On Second Thought For Wedensday, July 26, 2017

Diabetes, The Douglass Theatre,Tall Tall Trees, Wesleyan College

First, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control shows that 30 million Americans -- nearly 10 percent of the population -- have diabetes. The study also shows nearly a quarter of them -- more than seven million -- are undiagnosed. And the South, Georgia included, has the highest concentration of people with the disease. We talk with Sarah Piper, Senior Program Associate for the Diabetes Training and Technical Assistance Center at Emory University and Andy Miller, President of Georgia Health News.

Then, this Thursday, July 27, we take our show on the road to the historic Douglass Theatre in downtown Macon. This theater was an important space during the 20th century for African-American artists. The Douglass hosted performers like Bessie Smith, Little Richard, and Otis Redding.  Alan Walden was a music manager who helped start Capricorn Records, and also managed Otis Redding. Walden, who is white, says growing up he was never allowed inside the theater, but that didn’t stop him from hearing the live acts. Walden sat down with GPB’s Sean Powers to tell a few stories.

Next, all this week we get additions to the essential Georgia Playlist from musicians playing at Bragg Jam in Macon this weekend [July 28-29]. The series is produced by GPB’s Trevor Young. Today’s picks come from banjoist Mike Savino, also known as Tall Tall Trees. He’s performed with groups like Of Montreal and Kishi Bashi. He brings us music from Jerry Reid and R.E.M.

Finally, Wesleyan College in Macon is looking to apologize for past ties to racism, slavery, and the KKK. Information about the school’s history came to light recently through the research of students at Wesleyan. This comes just months after an incident involving racist graffiti on a dorm room wall. The research was led by Wesleyan History Professor Karen Huber, who joins us to discuss the archives. Also with us is Dana Amihere, a Wesleyan alumna.