History of Slavery at the University of Georgia will host an all-day community event titled “Tell the Whole Story” on May 21 to engage the Athens community through shared activities of historical significance.

Moving through multiple locations throughout the day, the event will begin at Brooklyn Cemetery, a historic African American cemetery. Then, the rest of the event will take place at Morton Theatre, which was built, owned and operated by Monroe Bowers Morton, an African American.

At the theater, archival readings, vignettes, art and music and dance performances will be presented. The night will end with a screening and panel discussion of the film, “Below Baldwin: How an Expansion Project Unearthed a University’s Legacy at Slavery.”

The event’s title, “Tell the Whole Story,” refers to the unanswered questions concerning the history of slavery at UGA, according to Barbara McCaskill, an English professor at UGA and a member of the event’s planning team.

“What were the names and stories of all enslaved persons and families residing on or laboring at UGA’s campus?,” McCaskill said. “How and why were so many forgotten? Who are their descendants in Athens’ African American community? In what ways has slavery continued to influence the health, wealth, education and social mobility of contemporary Black Athenians? Why is it important for all of us to confront this difficult, uncomfortable past?”