The Lane Center at Wesleyan College is dedicated to fostering meaningful dialogue, community engagement, and historical preservation. Rooted in a commitment to education, the Lane Center has played a vital role in connecting Wesleyan with the broader Macon community through research and service initiatives.
The Lane Center’s community outreach efforts trace back to Aunt Maggie’s Kitchen Table, a grassroots initiative inspired by Maggie Davis-Hunt, a Macon resident known for her generosity and commitment to serving others. Originally established as a small program to support local families, Aunt Maggie’s Kitchen Table quickly became a cornerstone of the Lane Center’s work, offering food assistance, educational programs, and resources to underserved communities in Macon. This initiative laid the foundation for the Center’s broader mission—ensuring that Wesleyan’s academic resources service initiatives extend beyond campus walls.
In addition to direct community outreach, the Lane Center has been a leader in public history efforts, helping to uncover and honor Macon’s hidden past. One of its most impactful projects has been the placement of historic markers throughout downtown Macon. These markers tell the often-overlooked stories of Black businesses, civil rights leaders, and community institutions that shaped the city’s history. By bringing these narratives to light, the Lane Center ensures that Macon's rich and multifaceted past is preserved for future generations.
The Lane Center remains active in promoting education, service, and historical education through:
Community Education Programs: Expanding learning opportunities through lectures, workshops, and partnerships with local organizations.
Ongoing Public History Projects: Developing new historical markers and digital archives to document Macon’s evolving history.
Some of the Lane Center’s initiatives include:
Contributing research to the Tubman Museum Exhibit "'The Water Spirit Will Take Us Home': The Story of Igbo Landing" which displayed at both the Tubman Museum and the Wesleyan College Leadership Lab
Student-directed research through the Piedmont Memory Project, a collaborative research effort that identifies and reunites the families of enslaved people who are buried in unmarked graves in the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge.
The unveiling of historic markers throughout downtown Macon as part of an initiative through the Macon 200 Bicentennial Committee
Contributed research and featured in the Tubman Museum Exhibit “Reparative Justice: Hidden Histories.”
Through these efforts, the Lane Center continues to honor its legacy while evolving to meet the needs of today’s community.
Wesleyan College is privileged to steward many arts and cultural events and share them with the community. Most are free and open to the public. Wesleyan art galleries are open M-F 1-5PM and on Wesleyan Market Saturdays from 10AM-2PM.
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Wesleyan College is home to five NCAA Division III sports: soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and softball. In addition, we offer an award-winning Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Equestrian program.
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