The Last Year at Forest Cove

Four days before Christmas in 1957, Clarence Horatious Pickett, a preacher and newspaper ad salesman in Columbus, Georgia, walked into town to pick up his paycheck. Forty-eight years old and known as “Reverend” to many, the tall, lean man with wire-rimmed glasses left his home and headed toward The Columbus World, a black newspaper where Pickett worked.

Pickett, who’d been a boy preacher, was showing signs of mental instability and had spent time in the county jail and the state mental hospital, which was notorious for employing doctors with addictions, poor training and racist beliefs. Before the day was over, Pickett would be arrested, jailed, and beaten senseless by a white police officer. An examining physician would conclude that Pickett was “putting on.” He wasn’t. His injuries would lead to his death two days later. Pickett’s killing would spur police and FBI investigations where a remarkable number of eyewitnesses would come forward to testify on what they saw. But would an all-white criminal justice system bring charges against a white cop for beating a black man?

Season 5 of Buried Truths follows the story of Pickett and the criminal justice and medical professionals who failed him. Why was he thrown in jail in the first place? Why wasn't he able to receive adequate medical care in those fragile days after his encounter with police? We'll explore Pickett’s life as a mentally disturbed Black man in the dark heart of the Deep South in the 1950s.

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Following WABE's year-long investigation into life at Forest Cove, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens visits the deteriorating complex and kickstarts an effort to get residents out. As a result, Ms. Peaches finally gets what she fought so hard for--decent housing.

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Neglect is not new at Forest Cove. A look into archives reveals how mismanagement has plagued the complex since it first opened in 1976. While early residents remember quiet, family-oriented townhomes, newspaper reports and court documents show Forest Cove soon suffered from construction defects. A Congressman who led investigations into the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at the time asks why still no one has solved this problem.

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Millennia defends itself against reports of poor conditions in its properties. As Ms. Peaches begins to suffer from breathing problems related to her unit, she goes head to head with apartment staff in a protest. Then, just when she believes Forest Cove’s situation is about to improve, the renovation plan is put in doubt.

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Forest Cove received over 500 housing code complaints and violations over a five-year period, according to an analysis of city records by WABE. The complex also failed numerous federal inspections going back. And yet, the complex kept operating with poor conditions. Housing attorneys say there’s no incentive for the private owners to make repairs. 

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Life at Forest Cove doesn't improve after the complex's sale to Millennia. The renovation can't begin until residents are off the property. But there are continued delays in the relocation process. Then, a tragedy takes place at the apartments that shakes Ms. Peaches and her neighbors.

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As the Forest Cove property sits in limbo, residents can feel abandoned. Still, Ms. Peaches tries to keep order, advocating for residents and scolding them for not respecting the complex. Then, comes the complex’s long-awaited sale to a new company, called Millennia, which promises real change.

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Ms. Peaches has waited years for better conditions at Forest Cove, as her floor collapses, rats run across her kitchen and her yard fills with trash. But when a letter arrives signaling possible change, she and other residents have trouble believing. In the past, the private companies who’ve run the publicly-funded complex haven’t followed through with their plans. 

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