Please show your support by submitting a letter to Athens-Clarke County Mayor, Mayor-Elect, Commissioners and Commissioners-elect.
A matter of great concern has been brought to our attention regarding the Historic Mack Burney House. We recently learned that the county has potentially reached a deal with the Gordy Family to save the Mack-Burney house, located at 853 Reese Street in Athens.
The Mack-Burney House has a rich history that must be preserved, marked and celebrated. The two-story house was home to two generations of noted African-American teachers and the second black dentist in Athens. This home is not only a crucial piece of Athens’s African-American heritage, but also of the entirety of Athens’s heritage. For this reason, we ask that any decisions made by the Athens-Clarke County Planning Commission and/or the Mayor and Commission that apply or could apply to the Mack-Burney House safeguard the potential future use of the house and property as an African-American Cultural Center and Educational facility.
Similar cultural centers focusing on African-American history and culture are located in Savannah (Beach Institute) and Macon (Tubman Museum); thus we advocate for the same to be done for the Mack-Burney House.
Additional information:
The Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation worked diligently with the Gordy family to save the house earlier this year and were responsible for cleaning the house and property and re-boarding it up. The Foundation also reached out to us and others in the African American community as they worked on plans for the house. Then executive director Amy Kissane applied for a grant from the National Trust to move the Mack/Burney House and turn it into an African-American Cultural Center. Although the application was not successful (likely because ACHF did not own the property and, at the time, the Gordy family was pushing to have the house moved), there is still the possibility of preserving this home for that purpose.
In addition, Ms. Kissane, then board member Adam Hebbard, and Robert Harrison with Athens First A.M.E. Church/Project RENEW met with County Manager Blaine Williams to discuss the possibility of A-CC owning the house so that it could be nominated for SPLOST with the intention of using it as a cultural center. Therefore, hope that our elected leaders will take this matter into serious consideration and respond to citizens concerns before the closing of 2018.
Click the link below to submit your letter of support
https://www.athensclarkecounty.com/FormCenter/Clerk-of-Commission-9-9/Agenda-Comment-Form-55-55
Agenda Item section: Mack Burney
Sincerely,
The Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement Board