Grant Blankenship
Appearances
Up First from NPR
Latest On New Orleans Attack; New Congress Comes Into Session; Carter's Funeral
Yeah, that's right. It heads to Plains. And downtown there in Plains, people are going to be lining the street to watch the procession. From there, it's going to go to the family farm where Carter grew up a few miles away and then pause. And there, the farm bell will toll 39 times.
Up First from NPR
Latest On New Orleans Attack; New Congress Comes Into Session; Carter's Funeral
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, here in the South, family farms typically had an iron bell. My grandmother had one. She used to let me ring to call everybody in to eat when the whole family was together. You know, on a farm, the bell was the signal that work was done and it was time to come home. So who will be part of this procession?
Up First from NPR
Latest On New Orleans Attack; New Congress Comes Into Session; Carter's Funeral
So, you know, there'll be members of the Carter family in the motorcade. There will be people Carter brought from planes to the White House. There'll be old friends. They're going to drive for like five hours before arriving later in Atlanta. And it's pretty cold this morning. People are expected to line the roads in some of the towns that they pass through.
Up First from NPR
Latest On New Orleans Attack; New Congress Comes Into Session; Carter's Funeral
Yeah, absolutely. I spoke to Ben Gray. He's a longtime Georgia photojournalist. He's been tapped by the Carter family to document every piece of the activity here in Georgia, and he'll be in the procession the whole way.
Up First from NPR
Latest On New Orleans Attack; New Congress Comes Into Session; Carter's Funeral
And you know that afterwards was really his work at the Carter Center in Atlanta where he will lie in repose until Tuesday. And what happens then? Well, so then his body will be flown to Washington, D.C. for a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol where he'll lie in state until Thursday.
Up First from NPR
Latest On New Orleans Attack; New Congress Comes Into Session; Carter's Funeral
And then there'll be an official state funeral attended by President Biden, members of Congress, as well as President-elect Donald Trump. But this will all circle back where Carter's life began, back to Plains, with a family ceremony Thursday evening at Carter's home church, Maranatha Baptist.
Up First from NPR
Latest On New Orleans Attack; New Congress Comes Into Session; Carter's Funeral
That's where photographer Ben Gray says he's going to be most attuned to capturing those important moments.
Up First from NPR
Latest On New Orleans Attack; New Congress Comes Into Session; Carter's Funeral
And then Thursday evening, Carter will be laid to rest at his home in Plains next to his wife, Rosalyn.
Up First from NPR
Latest On New Orleans Attack; New Congress Comes Into Session; Carter's Funeral
Yeah, thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.