Georgia Southern faculty are making significant contributions to preserving Georgia’s rich history, which are being recognized by the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council (GHRAC). Amy Potter, Ph.D., geography professor at Georgia Southern University, and Lisa Denmark, Ph.D., history professor also at Georgia Southern, were honored with awards from GHRAC for their work on separate historical projects – the Tybee Island Black History Trail and Denmark’s research titled “Savannah’s Midnight Hour; Boosterism, Growth and Commerce in a Nineteenth-Century American City.”
The Tybee Island Black History Trail, a digitally led tour of notable historic sites on Tybee Island, received the Award for Excellence in Local History Advocacy. For the past few years, a team of researchers at Georgia Southern University has been collecting the stories and historic layout of the island. Specifically, landmarks from slavery and up to the Civil Rights Movement.
Additionally, Denmark received the Award for Excellence in Research Using the Holdings of Archives. The awards were presented as part of the GHRAC Awards supported by the Friends of Georgia Archives and History as well as the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Denmark said she’s honored to receive her award, and calls it a recognition that feels especially meaningful given the journey the project took her on. It began with questions about how Savannah’s historic city leaders tried to out-develop the nearby city of Charleston.
“Digging through dusty boxes and old ledgers at the Savannah Municipal Archives, I pieced together the puzzle of how the city financed its ambitious growth,” she said. “Slowly, a story emerged—Savannah was pouring money into expansion, desperately trying to outpace Charleston. But that ambition came at a price, as the city’s bold investments led to massive loan defaults. It’s a cautionary tale, a reminder that even the most ambitious plans need to be weighed against fiscal responsibility. For me, this award isn’t just a personal achievement; it affirms how essential it is to preserve and explore historical records.”
Potter said the Tybee Island Black History Trail was a collaborative endeavor, uniting the efforts of a Georgia Southern student and faculty member, the Tybee MLK Human Rights Organization and the Tybee Island Historical Society.
“We are deeply honored to receive the Award for Excellence in Local History Advocacy from the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council,” Potter said. “This project allowed us to bring forward important stories of Black history on Tybee Island that have not been at the forefront of the island’s memory landscape, creating both a virtual and physical trail to share and preserve this rich heritage for the community and its visitors.”
