Michael L. Thurmond, Author of James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia

A book discussion with Michael L. Thurmond, author of James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia and currently Dekalb County’s CEO.

The book James Oglethorpe, Father of Georgia, uncovers Oglethorpe’s evolution from slave trader to abolitionist, propelled by intellectual relationships with two formerly enslaved black men. A compelling storyteller, Michael L. Thurmond is also the author of Freedom: Georgia’s Antislavery Heritage and Black Men and Women in Athens History. As the Chief Executive Officer of Dekalb County (through 2024), Thurmond has served in the Georgia Legislature, as Director of Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services, Georgia Labor Commissioner, and as Superintendent of Dekalb County Schools.