Clarke Central High School varsity flag football assistant coach Taylor Pass looks into Billy Henderson Stadium on Feb. 7. Pass, a Cedar Shoals High School Class of 2008 alumnus, has worked with both football and flag football athletes at CCHS and reflected on what being a mentor means to him. “Most things that (kids) go through, I probably (have) been through, and I can kind of relate (to). Sometimes people just need somebody to talk to, they don’t have someone they can trust,” Pass said. “I just want to be a person that (kids) feel like they can trust (and) I’m glad I can be there for them, it just means a lot to me. It’s my passion.” Photo by Wyatt Meyer, story by Anna Flath
Clarke Central High School science department co-chair Valinda Miller sits at her desk in Room 347 on Feb. 12. Miller, who began teaching Advanced Placement African American Studies at the beginning of the 2025 spring semester, believes that students should have a safe environment to discuss their history and background. “I always had to preface (the discussion) by saying that (students) may not agree with everybody's opinion, but everybody has a right to say what they are feeling. Because it is a safe space to talk. At times, it can be extremely heavy, especially when looking at the conditions that the enslaved Africans endured, so I welcome open discussion,” Miller said, “I want (students) to understand why some people may be fighting this knowledge. Why should you not want anybody to learn history? One of the things we said today is, ‘If you don't know your history, you are doomed to repeat it.’” Photo by Liya Taylor, story by Levi Petoskey
Joy Village School founder and local educator Lora Smothers holds a photo of Judia Jackson Harris, an Athens educator from the early 20th century, in front of the Clarke Central High School Ceremonial Entrance. Throughout her career, Smothers looked to Harris for inspiration, and in August, she plans to reopen Joy Village, a local middle school that focuses on creating joyful learning experiences for Black youth. “(Starting Joy Village) has been full of highs and lows. There’s a lot of people who have supported me, and there’s a lot of people who have not,” Smothers said. “Sitting at my desk, I have pictures of some of my Black history heroes. That’s how I keep myself encouraged. I think about people who have done these kinds of things in the past, and how they were able to overcome and keep going.” Photo by Liya Taylor, story by Sasha Barkan
Clarke County School District Director of Assessment Dr. Robert Ezekiel sits in the Clarke Central High School Media Center on Feb. 5. Prior to taking on his current position, Ezekiel worked at numerous schools, including Judia Jackson Harris Elementary School, where he became the first Black Teacher of the Year in 2010. “It puts things in perspective when you say, ‘Here's the first Black this, here's the first Black that,’ (they don't) have to be from the 1800s. The first Black (anything) could still be happening,” Ezekiel said. “The things that Black Americans were dealing with (in the past) are still happening (now), and it's not far gone.” Photo by Wyatt Meyer, story by Edie Ash
Clarke Middle School Assistant Principal Eric Blake sits in the Clarke Central High School Media Center on Feb. 11. Drawing on his experiences growing up with both of his parents being educators, Blake has strived to help students understand their worth and become leaders in their communities in his educational career, which began in the Virgin Islands. “The more that I learned about the importance of education, (the) more I learned about my culture. I found it very important to pass it on to students,” Blake said. “My philosophy of education really is to help students develop that knowledge of self. I figured if they really know who they are, they're confident (in) their skills, then they know how to navigate and problem solve and build their skills.” Photos by Sasha Barkan and Miriam Silk, story by Sasha Barkan
Linda Elder Davis, the Clarke County School District Board of Education District 3 Representative, stands outside the Clarke Central High School Competition Gym on Feb. 6. Elder Davis grew up in Clarke County during integration, and has deep familial roots that continue to inspire her advocacy to bring respect to those buried at the historically Black Brooklyn Cemetery behind Clarke Middle School. “I was raised from my mom's and dad's perspective to be adventurous and explore things. I believe that my work is to serve, and my mother always said to me, ‘Your gifts will make room for you, whatever they are,’” Elder Davis said. “If we learned (something), we were supposed to teach it to someone else, and I've been doing that my entire life. For the work (in) the cemetery, it's not real work, it's more exploration. It's more of finding people that can give you this small increment of time to make a difference. I have met the most tremendously talented, caring people that I never thought existed, especially coming through my first experiences in a desegregated world. It wasn't that easy to go to Clarke Middle, it wasn't that easy to go to Athens High, and yet it wasn't horrendous, either.” Photo and story by Sasha Barkan
