BLACK
HISTORY in Cherokee County
Reflecting on the and Sacrifices of African-Americ BY JESSICA GORDY, HISTORY CHEROKEE
F
rom Freedom Fighters during the Civil Rights Movement to establishing the first Black volunteer fire department in Georgia, Cherokee County holds snapshots of the larger picture that is American history. History Cherokee is pleased to highlight community heroes and pioneers within our African American communities who have contributed to making history belong to all of us.
African American Communities
A new church was constructed in the 1950s off Belletta Drive on land donated by the Rev. R.R. Freeman Sr. Emma Jean Freeman donated the first 1,000 bricks for the building.
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AROUND CANTON | February 2021
Following the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery in the United States, 4 million enslaved people suddenly faced stark decisions. Some would stay on at plantations and work as sharecroppers. Others fled for a new beginning, in hopes of finding jobs in cities. Throughout the country, freed people began establishing their own all-Black communities. In Cherokee County, areas such as Pearidge and Stumptown became thriving, closeknit communities with families building and establishing homes, churches, businesses, storefronts, and even a funeral home. Located just north of Canton, off Highway 140, Pearidge often is described as more of an extended family than a community. The Pearidge community, formerly Keith’s Ridge, was formed by emancipated
