ATLANTA - Here are the guests and features that aired on Good Day Atlanta.
Black History Month: Remember Spring Street School :
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Students remember former Spring Street School
Before it was occupied by the Center for Puppetry Arts, the Atlanta building was Spring Street School, which was integrated in 1965. Some of the first Black students to take part in the integration visited their former school building with Paul Milliken to remember its rich history of civil rights.
It’s been decades since Donzaleigh Abernathy walked the hallways of what used to be known as Atlanta’s Spring Street School — but with every creak of the old wooden floors, memories come echoing back.
"We made great friends here, and my life has been impacted by everything that happened here," says the actress and author.
Back in 1965, Donzaleigh - the daughter of civil rights leader Ralph David Abernathy, Sr. - was one of the first Black students to integrate the classrooms at Spring Street School, along with her siblings and the children of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"When I arrived, the children were lovely," says Abernathy. "I did learn that it isn’t the children that come with hate. It’s their parents that teach them how to hate. I had a best friend … she came to me one day and said, ‘My mother doesn’t want us to be friends, because you’re Black and I’m white. And so, we’ll still be friends at school during the day, but when it’s time for school to end, I need you to sit on the other side of the canopy, away from me, so that my mother doesn’t know we’re friends.’ And that was hard."
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Bonus Clip: Donzaleigh Abernathy
Donzaleigh Abernathy, daughter of civil rights leader Ralph David Abernathy, Sr., reflects back on the old Spring Street School, now the Center for Puppetry Arts – which she integrated in 1965. She shares her experience there and her thoughts on the school's "new life" as an arts center.
Taken over by Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts in 1978, the building today is a vibrant arts center. The Worlds of Puppetry Museum downstairs is filled with world-famous Jim Henson creations, while the old classrooms upstairs host puppet-making workshops.
"This floor in particular has really maintained a lot of the school vibe, which is really great, since all of our education programming really happens here," says museum and guest services director Kelsey Fritz.
And the building’s legacy of diversity and inclusion is also preserved today through the center’s programming, including a current exhibit of work by artist Nehprii Amenii.
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Carl Payne brings laughs to metro Atlanta
Comedian and actor Carl Payne is hosting three nights of love and laughter this weekend at Uptown Comedy Corner. Eric Perry chatted with him to talk about what fans can expect, the 'Martin' reunion at this year's Emmy Awards, and more.
Comedian Carl Payne talks about his upcoming comedy shows in Atlanta: Payne is best known as Cole from "Martin" and now currently starring in Tyler Perry's "Young Dylan" on Nickelodeon. He will have a comedy shows at Uptown Comedy Corner from Feb. 16-18. For ticket information click here.
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Falcons cameraman's birds-eye view of games
Austin Hittel made a name for himself from viral videos he produced last year of Falcons games featuring a unique angle from the roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. He joined Brooke Zauner to talk about getting unique perspectives of the field and his Super Bowl experience.
Austin Hittel, the Atlanta Falcons senior director of video and broadcast, attends Super Bowl LVIII: Austin Hittel and his counterpart Jenny Ross, the Falcons video production manager, were invited by CBS to bring their new "birds eye view" angle to the Super Bowl LVIII. Austin's standout videos produced in the 2023 season, which featured a unique angle from the roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, caught media attention throughout the season.
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Healthy Southern food with Virginia Willis
James Beard-winning cookbook author Virginia Willis believes that making good old Southern cooking can be good for you. She joined Sharon Lawson in the Good Day kitchen to whip up a smoky seafood etouffee and talk about her new cookbook.
Virgina Willis new cookbook and shares a recipe for Heart Health Month
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The history of presidential gardening
Many former U.S. presidents enjoyed getting down in the garden and getting their hands dirty. The experts at Pike Nurseries shares some of how the presidents got into gardening.
Pike Nurseries gives presidential gardening tips: To find a Pike Nursery near you, click here.
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Veda Howard on feeling confident to stand out
Radio personality Veda Howard shares an encouraging word on finding what makes you stand out from George Washington Carver.
Veda Howard shares one of her "Wisdom Nuggets": Every weekend on her Praise 102.5 show, which airs Saturday and Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m., Veda shares Wisdom Nuggets. A Wisdom Nugget is an inspiring or encouraging quote from Veda, business moguls, bumper stickers and everywhere in between; accompanied by a scripture. Keep up with her on social media @VedaHoward