Robert “Skip” Payne has lived his entire life within the famous Athens neighborhood, Reese Street – W. Hancock Neighborhood. He was born on Broad Street in a house that’s since has been torn down. Payne always felt a strong connection to the tight-knit community he grew up in which is why he’s never left it for his entire 9-plus decades of living except for when he went away to college. To him, it’s the street that represents his legacy. The legacy of the Payne family has long lived in that very community and helped to further build community through owning a funeral home, one of the oldest in Athens. And also, other families who were respected pastors, teachers, doctors, and merchants. It’s the neighbor that brought together Athen’s Black community for over 150 years. Payne also explains the struggles of buying homes in Athens as African Americans were restricted to certain areas, which made it difficult for them to branch out from areas that were distinguished black. However, these restrictions didn’t prevent the Reese Street community from becoming one of the most prosperous communities in Athens with respected civil servants. Mr. Payne is also known as a teacher himself, teaching at West Broad Street School, as the only male teacher at the time. He often frequents Ebenezer Baptist Church West to worship and has been an active member of the congregation all of his life. Ebenezer was the cornerstone of the community and, under the leadership of Rev. Hudson, was the place for organizing for the civil rights movement in Athens. He expressed concerns that no matter how prominent a community, people will still threaten efforts to tear it all down.

Robert “Skip” Payne is a longtime resident with deep roots in the Reese Street neighborhood. From maître d’ at the Athens Country Club, to being a teacher at West Broad Street School, to being an active member at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Skip Payne contributes to the rich history and culture of the Athens Reese Street neighborhood and overall black community in Athens.

“One of the interesting stories I learned from cutting grass: Edie Brown, who is the principal, lived down the street from me. She was the principal of North Athens High School and I used to cut her grass. So one day she came out and told my mother she wanted me to cut grass on Saturday morning and so happened that was the big day of the big baseball game. Team coming in from Atlanta to play us in baseball. So I began to explain to my mother that I couldn’t go down that Saturday morning and cut that grass because I was the starting first baseman. She said ‘I don’t care. You put first things first. Baseball is not putting any money in your pocket and you’re going to cut that grass’. So I go down there to cut that grass brought down my bat and baseball glove and try to get up to the baseball field and when I get up to the baseball field that game is over. But the lesson I learned, you put first things first.”

A native of Athens, Georgia, Attorney Kenneth Dious became the first African American to practice law in Northeast Georgia when he opened his private practice in the city in 1973. Having grown up during segregation and the height of the Civil Rights movement, Dious learned the importance of civic engagement at a young age, attending rallies and marching against Klan members while he was in high school. He became the first African American player to integrate a football team in the Southeastern Conference after a walk-on to tryouts for the UGA football team in 1966. He served in the US Army after graduating with a degree in Business Administration and later returned to graduate with a Juris Doctorate from UGA Law in 1972. In his fifty years of service, he has continued to passionately fight to protect and advance civil rights, receiving accolades for his work with organizations such as the NAACP, writing the “Rules, Rights & Responsibilities in Georgia Schools” and running for political office in 2013.

“History is everywhere. Wherever you’re standing there’s history. Wherever you’re sitting there’s history. It’s around you, all you have to do is look for it, so there are many highlights… History is all around us, and in Athens what I admire is a lot of people are excavating African American history that has been buried or forgotten… It can be very difficult to find it. The work that others are doing is vital work to honor the lives of those formerly enslaved people…I think there is still a lot that has to be reckoned with, that I would like to see more of. I would like to encourage other people of color; you have a story. Your story is important.”

The Professor Emeritus of Theater and African American Studies at UGA, Dr. Freda Scott Giles is no stranger to having an interesting story. Dr. Giles’ grandfather rescued her grandmother from a white family, running away in the middle of the night and eventually getting married. One of the three kids they were able to raise was Dr. Giles’ father, who was a musician during the war where he would meet his wife and Dr. Freda Scott Giles’ mother. Giles originally grew up in Syracuse, New York, and went to school at the University of Albany. Her interest in Theater began in high school but began to take form during her years in university, leading her to pursue a Theater minor to pair with her English major. Eventually, Dr. Giles interviewed for and received a job with the University of Georgia, as only the second black person to be hired by the Department of Drama. She has worked as a fierce advocate for black theater, persevering through low attendance and being given limited audience access, she produced black plays like Richard the Third by Carlisle Brown, using both black and white actors to support diversity, despite still not having the audiences others were given. Today, Dr. Giles is a famous and well-versed professor, as well as a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion.

