FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 5, 2012

Contact:  Robert Preston, Jr.,
              912.260.4276
              robert.preston@sgsc.edu

The Great Speckled Bird Traveling Exhibit Now Available at SGC

An exhibit commemorating The Great Speckled Bird, an alternative newspaper published in Atlanta from 1968 to 1976, is now on display at the William S. Smith Library at South Georgia College.

The Great Speckled Bird was one of several underground newspapers that appeared in the United States during that time period. The Bird, as it was commonly known, stood out among the alternative press for the quality of its writing, its cover art and its coverage of a range of topics —national and local politics, the counterculture, women’s issues, gay liberation, music and art. The Bird was a new, radical voice from the South. At its height, The Bird was one of the largest weekly newspapers in the state. However, it was not without controversy, and the paper’s unapologetic stance on the issues of the day placed The Bird in one firestorm after another — both literally and figuratively. In 1972, The Bird’s offices were firebombed, but the paper recovered and published weekly until 1976.

The display is supported by the Georgia Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities and through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly. Stop by the William S. Smith Library for a look at one of Georgia’s most interesting and influential publications from a very turbulent time period. The exhibit is on display through May 20.

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About South Georgia College

South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu) was founded in 1906 and is located in Douglas, Ga. The college's environment gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty. With over 20 majors and transfer opportunities, South Georgia College provides the finest education possible to the citizens of its service area.