This post was written in response to a public statement by the City of Smyrna, GA on its proposal to release/demolish Aunt Fanny’s Cabin, a facility that was recently deemed “UNSAFE” due to structural and environmental hazards. The City of Smyrna has several buildings in its keep that required millions of dollars to renovate and yet this structure somehow is not worthy of the investment.
This post merely poses food for thought in hopes to motivate the City leaders to consider a plan commensurate with her contribution to her community. Fanny Williams is the name to be remembered here. Her life story should be rightly positioned and told in FULL, maybe in a “Fanny Williams Center for Justice and Reconciliation”? May her life be the testimony of redemption that Smyrna needs to heal lest history repeats itself.
In light of the recent vote this coming Monday (12/20/21) to demolish/release Smyrna’s Aunt Fanny’s Cabin, it is important to put a face with a name. Fanny Williams, aka Aunt Fanny, was a brilliant, resourceful woman who understood the Jim Crow system and worked it to serve the needs of the African American community. Her story is one of resilience, fortitude, grace, humility and activism. Her life was hard, her commitment to a greater cause was evident and she persevered thru it all. Her recipes and cooking put Smyrna on the map as prominent people came from all over the US to get a taste of authentic southern cooking. This fact alone is central to Smyrna’s history.
She understood that her brand was key to her own success and hence, that of her community allowing her the ability to secure donations to ultimately cofound Cobb County’s first black hospital. This is what I call a victim turned victor in the grand scheme of things. This would ultimately be the reason why she would be targeted by the KKK and other hate groups and yet she persisted!!! With no offspring to give her proper burial, her body rests somewhere unknown. Her honor deserves more.
While it is true the building embodies a spirit of the worst of humanity, it is a missed opportunity to not repurpose its presence to tell her story of resilience and fortitude which is also a reflection of Smyrna as well. What once was a City that prided itself on 0% Black population is now one of the most diverse communities in Cobb County. My hope is that Smyrna do her memory justice and not reduce her contribution to a bronze plaque to be forgotten and trampled on. Cancel culture robs us of the redemptive blessings of the human experience. Fanny Williams was much too important for that. How many of us will be so fortunate in our lifetime to be primary donors to a building and have the privilege to participate in its groundbreaking. That would be a feat in current day especially dealing with all of the threats she faced back then. The second image above is captioned as follows: “Pictured above Groundbreaking – Aunt Fanny helped found the first black hospital in the county.” Sent by a dear friend, this photo brought a tear to my eye.
Sometimes moving Smyrna into the future means embracing a mindset that enriches the present using the past as a spring point for greater understanding and deeper experiences to be had by ALL, especially for our children.
Shaun Martin Architect 