“The NAACP is the oldest civil rights agency in the Nation and is very well-needed in Athens Clarke County Georgia. As President of the NAACP, I have to do all that I can, while I can for the continued advancement of our people in this community and the surrounding counties,” said Mr. Sheats. “The Love I have for my community won’t let me idly stand by and watch the mistreatment of black & brown folk or watch us be discriminated against by our institutions whether it be government, educational, or private industry. I firmly believe that black folk is the conscience of this nation. We are the measuring stick.” Mr. Sheats went on to say, that without the NAACP and other civil rights organizations, we would not have gained the consideration and liberties we have been afforded. I feel like the experience of having witnessed Rev. Dr. King’s wake and funeral at the impressionable young age of 10, inspired me and others who attended the spirit to lead our people. I personally feel like it’s my life’s purpose and it is a part of my journey to do my part.”

Alvin Sheats moved to Athens Georgia from Atlanta in August of 1972. Even from a young age, he was always someone who needed to step up and help others. Whether it be saving his brother from a snake, leading a black student body boycott of the Cedar Shoals class of 1977’s prom, or putting a stop to Klan stickers being placed on his navy ship, he has always strived to do what he could when he could. After an unsuccessful school board run in 1994, Mr. Sheats served 8 years as Athens Clarke County District 3 Commissioner. Today he serves as the President of the Athens Branch of the NAACP Unit 5180 and the Executive Director of the Hancock Community Development Corp, a nonprofit agency providing Housing, Career, and Tax assistance services to community members and Northeast Georgia. While he has never sought out leadership, he always embraced those opportunities came his way to further civil rights and strengthen the black & brown community.

“I would have to say that it's my faith. My faith is more than anything else. I am a Christian. To me, that means that I try to walk through this earth daily being very conscious of being Christ-like. What would Christ do, and what Jesus would do is something that I think about all the time. And I try to emulate what that is. And so that is the identity that pushes me. It also sustains me. It keeps me humble and filled with gratitude that I’m able to live during these times… God wants me to show that there is love for all. There's love for everyone, every single one of us. Because of that Christian background that I have it makes me a better, more accessible leader in the community in an interfaith way.”

A natural-born Athenian, Chaplain Cole Knapper has dedicated her life to helping others. Having been born to two very educated parents (both graduates of Fort Valley State University), Knapper understood from a young age that education would be something very important in her life. Growing up in West Athens, she attended Clarke Central High School, where she would commit herself to excellence, performing well above average in her advanced placement courses. After graduating from Clarke Central, she ultimately decided to attend Spelman College. To pay back her student loans, Knapper would enlist in the military, where she would spend a total of 4 deployments, with the last 2 as an officer. After returning to civilian life, Knapper decided to continue helping others, but in a different way. Using her strong faith, Knapper is now a part of plenty of organizations geared to help others in need. She credits her strong Christian values with allowing her the ability to lift others, regardless of struggle, or identity.

"I wanted to be in that room to try to create a sense of calm, so that we could actually start thinking about kids again. You know, having power battles with community members and among board members, and with a board member and superintendent having all these sort of power fights and power grabs and micro-management, those things are not going to achieve anything as far as improving our third-grade reading scores for our Black and brown kids or improving out-of-school suspension and in-school suspension for our Black and brown kids and thinking about restorative justice and all the things, not packaged curricula."

Dr. Mumbi Anderson is a person with a diverse cultural background, born to a Nigerian father, and a Kenyan mother. Anderson's unique ancestry blends East African and West African roots. Raised in Athens, she emphasizes her strong connection to the community. Anderson's educational journey includes experiences in international travels, participation in the McNair Scholars Program, and earning degrees in Public Health and Higher Education Administration from UGA. Anderson is deeply passionate about addressing health disparities, particularly within the African American community, and has been actively involved in public health education and policy discussions. Additionally, she serves on the Clarke County Board of Education, contributing her insights to the improvement of the local school system.

“After I actually left the law office, I started doing volunteer work at the local alternative school. It was at the alternative school where I saw a lot of our kids were dealing with unresolved trauma and I just felt like something wasn’t right. It was just a lot of accountability or lack of accountability going on. When I transitioned from the alternative school I started to work as Case Management Clerk at the courthouse in juvenile court. I saw the same kids who were at the alternative school were coming into juvenile court repeat offenders. It was actually there that I realized that something needs to be done, something is missing. There is a disconnect between the resources and accountability and, in my mind, at the time I said I would like to create a program that would bridge the gap – bridge the gap between the community and resources and someone in the middle who could act as a liaison for the kids who are actually going through that court process.”

