Bainbridge Tour Highlights Local Black History

Guided tour showcases once-thriving Black business district and influential community leaders.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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A guided tour of Bainbridge, Georgia on Saturday highlighted the city's rich African American history, focusing on the once-bustling Black business district along North Broad and Market streets as well as the homes and institutions of prominent local leaders.

Why it matters

The tour aimed to connect both older and younger generations to Bainbridge's past, preserving the memory of outstanding Black community figures whose stories might otherwise be forgotten over time.

The details

The tour route started at the intersection of North Broad and Market streets, which was home to a thriving Black business district in the 1940s-1960s featuring businesses like barbershops, tailor shops, fish markets, and appliance stores. While few of those original businesses remain today, the tour highlighted individual locations and reminisced about the vibrant community that once existed there. Other stops on the 25-stop tour included the residences of local educator Joe Sweet Sr. and Dr. Joseph H. Griffin, founder of the area's only Black hospital, as well as African Baptist Church, Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, and the Hutto-McIver Homes housing development.

  • The guided tour took place on Saturday, March 1, 2026.
  • Bainbridge's Black business district along North Broad and Market streets thrived in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.

The players

Rahn D. Fudge

A Bainbridge native and the organizer of the local history tour.

Johnny Montgomery

A long-time Bainbridge resident who served as a tour guide, reminiscing about the businesses and their owners on North Broad Street.

Joe Sweet Sr.

A local educator and community leader whose residence was featured on the tour.

Dr. Joseph H. Griffin

The founder of the Griffin Hospital and Clinic, one of the few Black hospitals within a 50- to 60-mile radius, whose residence was also included on the tour.

Guyton Brothers - Now Close - Funeral Home

A business that was highlighted on the tour of Bainbridge's historic Black community.

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What they’re saying

“This was the place to come shop, get your suit tailored, get your hair cut, get a drink, nightlife. The only thing that really is remaining on this block now is Sweet's Barbershop. They're like the last of the Mohicans.”

— Rahn D. Fudge, Tour Organizer (thepostsearchlight.com)

“Right here, it was like New York City.”

— Johnny Montgomery, Tour Guide (thepostsearchlight.com)

What’s next

Organizers hope to continue offering the tour to help preserve the history and legacy of Bainbridge's Black community for future generations.

The takeaway

The tour highlighted how Bainbridge's once-thriving Black business district and influential community leaders helped shape the city's history, underscoring the importance of preserving these stories and connections to the past.