History

Founded in 1879 as the Railroad Commission of Georgia, the PSC was created to regulate the very companies now knocking on Sparta’s doors. Over time, its authority expanded to include electric, gas, and telecommunications services across the state. In 1922, it was renamed the Georgia Public Service Commission to reflect its broader jurisdiction. Today, the […]

For centuries, Black land ownership has symbolized freedom and future. But across the U.S., that land has been quietly taken—under court orders, through backdoor deals, and beneath the weight of “public good.” Sparta’s current battle isn’t new. It’s the latest chapter in a long, shameful history. From highways bulldozing Black neighborhoods in the 1960s to […]

Picture this: a quiet stretch of rural Georgia, home to elderly residents, historic wetlands, and birdsong at dawn. Now imagine it torn up by freight trains thundering through backyards, shaking homes, polluting the air, and carving a wound into the land. This is the future Sandersville Railroad Company and Heidelberg Materials envision for Sparta’s Black […]

How a Railroad Threatens 105 Years of Black Land Ownership in Georgia In the historic St. Galilee community of Hancock County, Georgia, a quiet war is underway—one waged not with weapons, but with paperwork, political silence, and corporate ambition. The Sandersville Railroad Company, backed by the Heidelberg Quarry expansion, is attempting to lay track through […]