A Fulton County teacher who brings a convict-made brick to class, a Roswell genealogist who traced 23 Revolutionary War ancestors, and a CNN veteran turned podcast producer will share a stage at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center on Wednesday, July 22, for a screening and panel discussion of Georgia Public Broadcasting's "Marked!" series.
The 7 p.m. event pairs a screening of the 12-episode series with a live conversation about Georgia's overlooked Revolutionary War history. GPB, the Sons of the American Revolution, and the Roswell Cultural Arts Center are co-presenting the evening, according to GPB's event listing.
The screening is part of Roswell's America250: Tapestry of Generations celebration, a yearlong slate of programs the city organized around three pillars: Life, Liberty, and Happiness.
The series
Hosted by Atlanta native Maiya May, "Marked!" zooms in on 12 of Georgia's more than 2,000 historical markers to explore people and moments often overshadowed by the Boston Tea Party or the battles at Lexington and Concord. Episodes run about 13 to 14 minutes each and cover figures ranging from Declaration of Independence signer Button Gwinnett to Nancy Hart, a Revolutionary War-era spy, and William Jasper, a soldier who turned down a leadership role because he could not read or write.
"Looking at the American Revolution from the lens of Georgia is not done as often," May said in an April 23 interview on GPB's Morning Edition. "There's also these stories of courage and bravery that come out of Georgia that I had no idea about."
The series premiered on GPB's website and YouTube, with episodes also airing on GPB's broadcast channel. A companion podcast launched alongside it.
The panelists
Three voices will lead the post-screening discussion:
- Kelly Bradley, a Fulton County Schools teacher and third-generation educator who studied Georgia history under the late Cliff Kuhn. Bradley brings artifacts to her classroom, including a souvenir coin from the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition and a Chattahoochee Brick Company brick bearing a fingerprint she connects to the convict labor system.
- Andrew Iden, an Atlanta-based writer and executive producer of "Marked!" with more than 20 years at CNN and HLN. Iden co-hosted and produced HLN's first original podcast.
- James Ruff Jr., Registrar for the Piedmont Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution in Roswell. Ruff and his father proved descent from 23 ancestors who supported the Revolutionary cause through years of genealogical research.
How to attend
The screening takes place at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St. The Roswell365 event listing labels the event as free. The film is presented with open captions. Patrons with other accessibility needs can contact Christian Stegall at [email protected].
Parking is available in the lot beside the arts center and across the footbridge in Lower Lot F at City Hall. ADA seating for wheelchair users is in Row Q. Patrons needing seating assistance should arrive by 6:30 p.m. Walkers, rollators, and strollers must be stored at the theater door during the program.
For box office questions, call (770) 594-6232.
Coming up in America250
The next event in Roswell's Tapestry of Generations calendar is "Quilters, A Musical," running Friday, August 14, through Saturday, August 23, at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center.
