The Atlanta Voice E-Edition 042426

A Love Letter to Atlanta

Mechanicsville Mural Celebrates Culture, Community and Global Connection

By ISAIAH SINGLETON

In preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Atlanta

Mayor Andre Dickens hosted a special mural dedication and press event celebrating Wild Seed, Wildflower: a new public artwork by Atlanta-based artist Charity Hamidullah.

Located at the intersection of Windsor and Rawson streets, this latest installation reflects the City’s continued investment in public art as a powerful tool for storytelling, community connection, and neighborhood vibrancy. Created in partnership with Living Walls, this mural is the result of over a year of planning and three weeks of on-site production, supported by a dedicated team of collaborating artists.

This event is part of the City’s Bridges, Tunnels, and Walls program, transforming public infrastructure into dynamic canvases that celebrate creativity, community, and global connection.

The mural, funded by the Moving Atlanta Forward initiative, provides housing for formerly homeless individuals and aims to foster a sense of community.

Hamidullah, the leading artist of the mural, said her and a team of talented artists, the community, and the City of Atlanta played a huge part in making this mural a reality.

“When I think about my community and this space, I automatically think about Wild Seed, Wild Flower. It was inspired by the words in the Book of Octavia Butler, Wild Seed,” she said. “It was about transforming body, community, and transcending beyond time and

space. Since I’ve been over here, this space has transformed my life and so many of the people around me. It planted a seed in my world, as an artist and as a woman.”

Living Walls Director Monica Compana said that as an immigrant and an artist doing work in public spaces, she learned quickly about the power of creating art for everyone to see.

“It was not only the most democratic way of creating art, but it was

also the most empowering, socially impactful, and accessible way of making art. Public art made me feel like my voice mattered, and it made me feel seen as an immigrant from Peru in this city,” she said.

Compana says Wild Seed, Wild Flower is not just a monumental feed that used over 800 spray cans with over 100 colors, but it’s a love letter to Atlanta.

“It was created with the support and hard work of an incredible

team of artists that come from different parts of the country and the world, like New Orleans, New York, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Greece, Iran, Eritrea, Italy, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Peru and, of course, Atlanta,” she said.

Dickens said when people see these murals, they are seeing the social and artistic infrastructure that resonates with the community’s emotion and love for the city.

“This is a group project. I’m proud of us. Thank you for this mural, and your partnership with the City of Atlanta, we’re celebrating the work that’s happening across Atlanta through the Bridges, Tunnels, and Walls program,” he said.

When guests arrive in Atlanta, Dickens said, everyone will see the mural.

“With Wild Seed, Wild Flower, we’ve seen something be planted in this community that will keep growing and changing for generations to come,” he said. “Art has long been one of our city’s strongest languages, from Elevate Atlanta to the other cultural affairs programs that we have, it has always treated artists as civic partners.”

Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs Adriane Jefferson said murals are not just nice because they look good but are crucial parts to communities in Atlanta.

“When you look at murals, what you’re looking at is a story. You’re looking at the spirit of the community, a story that it wants to tell,”

See MURAL on page 5

ATL Culture House: Atlanta’s creative hub for World Cup

By NOAH WASHINGTON

The city of Atlanta on Wednesday announced ATL Culture House, a first-of-its-kind cultural hub set to open during the FIFA World Cup 2026, with Mayor Andre Dickens and city officials unveiling the initiative at The Center ( CTR), 190 Marietta St. NW.

Anchored by the phrase “Culture by Design,” ATL Culture House will occupy more than 23,000 square feet on the eighth floor of The CTR’s North Tower. The space can accommodate up to 2,000 people and will host eight signature activations running from June 14 through July 14. Programming will span live performances, artist talks, film screenings, creative industry workshops, cultural conversations, and youth and community programming. Admission is free, though attendance requires advance registration.

Adriane V. Jefferson, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, said the project grew out of a broad community call for proposals, drawing close to 400 applications from artists, creatives, and arts organizations across the city. The application review period closes April 27, with community partner notifications going out by April 29. An official programming announcement is scheduled for May 7.

