped a years-long effort to ensure long-term federal funding and support for all […]

Following Emancipation, members of the Flat Rock community had to navigate the rise of Jim Crow and deal with the harsh presence of segregation in daily life. Some left and […]

Have you visited historic Lithonia? Once the granite capital of the world, this small southern city is situated at the northern end of the National Heritage Area and offers a […]

Life in the rural South was not easy for members of the Flat Rock community, especially during Jim Crow. In this video, listen to board members and staff of the […]

Quilt making has played an important role in the history of Flat Rock, one of the oldest Black communities in Georgia. Listen as Johnny Waits and Patricia Bryant, both descendants […]