Physician Dr. Farris T. Johnson Jr. stands in front of Billy Henderson Stadium on Feb. 11. Johnson spent 12 years as a team physician for the Clarke Central High School football team and eight years in the United States Air Force, all while living by his mother’s advice. “When I would tell my mom I wanted to be a trashman, she said, ‘Just be the best.’ (Throughout) the (many) things I've done, I've at least tried to remember what my mother said. She told me that if the outcome wasn't perfect, it was still acceptable if I did my best,” Johnson said. “Maybe if I do my work as best as I can, somebody will feel that I'm a contribution to them having a good life.” Photo by Miriam Silk, story by Edie Ash
Athenian artist Broderick Flanigan, the founder of Flanigan’s Portrait Studio, stands by his mural on the third floor of Clarke Central High School on Jan. 30. After he struggled to find a job in the sports medicine field, Flanigan’s friends and family supported him to become an artist, something he paid forward. “I didn’t know the impact I was having until I went to a career day at Gaines Elementary School. I was talking to some students, and a teacher came up to me, and she was like, ‘Hey, are you Broderick?' This particular student that you work with in your studio has been coming to class, talking about you, and since he started going to your studio, he's been doing much better in class. He's been paying attention. He's been asking more questions and has just been excited about coming to school,’” Flanigan said. “I never knew that that was happening. He didn't tell me that. If this teacher didn't come up to me and let me know that was happening, I would have never known.” Photo by Wyatt Meyer, story by Senya Kero
Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School eighth grade social studies teacher Chelsea Mack sits in Clarke Central High School's Room 509 on Feb. 5. Mack double-majored in history and education at Georgia Gwinnett College and ultimately decided to teach middle school social studies to emphasize the importance of local history. “My favorite thing about teaching middle school history is when I'm able to make connections with what we're studying (to) what's going on in the world today. I feel like when you put it in the terms where it's relatable to (students), they gravitate towards the information,” Mack said. “(Being a history teacher also) makes you want to teach kids about their local history. (I have) a passion for wanting to learn more about my roots. I feel like I didn't learn those things in school, so I want to make sure that my students understand and are able to learn about their local history.” Photo by Wyatt Meyer, story by Izzy Hammock
University of Georgia Professor of English Dr. Barbara McCaskill sits in the Clarke Central High School Media Center on Feb. 6. McCaskill has been a member of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) since 2019, an organization founded by former Howard University Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Carter Woodson and dedicated to uplifting Black voices. “Our goal as members of ASALH is to disseminate African American history, to celebrate it, (and) to educate people about it,” McCaskill said. “As a member of the local Athens branch, I specifically work to develop programs year-round in the community that focus on African American History and Culture, because our goal is to educate, to communicate and to tell the story of African American history.” Photo and story by Eloise Luken
Barbara Barnett, a Neighborhood Leader for Family Connection-Communities In Schools, stands in front of the first floor mural on Feb. 11. Each of the 19 Neighborhood Leaders have been assigned to a specific school zone and its surrounding communities, with Barnett belonging to David C. Barrow Elementary School. “I'm getting phone calls from people that may be at risk of being evicted. I have quite a few families in my zone that are being evicted,” Barnett said. “ As a neighborhood leader, I try to connect the residents with the resources in Athens, and we assist people with rent assistance, utilities, food, homelessness, mental health issues, we’re (helping with) all of that.” Photo by Sara Stuart, story by Sara Stuart and Lea D’Angelo
Athens Voices of Truth Community Choir founder James Smith sits in front of the Clarke Central High School Ceremonial Entrance on Feb. 10. In 2019, local author Ellen Walker worked with Smith to publish the book “It Is Well”, which describes Athens history during the Civil Rights Movement, Smith’s life and the role music played in it. “I was trained in church choir (and) at Tuskegee Institute College, singing folk choirs. When I came back to Athens (in 1970), I started back working with church choirs. Church choirs are like most people, they do what they want to do. I don't like that. I'm very organized and disciplined,” Smith said. “ So, I talked to two other guys, one who was graduating (from) Charlotte University who had a major in music (and) another guy who couldn't even play (music) by notes, but he could play by ear. So the three of us combined our thoughts together, and they committed to work with me to get (the choir) organized.” Photo by Miriam Silk, story by Miriam Silk and Lea D’Angelo