Julita Marche Sanders knows first-hand how important having an advocate can be. Having been a troubled teen herself, she will never forget the teachers and mentors whose willingness to speak on her behalf improved her life. Through her organization, Juvenile Offenders Advocates, Inc., she now uses her background in community organizing and social work to help juvenile offenders get the support and education they need. A recipient of the 2023 Georgia 100 Titan Award and 2022 ATHENA Award, Mrs. Sanders’s impactful advocacy work continues to be defined by her passion, dedication and belief in every individual’s potential

“If you want to continue your family’s legacy, I think you just need to dig in and just get rooted in the business. I mean, it just goes back to knowing what the vision is, you know, knowing what the business model looks like, knowing how to expand on that and staying true to the core values of the business. For us it has definitely been ‘treat people the way that you want to be treated’. If you go into an establishment, you want to make sure you’ve been greeted well, that things are done in a timely manner, and that you’re in a professional setting and those are things that I just like to incorporate and those were things that I saw my family do and we just try to keep those things going, as well. . . You don’t have to necessarily do what other people are doing. Once again, to kind of just staying in your lane and just knowing what works for you.”

Barbara “Babs” Sheats was born and raised in Athens. Growing up, she spent a good portion of her time working in her family’s salon. Anytime she wasn’t at dance, or after school activities, or her grandmother’s house, she could be found at the family business, enjoying every second of learning the ins and outs of its operations. Sheats began a cosmetology apprenticeship under her father when she was 16 and, after graduating from the University of Georgia with degrees in consumer economics and housing, she returned to the salon to take advantage of her booming clientele. She has since taken over Sheats Barber & Beauty Shop, using her passion for business and MBA to grow and continue providing clients with a friendly, professional environment even after sixty-two years of business. While opportunities to go elsewhere have come and gone over the years, Babs remains happy and overjoyed to have found and to walk on her Lord’s-given path.

“My parents from Strong, Beautiful, & Godly Girls led me to start Sheats Social Services. When I was doing Strong, Beautiful, & Godly Girls in the beginning, I found myself. I can’t just help the girl and not the entire family. That kind of seems crazy, because you’re sending them back into a world where they’re gonna be with them more than they’re going to be with you two hours a week, so I decided I needed to be able to provide resources for the families, not just the mentee. I thought about this back in 2016. . . and then here goes 2020, it came right back up. I cannot help people without doing this myself. I was finding myself sending people to different non-profits and they would come right back to me. So it was like, okay, I need to figure out something.”

Growing up in Athens-Clarke County alongside her supportive mother, father and siblings, Sheats was able to pursue her passions for dance and fashion. But, as she grew into adulthood, she recognized the reward and fulfillment that came with helping others and the importance of a stable family. Starting with the mentorship program, Strong, Beautiful, & Godly Girls, Sheats dedicated herself to helping children and families thrive. Today, her non-profit Sheats Social Services works to connect individuals and families to the help they need to build better lives and communities for themselves and in their faith.

“Athens is an opportunity to not just connect the journey but to be in the journey. Athens has so many opportunities to serve. My personal motto is ‘to serve this present age my calling to fulfill: There is a smorgasbord of opportunities to serve the present age. That is in many areas. Board representation, committees, programming, establishing programs, school districts, health areas, non-profit boards. Athens, because there are so many non-profits and there is such a focus on community building, Athens is indeed. . . a beautiful opportunity to not just connect to the journey but to get in to connect with your purpose. For me it has been having a heart’s desire to help others and that I knew at eight years old, I knew I wanted to help others. Athens is indeed a place where that desire can always be satisfied in one way or another.”

Elder Terris Thomas is a local leader in Athens. She serves as assistant to the pastor and director of Christian Education at Timothy Baptist Church. She is also the Director of Neighborhood Engagement for the Whatever it Takes Initiative and interim head of schools for the Downtown Academy. She came to Athens on February 2, 1992 following her partner’s assignment to the University of Georgia, where she worked for ten years. After connecting with the children and youth at Timothy Baptist Church she felt God’s call to help them as a youth advisor and, later, youth pastor. She eventually left UGA to grow the church’s youth program where she helped develop programs to encourage youth to foster passions for community and business leadership. As the Director of Neighborhood Engagement for Whatever It Takes, she has helped to connect families to needed educational resources. To this day, she continues her work with Timothy Baptist Church and seeks out any ways that she can help to develop the community’s youth.

