Corey Rogers IMPACTING LIVES THROUGH HISTORY

In April of 2023 he was named Executive Director of the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History.

Corey Rogers is a native of Augusta, Georgia and a proud 1992 graduate of Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School. He earned a B.A. in History from South Carolina State University and a M.A. in History from Georgia Southern University. From 1999-2004 he taught in the Richmond County Public School System. From 1999-2019 he taught History at Paine College.

For 19 years he served as the Historian at the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History. In more recent years he has served as a voting member of the Public Art Advisory Panel for the Greater Augusta Arts Council and continues to work closely with the Arts Council through the Golden Blocks Public Art Project. He is the former Chairman of the Georgia

Historical Society Marker Review Committee.

In January 2022 he was elected to the Board of Directors for Destination Augusta and in January 2023 he was elected to the Board of Directors for Historic Augusta, Incorporated.

Currently he teaches a course at USC Aiken and is working on several historical initiatives in Augusta to include the Justine and Isaiah “Ike” Washington Endowment Fund and legacy quilts, a partnership between Augusta University and the Laney Museum; the Golden Blocks Legends Comic Book Series, a partnership between Augusta University, the Laney Museum and several Augusta artists; and a freedom trail, which will use a combination of historic buildings, local and state historic markers and public art to highlight the history of civil rights in Augusta from the Colonial period to the present.

UPW: As an educator, how do you feel about the current challenges to the value of Black History in the classroom?

ROGERS: Many of the challenges to African American History in the classroom remind me of how important institutions like the Lucy Craft Laney Museum are. Beyond many of the current challenges to teaching history, traditionally there have been limitations to what you can teach in a classroom because there is a finite amount of time to teach and often teachers are asked to focus their energy on passing a test. Museums and other cultural institutions give both educators and the public at large the opportunity to experience history with less of a filter that is often applied in public school settings.

UPW: Do you think that presentations like the 1619 Project or the 1970 Augusta Riots are too controversial for American students?

ROGERS: No, I don’t think they are too controversial. For much of the 50 years since the events of May 11th and 12th, there has been very little done to expand the narrative surrounding the riot. In the past three years that has changed. I am a native Augustan and I knew nothing of the Augusta Riot until an interview I did with Grady Abrams while in graduate school in 1998. Students are much more sophisticated and knowledgeable than we give them credit for. I believe that a subject like the 1970 Augusta Riot is perfect as a standard part of the 8th grade Georgia Studies curriculum.

UPW: The Laney Museum has always had a strong presence in the community, hosting programs for the youth as well as senior citizens. Why is that connection to the community so important?

ROGERS: That connection to the community is so important for the Laney Museum because it allows us to carry forth the legacy of Lucy Craft Laney, who had a strong connection and presence in Augusta. It’s not enough for us just to be a museum. But in keeping with the spirit of what Lucy Laney stood for, we maintain an ever-growing presence in the community through our student programs, oral history initiatives and monthly luncheons. This is how to best promote the legacy of Lucy Craft Laney.

UPW: Can you tell us something about the Reverend C.T. Walker and why he interests you as a researcher.

ROGERS: C.T. Walker led a full life. He preached at many different churches and traveled the world. He knew individuals like Booker T. Washington and John D. Rockefeller. The richness of his biography keeps me wanting to dig more and more into who he was. I am also intrigued by his relationship with the Reverend Silas X. Floyd, a powerhouse combination of leadership and entrepre -

Five Books Recommended By Corey Roberts To Better Understand Augusta History

Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-1893, Dr. Kent Anderson Leslie;

Segregated Doctoring: Black Physicians in Augusta, 1902-1952, Dr. Leslie J. Pollard, Sr.;

Old Springfield: Race and Religion in Augusta, Georgia, Dr. Ed Cashin;

The First Black Archeologist: A life of John Wesley Gilbert, Dr. John W.I. Lee

The Short Stories of Frank Yerby, edited by Veronica T. Watson neurship in Augusta.

UPW: How did the Black Caddies project come about and why is it so unique?

ROGERS: The Laney Museum’s project on the African American caddies of the Augusta National came out of an idea about 1.5 to 2 years ago when Leon Maben, upon seeing an exhibit in Louisville, Kentucky on the Black jockeys of the Kentucky Derby, thought that Augusta, Georgia had just as rich of a story to tell in the the general public is aware of their existence. Can you forecast what might be in store for the Augusta area in the next few years when it comes to promoting its cultural heritage? the museum. This additional space will allow us to have a gift shop, welcome center, expanded archival space, and other things that will allow for us to better serve the River Region population. form of the African American caddies of the Augusta National. Since then we have created a 1.5-hour experience that takes the patron through decades of rich history about Augusta and the world of golf. The actors in Men on the Bag come under the artistic direction of the Augusta Mini Theater. At the end of the presentation at least one of our living legend caddies comes out to take questions from the patrons. Finally, we serve pimento cheese sandwiches, lemonade and sweet tea.

ROGERS: One of the best projects I have worked on in recent years is the Golden Blocks Public Art Project along and near Laney-Walker Boulevard. The Golden Blocks traditionally refers to the African American business district at the confluence of Campbell and Gwinnett Streets.

UPW: What are in the plans now for the next few years?

UPW: As a board member and consultant to many local organizations you have insight into many plans and civic campaigns before

The Public Art Project, which is a partnership between the Laney Museum, the Greater Augusta Arts Council and Augusta Housing and Community Development, allows us to marry public history and public art to tell the many amazing stories that makes Augusta second to none in Georgia.

UPW: What would your 20-yearplan look like for the museum if the level of funding were available?

ROGERS: I would love to add an additional building that would allow for us to have additional exhibition space. We want to create a Men on the Bag permanent exhibition at

ROGERS: In the next few years we plan to continue to do some of the programming that has made us one of the crown jewels of the River Region: our monthly community luncheons, Historian Awards Program, Black History Quiz Bowl, Brunch with Santa, Summer Camp, and bringing new exhibitions to our conference room. One new initiative that we are really excited about is a partnership between the Laney Museum, Augusta University School of Education, the AU Literacy Center at the HUB and several local artists to create a series of comic books based around important historical figures in Augusta History. The series is called the Golden Blocks Legends comic books and the first one is Lucy Craft Laney.

UPW: What’s going on at the Museum this Summer?

ROGERS: This summer we have the Men on the Bag experience. The next two shows are July 22nd and 23rd, both at 3:00 p.m. To book tickets for Men on the Bag go to www. lucycraftlaneymuseum.com and click on the link for Men on the Bag. We are in our first week of summer camp. The summer campers have classes in art, sign language and are paid a visit by the ecology lab, which allows them to experience many of the animals indigineous to the state of Georgia. We have our monthly community luncheons and our weekly museum tours. On August 26th the Laney Museum will be sponsoring a bus trip to the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina.