Local Podcast Explores Unexpected Connection

By Ross Boissoneau | May 2, 2026

When Isiah Smith (a regular Northern Express columnist) started reading The Early County Massacre, a recounting of events that took place in 1915 in Early County, Georgia, he didn’t expect to find a personal connection. But within its pages he found a bill of sale documenting his grandfather, also named Isiah Smith, being sold into slavery. Still more shocking: when he reached out to author Orice Jenkins, they discovered they were cousins. “It was kismet moment,” says Jenkins, noting he never would have thought he had relatives in the area. The two will meet in front of an audience at The Alluvion May 8 for a live dialogue about family, historical records, the process of uncovering undiscovered or erased Black histories, why these stories matter, and how America’s past continues to shape its present and future. “It is an American story,” Jenkins says. General admission is $10 at thealluvion.org/tickets.