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 joined the Great Migration...
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 rich array of historic...
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 Flat Rock Archives discuss life in one...
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 and members of the...
At a dirt-floored dance hall far from the bustling streets of Atlanta, people raced, reveled and made merry. This place was the Lithonia Speedway and the accompanying Country Club, tucked into the...
As part of ongoing efforts to preserve the history of the Bruce Street School, DeKalb County’s first Black public school, we have worked with community members to record a series of oral...
The Bruce Street School Juneteenth webinar: The Arabia Mountain Heritage Area Alliance and Martin Rickles Studio recently hosted a virtual community meeting on ongoing efforts to reactivate the Bruce...
Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 19 (falling on the same day as Juneteenth this year). Here’s a breakdown of a few ways to spend your Father’s Day in the NHA: 1. Father’s Day...
By Sally Sears, Co-Founder of the DeKalb Beloved Naturalist Program “If these rocks could talk…” we might better understand our natural world. That was a lesson for the founding class of DeKalb...
There are over 34 miles of trails for biking at Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, stretching from historic downtown Lithonia all the way to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit. The trails are an...
With summer upon us, it’s time to get outside and enjoy some calm and quiet in the National Heritage Area. One of the best ways to do that is to bring your gear and enjoy an afternoon fishing!...
May 18th, 2022 marks 60 years of the National Natural Landmarks program, which recognizes sites that conserve America’s rich natural heritage. There are over 600 National Natural Landmark sites...
With high visitation, parking has become an issue at the base of Arabia Mountain on weekends. Please consider visiting on a weekday or using our recommended parking sites.