Lesley Feracho, Associate Director for Languages and the Institute of African American Studies at the University of Georgia, sits in the E.B. Mell Lobby on Feb. 6. Feracho’s position as a professor of Afro-Latinx Literature has enhanced her commitment to telling the stories of African Americans and African diaspora, the movement of Africans and their descendants to various parts of the world. “It's important for me to make students aware of (African) diaspora and of the variety of Black experiences, not just those who are born in the (United States) and speak English, but those who may be born in other parts of the Americas and speak Spanish or speak Portuguese (and) are part of that African diasporic experience,” Feracho said. “Black experiences are diverse experiences, and there are many ways that people come to their Blackness. It's really important for students to know that.” Photo by Miriam Silk, story by Izzy Hammock
Dr. Jennifer Scott, Clarke County School District Deputy Superintendent of Academics and Student Support, stands in the Clarke Central High School Media Center Courtyard on Feb. 6. Scott stepped into the role of Deputy Superintendent in 2023 and has strived to be a role model for students in CCSD schools since her appointment. “I want to make sure that, in sitting in a position of leadership in a school district that is predominantly African American, I am presenting myself as an example to young African American girls and young African American boys, that this too is something that they can go for, that this is within reach,” Scott said. “I just try to make sure that I'm always presenting as a model that students can look up to and also for current teachers and staff members that are aspiring for leadership. I want to make sure that I'm that person that they feel like they can reach out to.” Photo by Wyatt Meyer, story by Senya Kero
Queena Dorsey, Clarke County School District Executive Assistant for Student and Family Support Services, stands outside of the Clarke Central High School Ceremonial Entrance on Feb. 3. While Dorsey has had other jobs within the CCSD, she has found joy in her current position. “(Students) are the future. I feel like I'm part of this wonderful school district to help build the kids up. I work in family student support services, so I'm dealing with the nurses, the psychologists, the social workers, counselors,” Dorsey said. “I'm here for the kids.” Photo and story by Sara Stuart
Retired educator Sheila Neely-Norman stands outside the Clarke Central High School Ceremonial Entrance on Feb. 4. Neely-Norman got her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and Teaching from the University of Georgia in 1979, taught at Barrow and Barnett Shoals Elementary Schools before retiring from teaching and becoming the Executive Director at Athens Child Development Inc. “(You) can see the future in most students when you're teaching them, and I always felt that there was a light in every child that I needed to brighten,” Neely-Norman said. “My reward (was) the first day that (my students could read) a full sentence. They weren't teaching reading in kindergarten, (so) a friend of mine and I, Jan Leneer, always combined our classes. I would teach the reading and she would do the math. So to hear a child read that sentence for the first time, it was just so rewarding.” Photo by Wyatt Meyer, story by Lucca Fleenor and Lea D’Angelo
Clarke County School District Police Lieutenant Jerry Johnson stands in the Clarke Central High School E.B. Mell Lobby on Feb. 4. Johnson has worked in law enforcement for almost 18 years and has forged strong relationships within the community through his position. “(Law enforcement) can continue to evolve by just simply understanding the communities they serve. Knowing who lives where is basically what I like to call Community Policing 101,” Johnson said. “(It’s) understanding their situations, because a lot of people fall prey to their environments, which can lead to them making bad decisions. It's getting on their level and trying to understand them (and) letting them know, ‘Hey, I'm a police officer, but I'm here to help you as well. Help me, help you.’” Photo and story by Kye Streetman
University of Georgia Associate Professor Freda Scott Giles sits in the Clarke Central High School Media Center Courtyard on Feb. 7. Giles worked as the stage director for “Linnentown: the Musical”, which debuted at The Classic Center in 2024 and depicts the Athens' historic African American community that was erased because of urban renewal. “The great thing about (the musical) is that it's about a place that everyone could see, it wasn't about something far away. It was something right here in our community and the people who lived there. Many of them still are living and remember it, (so) their descendants could come and see this presentation,” Giles said. Photo and story by Eloise Luken.
