Welcome back to Sweet Tea by the AJC, a newsletter all about positive, fascinating, inspiring stories from the South. I’m in Greenville, South Carolina, this weekend celebrating my mom’s 70th birthday. If things get real crazy we’ll stop by the Sigal Music Museum and admire some rare instruments. I bet “Happy Birthday” on a harpsichord is just delightful.
FROM OPERATING ROOM TO BIG SCREEN
A Georgia kidney donor and recipient are the inspiration behind a new film intended to bring awareness to the thousands of Americans awaiting kidney transplants.
- Randy Simpkins decided to donate a kidney to Russell Dallas before even meeting him. Simpkins was at a retreat and heard Dallas’ wife, Lucretia, talking about the challenges of finding a kidney donor.
- Odds that Simpkins and Dallas were a match were slim, about 1 in 10,000. It’s no wonder hospital staff called their pairing a “miracle match.”
- Now, the film “End the Wait” — starring Dean Cain, Michael Beach, Monica Potter and Lori Beth Sikes — takes their story to the big screen.
“At the heart of it all is a simple idea: connecting people who want to help with people who desperately need it,” Simpkins said. “Whether that support comes through donations, transportation to dialysis, meals, prayer or advocacy.”
🫶🏽 READ MORE: How the film has already changed lives
WHAT YOU FIND AT THE TOP OF STONE MOUNTAIN
For all that it remains a local landmark and staple outdoor spot in the Atlanta area, Stone Mountain still carries a painful history.
In a new photo book title “Rise Above: On Top of Stone Mountain” Atlanta photojournalist Jean Shifrin focuses on how humanity comes together on its craggy summit, cultures and backgrounds uniting for the joy of the climb.
I love the way Shifrin describes the feeling:
“I can’t answer for other people what makes it special, but I can tell from seeing what happens at the top that it is a special place for a lot of people,” she said. “A lot of people go barefoot because they’re grounding up there. There’s lots of meditation going on, prayer, singing, dancing.”
⛰️ READ MORE: Why Shifrin things Stone Mountain is unique
SIPS FROM AROUND THE SOUTH
🐖 Batesburg-Leesville, SC: Cotton Branch Farm Sanctuary is hog heaven, literally. The pig sanctuary takes care of 200 rescued potbelly, feral and farm pigs. The owners are hoping to work with a therapist to form emotional support groups and workshops starring their porcine buddies. More from the Carolina Reporter
🍳 Savannah, GA: A new cookbook shop in Savannah brings more than a literary touch to the local food scene. “Coastal Table and Tales” also hosts talks from chefs and helps connect local eaters to their meals. For instance, did you know Carolina gold rice, a crop that helped shaped the entire region’s economy, likely had roots in Madagascar? More from the AJC
🎶 Chattanooga, TN: A Chattanooga man composed the music for what will likely be one of the standout commercials of the Super Bowl. It features singing piles of shorn man hair, after all. Quite a delight. More from The Chattanooga Times Free Press
🏥 Montgomery, AL: Rural hospitals in Alabama received a record $20 million in donations in a single month thanks to the new Rural Hospital Investment Program. The program includes tax credits for donors and businesses. A local medical leader called the community response “extraordinary.” More from AL.com
TELL US SOMETHING GOOD
Is there a cool event we need to know about? Something great happening in your town? Let us know. This is your space, too. SweetTea@ajc.com.
SOUTHERN WISDOM
As a product of Dallas County, if I can show just one kid what's possible, if I can help them see a future they didn't think they could have, then I've done my job.
Antonio Brown began welding when he was 12. His useful and lucrative skills took him across the country. Now, as a full-time welding technology instructor at Wallace Community College Selma, he helps young people learn the satisfaction of working with their hands in a career that can give them a leg-up in life. More from The Selma Times-Journal
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About the Author
AJ Willingham is an National Emmy, NABJ and Webby award-winning journalist who loves talking culture, religion, sports, social justice, infrastructure and the arts. She lives in beautiful Smyrna-Mableton and went to Syracuse University.
