Georgia in Play: Celebrating President Carter's 99th birthday; the disappearing Southern accent

Highlights from the show:

Former President Jimmy Carter is celebrating his 99th birthday.

With his birthday days away, The Carter Center asked the public to put together messages for the former president, which are being turned into a mosaic that will tour the country. Host Leah Fleming spoke to the Rev. Dr. David Gushee of Mercer University who's followed President Carter's story and his faith over the years.

Caption

A sticker celebrating the Geechee heritage is seen on a pickup truck, June 10, 2013, as passengers board a ferry to the mainland from Sapelo Island, Ga. One of the few remaining Gullah-Geechee communities in the U.S. is in another fight to hold onto land owned by residents' families since their ancestors were freed from slavery. The few dozen remaining residents of the tiny Hogg Hummock community on Georgia's Sapelo Island were stunned when they learned county officials may end zoning protections enacted nearly 30 years ago to protect the enclave from wealthy buyers and tax increases.

Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman, File

Gullah Geechee descendants push back against rezoning on Sapelo Island.

Residents of Hogg Hummock have spoken out for weeks against a rezoning ordinance that will allow for real estate developers to build on historic land settled by former slaves. Most recently, residents and their supporters have launched a referendum campaign against McIntosh County. GPB Savannah reporter Benjamin Payne has been following the developments.

Is the Southern accent disappearing?

Researchers at Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia looked to see which generation "ended" the Southern accent. Dr. Jon Forrest says the dialect isn't dying, but it's changing. He notes unexpected phenomena, like economic and social forces, shape the way we speak.

Salvation South's Chuck Reese agrees. He recalls moving to New York and the stereotypes he faced as a journalist with a strong Southern accent. He and Leah spoke on their childhoods, and what it meant to grow up with an accent.

Screenwriters make a deal, bringing a historic strike to an end.

On Tuesday night, board members with the Writer's Guild of America agreed to a deal that would end an almost five-month-long strike. While actors are still on strike, it likely means production will resume on television shows shortly. We spoke with journalist Lisa Respers France for more on the terms of the deal.

Send us your ideas for Georgia In Play at AskGIP@gpb.org.