Jefferson said the turnout reflected how much Atlanta’s creative community has been waiting for a space like this. “Seeing all of the creatives in the space brings me a lot of joy,” she said, noting the office received close to

“I didn’t really understand the magnitude of it,” Dickens said of the Olympics. “It wasn’t going to be coming back next year or 10 years later. And so now I’m all in on World Cup, because I see this opportunity now.”

is rooted in the company’s commitment to both culture and commerce in Atlanta.

400 applications from artists, creatives, and arts organizations across the city.

Youth engagement sits at the center of the Culture House vision. Dickens, who was in college during Atlanta’s 1996 Summer Olympics, said the World Cup represents a chance he did not fully appreciate the first time around. He pointed to programming already underway, including a spring break activation that drew thousands of students to parks and recreation centers across the city, where activities ranged from painting and gaming to volleyball.

Dickens said the Culture House gives Atlanta’s young people a chance to situate themselves within a global moment, one that connects the city’s history to the world arriving at its doorstep.

“This is an opportunity for them to see themselves as a part of the world landscape,” he said. “If you are the home of Dr. King, you’ve got to know what’s going to happen when South Africa gets here.”

Amazon is among the initiative’s anchoring sponsors and will operate the Amazon Community Stage, a dedicated platform for live performances at the venue. Terreta Rodgers, Head of Community Affairs for Amazon’s Georgia Region, said the partnership

“The Atlanta Culture House is more than a destination,” Rodgers said. “It’s a celebration of who we are, as residents of Atlanta. As those who moved here from other places, we are all contributing to this very important, significant and unique culture.”

In Georgia alone, more than 16,000 small and independent businesses sell through Amazon’s storefront, collectively moving more than 76 million items in 2024. ATL Culture House will feature a daily spotlight on one of Amazon’s Georgia-based small and medium-sized businesses, giving local entrepreneurs direct access to the global audience the World Cup is expected to draw.

“A lot of our small businesses know how to do business locally,” Rodgers said in an interview after the press conference, “but we work with them hand in hand to take their products globally. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who may have a brick and mortar store or a small business locally to introduce their product to a global market.”

The venue will operate from noon to 8 p.m. on each of its eight activation days. Security will be coordinated with the Atlanta Police Department, supplemented by private security within the venue and additional coverage maintained by The CTR building.

Jefferson said the goal extends well beyond the World Cup, framing the Culture House as a foundation for Atlanta’s long-term creative infrastructure. “This is for Atlanta creators,” she said. “We want to make sure that this infrastructure remains after the world leaves.”

When asked whether ATL Culture House would continue after the tournament, Jefferson was candid but optimistic. “That is my hope, that it becomes a model that does stay,” she said. “We are hoping that it will go so well that people will want to invest and that we can find the resources to continue it.”

More information is available at atlculturehouse.com.

Voices

Why Black Communities Must Shape School Closure Decisions

By DR. NOSAKHERE GRIFFIN-EL I

President Obama, while on a podcast, discussed two competing narratives shaping American society. The narrative of hierarchy centers on exclusion — often by race and gender — while the narrative of equality emphasizes a shared creed and collective action. Hierarchy, by design, is anti-democratic because it privileges solutions from the top, silencing those at the bottom. In contrast, equality is inherently democratic, empowering communities to develop solutions together.

School Closures Are Being Decided Without Communities

Across the country, school closures are happening in an anti-democratic way. Many closures are justified by budget deficits, the high costs of maintaining old buildings, population declines, or the need to improve struggling schools. Cities like Pittsburgh, Austin, Texas, Houston, and Philadelphia all cite similar reasons for proposed closures.

In Philadelphia, Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. has proposed closing 18 schools. The plan has sparked strong resistance from students,

parents, and community members. Black and Brown students make up 75% of the district, and the closures would affect 5,000 students — disproportionately harming them. The last time Philadelphia closed schools, the consequences for students, families, and communities were severe.

Democracy Requires Community-Led Education Reform

For educational reform to truly be democratic, it must be led by the people most affected: students, parents, and community members.

Philadelphia, the birthplace of American democracy, is now witnessing an anti-democratic process that diminishes educational spaces where Black and Brown children can dream within their own communities.

