Lunch & Learn: On the Circuit: Networks of Black Entertainment in Georgia

The Bartow History Museum will present its February Lunch & Learn program, On the Circuit: Networks of Black Entertainment in Georgia, on February 18, 2026, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. This special roundtable explores the history and lasting legacy of the Chitlin Circuit and its vital role in providing safe performance spaces for Black entertainers during segregation. The program connects to a 2024 initiative in which the Georgia Department of Community Affairs received a grant from the Fox Theatre in Atlanta to develop a historic context for the proposed Georgia Chitlin Circuit Heritage Trail, documenting a statewide network of tent shows, theaters, and juke joints that operated from the 1920s through the mid-1960s. The panel features experts involved in the project, including Mary Wilson Joseph, Community Outreach Coordinator with DCA, who will introduce the initiative and its goals; Leigh Burns, Director of Community Partnerships at the Fox Theatre, who will discuss the grant program and the importance of supporting this research; and historians Renee’ Donnell and Wes Nimmo of New South Associates, who will share findings from the recently completed study, including research methods and notable Chitlin Circuit venues across Georgia. Joseph will conclude the program by moderating a panel discussion and audience Q&A.

Admission is free for museum members and $9 for non-members.