African-American Leaders Ask For Involvement, Note Contributions

Three leaders of African-American churches in Oconee County called for greater involvement of African-Americans in the county’s future at a meeting of the Oconee County Democrat Party earlier this month.

They also called for a greater appreciation of the contribution of African-Americans to the county’s past.

The goal of that increased involvement, Rev. Joseph Nunnally told Oconee Democrats, is “to make Oconee County one community” sensitive to the views of all its members.

Rev. Nunnally, an Oconee County native, was joined by Rev. J. Ricardo Smith, pastor at Browns Chapel Baptist Church outside Bishop, and Marvin Nunnally, chair of the Board of Bethel Baptist Church in downtown Watkinsville, at the virtual meeting.

Party Co-Chair Eric Gisler introduced the three speakers at the meeting and said he wanted a “conversation” to learn more about the three and their work in the area.

Rev. Smith told the Democrats that Browns Chapel was celebrating its 123rd anniversary this month, emphasizing the deep roots of the church in the community.

That puts the founding of the church at a time when African-Americans made up about half of the population of the county.

The 1890 Census listed the population as 49.7 percent African-American, and that figure increased to 51.3 percent in 1900 before decreasing during the period of the great northern migration of African-Americans.

The percentage has declined steadily to the 5.0 percent in the last Census in 2010, an analysis of Census data shows.

For more on this story, with video of the Oconee County Democratic Party meeting and detailed analysis of Census Bureau data going back to 1880, please go to Oconee County Observations.