What We Lose When Schools Close

You may be able to tell that closing schools is personal to me. I am a graduate of University City High School. My school was closed in 2013 and sold to Drexel University for $14 million. A few years later, Drexel built a skyscraper on the land that once served as a place where Black

children could dream.

U-City was a place where teachers saw us not as test scores but as children with the potential to achieve anything. Our principals held both teachers and students to high standards, offering encouragement that would last a lifetime.

U-City was more than a building — it was an ecosystem of possibility, what I call a “Dreamocracy,” where adults supported children in developing and advancing their dreams.

Congressman David Scott, dead at 80

By DONNELL SUGGS

United States Congressman David Scott (GA-13) has passed away. Scott, a native of Aynor, South Carolina, was 80. Scott was preparing to run for another term in office. He had been a member of Congress since being elected in 2003 to represent District 13, which includes parts of Clayton, Henry, DeKalb, Newton, and Rockdale counties. Scott remains very popular with constituents in Clayton County, where he had an office on Main Street in Jonesboro for decades.

Scott joined the Georgia House of Representatives in 1975 and successfully ran for and was elected to the Georgia State Senate in 1983. A graduate of Historic Black College and University (HBCU), Florida A&M University, and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Scott is the brother-in-law of the late Atlanta Braves great and Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron. Scott is survived by his wife of 57 years, Alfredia Scott, Aaron’s sister, and the couple’s two daughters. Colleagues of Scott’s, including

those running for his seat, have publicly expressed their feelings about his passing and his career as a public servant.

“Today, I join people across Georgia and this nation in extending my sincere condolences to Congressman David Scott and his family during this time of loss,” said Dr. Jeff Fauntleroy, Sr., one of the candidates in the District 13 race.

“In moments like these, we are reminded that service to the people rises above politics. Regardless of

party or position, we stand together in compassion, respect, and shared humanity.”

United States Senator Jon Ossoff (GA-D) said of Scott’s passing in a statement: Alisha and I join all Georgians in mourning the passing of Congressman David Scott.

“We send our deepest condolences to his beloved wife, Alfredia, his daughters Dayna and Marcye, the entire Scott family, and his entire staff during this difficult time.

“Congressman Scott devoted his life to public service and the State of Georgia, elected to the Georgia State House in 1974 and the State Senate in 1982 before being elected to Congress in 2002.

“The State of Georgia is a better place thanks to the service of Congressman Scott.

“May his memory be a blessing.”

Fellow member of Congress, Nikema Williams, said in a statement that Scott was an advocate for HBCUs and their students.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of my colleague, Congressman David Scott. He devoted his life to public service and never wavered in his commitment to lifting

up the voices of those in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District and communities across our state and country. As the first Black Chair of the House Agriculture Committee in the United States House of Representatives, he leaves a legacy of working to expand our agricultural sector, make food more affordable, end hunger, and support our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

And Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said this of Scott: “Atlanta joins the state of Georgia in mourning the passing of Congressman David Scott, one of Georgia’s longest-serving voices in Washington, D.C., and a tireless advocate for the people he served. For decades, he fought for Georgia farmers, advocated for our veterans, and ensured his constituents were supported at the street level with job and health fairs, serving tens of thousands of Georgians over the years. His legacy is one of service, perseverance, and deep commitment to this state. My thoughts are with his wife, Alfredia Aaron, his children, his extended family, his colleagues, and all who were impacted by his work.”

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‘It’s political redlining’: House Bill 369 is on the clock

By DONNELL SUGGS

In the shadow of the Gold Dome, a dozen local political, business, faith, and organizational leaders gathered to oppose a bill that they deem will hurt Black politicians and Black voters.

Georgia House Bill 369 (HB 369) looks to make county-level elections in five of the state’s largest counties —Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, and Clayton—nonpartisan beginning in January 2028. The bill only applies to those five counties. Major statewide, local, and national elections have revolved around metro Atlanta results. The HB 369 opposition group spoke to why they believe those counties and the Black leadership within those counties are being targeted.

