OVERVIEW

Typically on Sidewalk Radio we choose dynamic topics that are in a state of flux.  The BeltLine, The Clermont Hotel, The Art Show, as recent examples. So, it might seem odd that January’s show highlights a place that normally we might think about as anything but in transition, a cemetery.  But, it’s not just any cemetery.  Historic Oakland Cemetery is the oldest landmark in continuous use in Atlanta history.  And, as you’ll hear, Oakland is anything but dead.  It is very much alive and growing.

One of Oakland’s newest and most colorful examples of vibrancy comes to the grounds this Spring in the form of a wildflower meadow.  In this show, Oakland landscape designer and talented local artist, Cooper Sanchez, spreads the good word (along with a little seed) about this rebirth and helps us understand a bit about horticulture along the way.

George Hart, a long-time, devoted supporter of Oakland Cemetery, also joins Gene in January.  As former Chairman of the Board for Historic Oakland Foundation, Hart gives enthusiastic and lively insight behind the walls of Oakland and into the legacy of some of its most notable residents, many of whom helped shape Atlanta’s physical and cultural landscape.

DL Henderson, a Doctor of Humanities, an expert in African American History, and a current Board Member at Historic Oakland Foundation, is also the creator and curator for Oakland’s Cell Phone Tour of the African American Section launching this MLK Day, January 17th.  Henderson shares her heritage and experience, discussing where we’ve been and where we’re heading in regards to both ritual and racial segregation, plus introduces us to Oakland’s foray into technology using cell phone narration.

Senior Associate Dean of Architecture at Georgia Tech and Master Landscape Architect, Douglas C. Allen, joins host Gene Kansas, and helps transcend our everyday experience when visiting cemeteries, expounding upon the deeper meanings of memorials, the history of landscape architecture, the influence of the Victorian sense of a “rural” garden, and Oakland’s place in Atlanta’s city planning.

This show will not bore you to death, but awaken your interest and bring to life your understanding about how a cemetery, who’s last plot was sold in 1884, can continue to invigorate, inspire, and grow.