Clarke County School District Braillist and Tactillist Markis Callahan sits in front of Billy Henderson Stadium on Feb. 6. Education has always been impactful to Callahan, and while he didn’t always see himself in the career, he understands why it’s meaningful. “(I enjoy my career because I’m) able to help kids. Being one of those kids from the inner city, I always had teachers around me,” Callahan said. “(I had) coaches around me helping me. So it's just something that's second nature for me, (knowing) I have to help kids.” Photo by Wyatt Meyer, story by Lucca Fleenor
Clarke County School District Superintendent Dr. Robbie P. Hooker stands in front of Clarke Central High School’s Ceremonial Entrance on Feb. 7. Hooker grew up in Boston, Georgia, where he learned to recognize the impact of African American leaders year-round. “(My church) always said it’s more than a month. We don’t have to wait until February to learn about it,” Hooker said. “The only way we’re gonna grow in this district is to realize that others bring strength to us. We’re a melting pot. The more we know about each other, the better we become.” Photo by Wyatt Meyer, story by Izzy Hammock
Veronica Johnson, Clarke County School District Director of School Counseling and Section 504 Coordinator, stands outside the Clarke Central High School Media Center on Feb. 11. Johnson has tried to help not only students, but also those working in counseling departments across the district. “My number one goal is to make the counseling department a department that people want to work for. I want other people from other districts to be like, ‘Oh, I want to go work for the counseling department in Clarke County.' (I also want) to make sure that I'm advocating for counselors (and) making sure their voices are heard,” Johnson said. “Making sure people know what our profession is about and ensuring that they get good professional learning so they can continue to build their leadership and our school counseling capacity (is important).” Photo by Miriam Silk, story by Miriam Silk and Lea D’Angelo
Kimberly Grantham, Principal Lecturer in the University of Georgia Department of Marketing, overlooks the Clarke Central High School Miller W. Jordan Memorial Food Court on Feb. 12. Grantham emphasized the importance of collaborative work in learning, an opportunity she gave her students with individual presentations in her Multicultural Marketing class. “Students embrace their ability to dig deeper into their personal diversity-related interests, which allows them freedom to share the diversity within themselves with their peers,” Grantham said. “Teaching my discussion-oriented classes in this collaborative way has had substantial outcomes. As former students navigate their respective workspaces, they look back on their experience in my class and value the opportunities they had to learn from others whose background is different from their own.” Photo by Wyatt Meyer, story by Briony Brown and Lea D'Angelo
Former Heard Park Assistant Director Bennie Roberson stands in the Clarke Central High School Breezeway on Feb. 5. Roberson retired from Heard Park, formerly named East Avenue Community Center, after 38 years of service, where he emphasized the importance of learning and building character. “I want (people) to learn, and then pass it on to (their) kids. The best teachers you’ll ever see (might’ve) taught you English, but they also taught you other things in life,” Roberson said. “That's a good teacher: when you not only learn what you came (in) to the class to learn, but you learn other things in that class. It's important to learn character (and) be a person of the world.” Photo and story by Kye Streetman
Foreign language department teacher Tamita Brown points to the places she’s lived and worked on a world map in Room 391 on Aug. 22, 2022. Since opening Caribe United Farm in 2018, Brown has given back to the community by educating her students and community members on farming and providing them with fresh food. “Black farmers are 3% of the population that farms in the United States right now, so we represent the community (by) showing the importance of people following their passions. We're giving back to the community, providing them with quality food to the local economies, to local people, and giving them the option to get better food,” Brown said. “(I) talk to (my students at CCHS) about that and explain the meaning of hard work and where (their food) is from and what you have to do in order to get what you want.” Photo by Grady Dunston, story by Levi Petoskey and Lea D’Angelo