On Thursday morning, Fulton County Commissioner Rob Pitts, Georgia Rep. Jasmine Clark, Georgia Rep. Terry Cummings, Atlanta Black Chambers President Melvin Coleman, Atlanta North Georgia Labor Council President Sandra Lee Williams, Atlanta Business League President Leona Davenport, Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda Executive Director Helen Butler, and others spoke to local media about why they are publicly and privately opposing HB 369.

“This bill is not about improving democracy. It’s about changing the rules for five counties,” said League of Women Voters President

MURAL

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she said. “You’re also looking at cultural vitality. What we know is where we place murals, where we beautify cities, and know community follows and culture is centered

Nichola Hines, who added that the bill should be for all 159 counties, or none at all.

Coleman said the bill should concern all Georgia voters, not just Democrats. “We have serious concerns about the objectives of the proposed legislation,” he said. “I stand here asking Governor [Brian] Kemp to veto HB 369.”

The bill was recently approved by the House and sent to the governor’s desk for approval. Members of the HB 369 opposition group acknowledged that they sat down with members of Kemp’s staff to express their concerns, but did not speak directly to the governor. A letter requesting a face-to-face meeting was hand-delivered to his office,

according to Williams.

Holding a fan with the words “Voting is a sacred right,” Butler said, “Governor Kemp, veto HB 369.”

Georgia voters have a general primary election on May 19, with any runoffs on June 16. Bills like HB 369 are not necessarily on their radar amid everything taking place,

around mural beautification.”

Jefferson also says that while getting ready for the World Cup, which is around the corner, the city of Atlanta has been beautifying the city through public visual art. There will be nine other murals popping up in the city, bringing the total to 10, according to Jefferson.

“This is our largest mural out of the 10 that we have commissioned in our office,” Jefferson said. “It’s something that we just thought this would be a beautiful moment to represent, not just this mural, but all the murals that are going up, leading us into the World Cup.”

Atlanta City Councilmember of District 4 and Mechanicsville resident, Jason Dozier, says he has been so excited about this project.

“We want you to feel like you are at home when you see this mural. The Mechanicsville community has gone through a lot in its entire history, and one of the things that I wanted to make sure of is that people feel like they’re in a welcoming community,” he said.

Hamidullah also says this mural is made for the World Cup, and she’s honored Atlanta is able to tell their story and move forward together.

“This community has been beautiful for a very long time, and it’s not stopping. It’s going to continue to grow and spread like wildflowers,” she said.

including the rise in gas prices.

“The reality is that most Georgians do not know this bill exists,” said Johnson. “We are here for a clear purpose, and that’s to educate the public about HB 369.”

Johnson said voting rights can be severely affected by the passing of his bill.

“It raises serious civil rights and legal concerns,” she said.

Along with the other organizations, the Georgia NAACP, Concerned Black Clergy, Communities United for Justice, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber all had representatives in attendance.

“HB 369 is akin to political redlining,” said Partnership for Southern Equity VP for Strategy and Engagement Joel Alvarado. “The same logic applies to this legislation. They are trying to tell the state that these five counties have problems. This is a way to dilute the political power in those counties.”

Much of the political power in those counties is Black.

Loss to legacy: Sheila “Michelle”

Foye’s AI film on grief and faith

By ISAIAH SINGLETON

years ago, author, and CEO of Precis Screening, Sheila ‘Michelle’ Foye endured something a mother should never have to: On June 15, 2016, her oldest son, DJ, was murdered due to gang violence.

The death of her firstborn inspired Foye to create a vision that turned into an artificial intelligence (AI) 10-minute short film called Christmas Between, a cinematic love letter to grief, motherhood, and faith. It’s a story where loss becomes legacy, pain births purpose, and Christmas becomes the day love comes home again.

“Losing DJ inspired the short film surrounding grief about a life cut short. When we lose people younger than expected, we start to think about what their life could have been, should have been, and would have been,” she said.

Christmas Between introduces 45-year-old Maya Varner, who is an attorney, mother, and fiancée. Varner appears to have built a full and enviable life; however, beneath her

success lies the grief of losing her firstborn, Malik, which she never allowed to surface and face.

The conversation surrounding grief, silence, and generational patterns is important to have, she says, because people are getting in touch with their mental health a lot more.

