Hope Iglehart was born in Augusta, GA where her mother was doing her residency at the Medical College of Georgia. Shortly after her birth they moved to Athens, the city where Hope’s mother, maternal grandparents and  maternal great-grandparents are from. She attended public school in the Clarke County School district and  graduated from Clarke Central High School, where she was captain of the track team, played violin and was on the inaugural softball team. She attended Bennett College for Women, an Historically Black College in Greensboro, NC, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English. After earning an Associate’s degree from Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Decatur, she became a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer. She went on to become an instructor, program director, dean and finally the President of Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service. Hope has worked in her family’s funeral business since 2001.

 

Hope has a Master’s degree in Education from Piedmont College. She worked as  Academic Advisor  and then later as a Program Director at Athens Tech as well as an Adjunct Instructor teaching classes on interpersonal skills, college readiness and business management. 

 

Hope is now the Director of Engagement and African American Heritage at Historic Athens. In 2012, Hope successfully lobbied to have the Reese Street area of Athens receive its Local Historic Designation, which is one of only five historically African American neighborhoods in the state to have national and local historic designations. Hope’s position at Historic Athens was funded by a seed grant from the National Trust of Historic Preservation’s African American Action Fund. Hope is currently working on oral histories and livecast that are produced through a partnership with the University of Georgia Special Collections and the Willson Center, with grants from the Whiting Foundation and a Mellon Grant.   The livecasts take place every Friday and provide a platform for Athens community members to tell stories about local history. She also curates additional programming for Historic Athens.

 

Hope is a member of Hill First Baptist Church, where she is an Associate Pastor. She is a member of The Links Incorporated Athens (GA) Chapter, a national organization of women, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She has been strongly influenced by her grandmother, Mrs. Thelma F. Hurley, who helped integrate Oglethorpe Elementary School as a teacher. She is also inspired by her grandfather,  Mr. John T. Hurley, Jr. , an active community member who served on several state-level committees and owned Hurley Funeral Home in Athens. Hope lives near downtown Athens.  

 

What do you love most about the work you do with Historic Athens?

 

The thing I enjoy most is interacting with different people, getting to know people and learning about their experiences. That’s been the most fascinating thing. To hear people’s stories and to take that information and turn it into content is fabulous. It’s amazing. A lot of people think their stories aren’t that interesting but in actuality they really are. So it’s been fun putting puzzle pieces together. Coming up with great content has been fun. And I just like talking to people. I’m a learned extrovert– I like interacting with people and getting to know people and hearing what makes Athens great. 

 

What do you like to do in and around Athens when you’re not working?

 

I like The Lark, they have great wine. And I love the non-chain restaurants that we have here, whether it be lunch at Heirloom or going downtown and catching a bite to eat. If I want soul food I can go to Weaver Ds or Dawg Gone Good BBQ. I’m a foodie so I like good food. I also love going and sitting at the park and taking in nature. I also love a good concert here and there when there’s one in town that peaks my interest. But mostly I enjoy good food and good wine.

 

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

 

There are a lot of places I haven’t traveled to yet. I would probably go to the continent of Africa, there are several countries there that I would like to visit. I would like to go to Lagos, because it’s such a thriving city. I’d also like to go to Southern Africa and visit different countries there. But I’d love to just travel the world and experience life.

 

If you could see any band or musician anywhere at any time, who would you see and where?

 

Well my favorite artist of all time is Marvin Gaye so I would love to see him live and in person. I also love Fleetwood Mac & Stevie Nicks, Issac Hayes and anything ‘70s and early ‘80s is my jam. Or maybe BeeGees, The Little River Band & Allman Brothers. They all were part of the soundtrack of my life growing up here in Athens.

I’d love an intimate venue. Maybe the Georgia Theatre or Fox Theater, I don’t know. Or even an outdoor theater. 

 

If you could give any advice to your younger self, what would it be?

 

I would have said to pick up a trade early on. I probably would have picked up taking  cosmetology or massage therapy class or something early on. Something that would give me the vehicle to have flexibility and be able to do all the things I enjoy doing. I think life is so important to enjoy, to do things you enjoy doing. 

 

Do you have a favorite book or one you find yourself referencing or gifting most often?

 

I would say my favorite book is Their Eyes are Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston. There’s also a book called Thick Face, Black Heart, which is a very interesting book written by Chin Ning Chu. 

 

What is your favorite movie or the first movie you saw in a movie theater?

 

I used to go to the movies with my grandparents all the time. I think the first thing I ever saw in theaters was On Golden Pond, but of course that wasn’t my choice of movie as a kid, but it kind of feeds into the type of movies that I like now. But my favorite movie is A River Runs Through It. I love all the different themes like family, love and pain. 

 

If you could put any message on a billboard what would it say?

 

“Be kind to yourself.” Diane Hodson, who was an academic advisor at Athens Tech with me, would always say, every week leading into the weekend: “Make sure you do something that you enjoy.” I think people get caught up in the rat race and trying to make everyone else happy, so I think it’s important to do things that you enjoy whether it be getting an ice cream cone or having the best burger in town, if that’s the thing you like, or a great conversation with someone and putting yourself first for a change. A lot of times people don’t put themselves first. It’s good to remember that you’re important and that your interests have value.

 

If you could eat lunch with anyone dead or alive, who would it be and where?

 

It would probably be Jesus. I don’t know where we would go. I’m trying to think of something fitting for him. Maybe on a picnic!

 

What three words or phrases do you think of when you think of the word “home”?

 

I think of legacy, community and I think of Thelma, my grandmother.