Bruce Street School, Lithonia GA

in 1965, my father delivered a commencement address at Oberlin College and told graduates that the greatest danger was not injustice itself, but sleeping through the revolution around you. He urged them to never be silent onlookers.

To every graduate stepping into the world this season, including my daughter: remain awake. Your generation's revolution is waiting for you.

“History In Your Hands!”

It’s that time of the year again to share you and your family’s history for Juneteenth! Please join us for our 4th Annual Juneteenth Storytelling Festival at Bruce Street. This year’s theme is History In Your Hands, featuring virtual keynote speaker, former mayor of Chapel Hill, NC and Bruce Street School alum Howard Lee.

Last year, we asked locals to bring their old family photos and historic images to potentially be included in a book about the Heritage Area. This year, thanks to your contributions, we’ll be talking about and selling this new book, Images of America: Arabia Mountain NHA. Our keynote speaker Howard Lee will also read from his memoir, The Courage to Lead, about growing up in lithonia and going to the stone Bruce Street School during the height of Jim Crow and the Klan.

🗓️ Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 1-3pm
📍 2449 Bruce St, Lithonia, GA 30058

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/juneteenth-storytelling-festival-at-bruce-street-tickets-1988493083341



Jeffery Dingler Brigette Janea Jones Bruce Street School, Lithonia GA

Iconic Group.. The Supremes. These three ladies from the projects of Detroit, became SUPERSTARS. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and are, to date, America's most successful vocal group with 12 number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Most of these hits were written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland. At their peak in the mid-1960s, the Supremes rivaled the Beatles in worldwide popularity, and their success made it possible for future African American R&B and soul musicians to find mainstream success.

Founding members Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross, and Betty McGlown, all from the Brewster-Douglass public housing project in Detroit, formed the Primettes as the sister act to the Primes (with Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks, who went on to form the Temptations). Barbara Martin replaced McGlown in 1960, and the group signed with Motown the following year as the Supremes. Martin left the act in early 1962, and Ross, Ballard, and Wilson carried on as a trio.

During the mid-1960s, the Supremes achieved mainstream success with Ross as lead singer. In 1967, Motown president Berry Gordy renamed the group Diana Ross & the Supremes, and replaced Ballard with Cindy Birdsong. Ross left to pursue a solo career in 1970 and was replaced by Jean Terrell, at which point the group's name reverted to the Supremes. After 1972, the lineup changed more frequently; Lynda Laurence, Scherrie Payne, and Susaye Greene all became members of the group during the mid-1970s. The Supremes disbanded in 1977 after 18 years.

in 1948 my dad graduated from , a milestone that helped set the foundation for his leadership in the civil rights movement. His time there grounded him in purpose, discipline, and a lifelong commitment to justice.

To this year’s graduates, may you leave with that same commitment to build, lead, and serve.

🔗: bit.ly/4u5W0zc

Clarence B. Jones, an attorney who assisted the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in writing the civil rights leader's iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, has died at the age of 95.

📷: Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty

On Memorial Day, we pay tribute to the brave men and women in uniform who gave their lives for this country that we love. It is a debt we can never fully repay, but we must never stop trying. I’ll always be grateful to our fallen heroes and their families, whose sacrifice reminds us of what it means to live for something greater than ourselves.