Having these conversations in the present day, she says, opens dialogue, but talking about grief can be a sensitive topic.

“People will talk about PTSD, depression, and anxiety, but people don’t talk about grief. It comes with the territory of life, and it seems people just suck it and tuck it; however, it doesn’t stay inside,” she said. “It shows up in addiction to alcohol, drugs, behavior disorders, or feeling stuck in life.

Losing DJ, she said, created anxiety within her from not being able to eat or maintain a healthy food pattern, to finding herself giving things away.

“Food made me sick, and I had to make myself eat. I felt like it was the end, and I was worried that when I went to sleep, I wasn’t going to wake up,” she said. “I became overly sensitive to losing people, not just like them passing away, but just like relationship-wise.”

Also, Foye says she incorporated AI into the short film because she spent 20 years in programming and project management.

Foye says that in anything she does, she always looks to incorporate tech as a natural addition.

“I’m a tech girl at heart, and I can’t imagine my life without technology. AI provides a means for us to market the film more effectively and ultimately segway us to make a $300,000 feature-length film coming soon,” she said.

AI, she says, is no different than people as individuals, where there is a spectrum of gifts each of us has. We are either overusing it or underusing it, and when we do either, it’s not good, Foye says.

“We need to properly use it, and even if you’re using AI, it’s still your story and life put into this film,” she said. “This AI short allows us to

“Christmas Between” introduces 45-year-old Maya Varner, who is an attorney, mother, and fiancée. Varner appears to have built a full and enviable life; however, beneath her success lies the

she

fundraise and beta test among the 10 million people plus who experience grief.”

Foye says she chose the Christmas theme for the film because, after losing DJ, her coping mechanism was to watch Christmas movies.

“We chose the Christmas setting because, in dealing with grief and the loss of my son, I’m still like a toddler in my grief. I literally for one whole year sat in bed with my laptop and watched Christmas movies,” she said. “I treated it like my do-not-disturb time, like this is the one time where I won’t let grief have me.”

Outside of the conversation around grief, Foye also wanted to highlight “Legacy of Wealth” in both financial and cultural terms.

In Atlanta, there’s a reputation for black excellence, entrepreneurship, and financial growth. Foye’s story adds another layer to that conversation: What we carry emotionally, what we preserve culturally, and what we ultimately pass down.

As a girl from College Park projects, Foye says God planted dreams inside of her at a young age.

“When I was growing up, my grandmother paid $3 to take her to the grocery store and back, taking a cab, taking a bus ride from College Park all the way into Five Points,” she said. “I bought my first house at 24, and I took out a $15,000 second mortgage to upgrade the house. That $15,000 should have been used to buy another property.”

Foye says she didn’t have anyone to advise her that way, and nobody in her life was having those conversations.

The financial component is important, she says, because it’s not just money, but you must have the

right relationship, and for you to have the right relationship, you must be in the right place and space.

Also, she says cultural wealth is just as important.

“I had DJ when I was 17 years old, then my next child at 19 years old, and many years later had my other children. The things that I was wanting to solve for what my children were, were things I was trying to solve for me, but I needed to be solving for them,” she said. “A lot of that is happening right now because we’re attempting to build bridges for the next generation to come behind us.”

Culture, she says, is about the meeting of the minds across generations. She says she wants people to be forward thinkers and work together to build systems that make it easy, productive, and innovative generation after generation.

For emotional wealth, she says we must learn how to attain wealth without killing ourselves.

“Emotions are important, and for myself, I ran myself down to get the job, to keep the job, to do better on the job. It was a lot of doing and not enough being, which may have made my children feel abandoned even though I was present, or made them feel that they weren’t being prioritized,” she said.

For advice to other mothers and people dealing with grief, Foye says she read a book years ago, which said, “You don’t ask God, why? You ask him for what purpose?”

Additionally, Foye says she receives “God Winks”, like when she gets up in the morning and sees a red bird like a Cardinal, they represent spirit.

“Grief will kill you, but God was

clear with me. Every parent wants to see their child grow up to be something, and DJ didn’t get a chance to truly grow up,” she said. “The things that I am doing will represent him growing up, and then God said this isn’t really even about you or DJ, this is about the people that I have you serving.”