“I see Athens growing, and that’s a part of my journey. To see Athens continue to build and grow. The good thing about it is we got two national championships. So that’s a positive part of growth. I mean that hasn’t been done in a while but seriously, I want to see whether it’s with the Athens alliance or whoever, I want to see us all brought together as one. That’s what I love right there. When I call for volunteers, to see the multiple races and ages all come together for one call, that makes my heart so warm inside because I love that—men, women, black, white, kids, principals, commissioners, mayors, everybody. Come together for one and one cause and that’s to help build Athens up, and that’s what I want to see. Even if I’m not a part of it, I want to see that because that shows growth… and if you know the history of Athens, it has not always been like that, so to see that change go about is good.”

Charles Hardy is a man who is all about his community. He grew up on what was formerly known as Water Street, now named Martin Luther King Street. He was baptized at Springfield Baptist Church and attended Clarke Central High School. Having been inspired by his mother, Hardy sought to build up his community. After becoming a witness to an increasing homeless problem, Hardy founded the Athens Alliance Coalition. Through his organization and his initiative, First Step, Hardy has helped homeless people reintegrate themselves into society by providing shelter, food, and opportunities to improve their standard of living. Through his non-stop drive to help others, and the ideals instilled in him by his late mother, Hardy has become a pivotal figure in improving the lives of many who call Athens, Georgia, their home.

“I’m never gonna stop building my community no matter what”- Charles Hardy

“I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams.“

Tionya Lawrence is a nurse practitioner at the Athens Neighborhood Health Center and the Hillsman Clinic. An alumna of the University of Georgia, Medical College, she currently works to improve the overall well-being of the Athens community. Originally from the small town of Oscilla, Georgia, Lawrence grew up in a single-parent household and continues to take inspiration from her mother and grandmother. As a child of a mother in the Navy, she lived in many places in the Southeastern United States, but eventually settled in Douglas, GA for middle and high school. She settled in Athens after graduating from the University of Georgia with a bachelor's in Biology.

She currently helps serve the youth at the Hilsman Health Center (HHC), a fruition of the Athens Wellbeing Project. She surveys the Athens community and determines their various needs in health/dental care. Lawrence is also a provider at the HHC where she oversees faculty, staff, and students in the Athens Clarke County System. Her mission is to provide full healthcare services at these schools by assessing their social, physical, and mental wellbeing in a school-based setting for underprivileged student populations. She is involved in a non-profit organization known as Vot-ER which helps individuals register to vote. Lawrence places heavy emphasis on the importance of community partnerships and engagement to successfully address healthcare barriers. She has highlighted specific challenges faced by the community, such as food insecurity. Lawrence is an active advocate for youth engagement and mentorship as essential strategies for positive impact. She is a dedicated individual bridging gaps and making connections to improve the overall well-being of the Athens community

“We’re focusing on letting people show their faith in Christ on T-shirts right now, not being ashamed of showing “I love Christ” and knowing that you are worthy in a God that calls you worthy. As I tell everybody, loving God is not just a T-shirt brand, it's a whole ministry. So, we make sure that people know that they are worthy. Depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem takes a lot out of people personally, and because they don't hear it all the time, they don't know they’re worthy, they may not feel that they're worthy, and they may not think that God thinks they’re worthy. We are in that place of inspiring and motivating others that you ARE worthy in God.”

For Tiffany Moment, owner of apparel brand, Worthy In God, her religion is not just a fashion choice, it represents a vital part of her personality and outlook on life. An Athenian who grew up on the Eastside, Tiffany spent her childhood playing with her brothers and attending church, where her father was a pastor. She credits her experiences in church and her wonderful neighbor Pam as being her sources of inspiration. After attending Athens Technical College, Tiffany did not originally envision herself as a fashion guru, but after some encouraging words from her family, and some close conversations with God, she decided to bet on herself, and that is when Worthy In God was born. Tiffany knew what hard work was from a young age, stemming back from her first job at Piggly Wiggly right here in Athens. She knew it would not be easy, but she has persevered and made something she hopes will give others a chance to express themselves and their faith in the Lord.