Course Description

Instructor: Denise Raynor

On a breezy day in May, 1917, a bit of child mischief started a fire that would spread over 73 city blocks and burn for eleven hours, causing $5 million in damages. The resulting devastation reshaped the city’s landscape and would define social and political affairs for more than 3 centuries. The course will cover the circumstances that resulted in the fire, recovery efforts and the resulting changes to the cityscape over the ensuing years.

Bio: Denise Raynor, an emerita of Emory School of Medicine is a long-time OLLI member and instructor. She has continued to pursue her interest in the stories of Black Americans through previous courses on Juneteenth and fugitive slaves and as a historical fiction writer with a debut novel, "Birthing Pains" coming out early in 2026.