On Second Thought For Tuesday, May 17, 2016

The National Parks Service is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year. One of Georgia’s most notable parks is found at Kennesaw Mountain, a site that hosted a volatile struggle during the Civil War. Historian and researcher Brad Quinlin discovered that a large number of former slaves participated in the battle; some even lost their lives in the conflict. We talk with Quinlin about the Battle of Kennesaw and the personal stories that make this event so compelling.

Also, the culinary world is divided.  Women spend on average more time in the kitchen than men, but most celebrity chefs are men.  One food writer is calling for more gender diversity in her field because she says that matters to food trends and journalism.  In a commentary, Kathleen Purvis, the food editor of the Charlotte Observer, says women need to have a seat at that table.  And what about racial diversity in food writing? We talk about the importance of that with Nicole Taylor of the Hot Grease Podcast, food and beer writer Dennis Byron, and Natalie Keng of the Chinese Southern Belle. 

Does it matter if the food writing industry is diverse? We talk about what when miss out on when everyone doesn't have a seat at the table, the fascinating history of freed slaves who fought in the Civil War at Kennesaw Mountain and how the migration of millions from the Rust Belt forever changed the South.

Plus, more than 1,000 people have signed an online petition to encourage Emory University to offer American Sign Language classes for a foreign language credit. Currently, the university offers ASL courses for no credit through its independent study program. But students argue this program lacks the proper structure to efficiently learn the language. GPB’s Linda Chen brings us a story about the effort and how accredited courses could have helped at least one Emory student.

And nearly six million baby boomers left the northeast region of America known as the “Rust Belt” when heavy industry collapsed in the late 1970s. Many fled South to cities like Atlanta. This migration is chronicled in Paul Hertneky's new book, "Rust Belt Boy." We speak with the author about how this migration created new communities in the South and what happened to the communities left behind.