This is why this film is important, Foye says: they will introduce an app and podcast as part of the film, providing resources to help people figure out their grief pattern and what they need.

“Some people may want to retreat, others may want people to talk to, so the app will have something for everybody, and then people must figure that out on their own,” she said. “People think grief pulls people together, but no, it actually spreads them more apart.”

In the future, Foye plans to release a full-length feature film based on the AI short film, starring real actors.

“We will raise money to produce the feature film, and it will be out in time for Christmas this year,” she said. “I don’t have any letters of commitment yet from anybody or any actors/actresses, but I feel like Regina King would be great for the primary character, Maya.”

Foye says she has a long road ahead of her with her own grief, but she feels more encouraged by the film.

“I don’t feel scared anymore, and when I think about DJ, I don’t lose my breath. I think before this film, I was afraid to let myself grieve,” she said. “I now understand we can allow ourselves to miss the ones we’ve lost and allow ourselves to still love them. You didn’t lose the love; it just transformed.”

The Beacon at Cooper Street marks Atlanta’s 500th unit of rapid housing

By LAURA NWOGU

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and the City of Atlanta have reached a milestone in their initiative to build or preserve 20,000 affordable housing units across the city by 2030. The Beacon at Cooper Street, located at 405 Cooper Street, is the 500th unit of rapid housing and marks a continued effort to combat homelessness and provide safe, secure, and affordable housing.

A wreath of blue, white, and red balloons with the number 500 arched over Dickens as he addressed a crowd filled with Mechanicsville community members, city officials, contractors, planners, and developers.

“From the start of my administration, I said that how we treat our most vulnerable neighbors would define us as a city. Through our rapid housing initiative, we decided to act with urgency, turning underutilized city-owned land and county-owned land into permanent supportive housing,” Dickens said.

“We set a clear goal to deliver 500 rapid housing units for those experiencing homelessness across our city, and with the completion of the Beacon, we’ve officially reached that milestone, which is promises made and promises kept.”

Dickens emphasized that the number blown up behind him didn’t just represent the city’s 500th unit, but “500 opportunities, 500 lives, 500 chances at stability, at dignity, and 500 Atlantans.”

The Beacon was completed

in 9 months, a feat that yielded 2 multi-story buildings with 112 modular units, each over 250 square feet. Four offices were designed to support residents through case management, mental health services, and other resources. Through Project Heal, an initiative of Atlanta Rising that integrates medical and mental health support with new housing, 30 units are dedicated to on-site, community-based mental health and medical supportive care.

Albert “Shivy” Brooks, the Seat 7, At-Large member of the Atlanta Public School Board, said that the Beacon wasn’t just an investment in housing, but in education as well.

“Today, we are not just cutting a ribbon. We are making a statement about who we are as a city and what we want to prioritize. The Beacon on Cooper Street represents more

than a development. It represents a decision to meet people where they are and to provide stability for residents who need it the most,” Brooks said.

“This land once belonged to Atlanta Public Schools, and this moment is evidence that this board is taking seriously our responsibility to repurpose and restore our surplus properties for the benefit of

the city. For too long, spaces like this sat underutilized, contributing to blight and unsafe conditions for our community that cannot and will not be our legacy. This is what it looks like to correct years of neglect and disinvestment. This is what it looks like to turn a liability into an opportunity. This is what it looks like to be accountable, and we are just getting started.”

Community

Mayor Dickens’ fishing retreat engages Atlanta’s youth

NOAH WASHINGTON

When most people picture a fisherman, the image that comes to mind rarely includes young Black boys. Mayor Andre Dickens’ Big Brothers Fishing Retreat is working to change that.

On a spring Saturday morning at Adams Park, young men cast their lines into a stocked pond as Mayor Andre Dickens’ Big Brothers Fishing Retreat returned for its fourth consecutive year, drawing together city agencies, state conservation experts and community volunteers around a shared mission:

getting the youth of Atlanta outside, engaged and equipped with life skills that extend well beyond the water’s edge.

Open to young men ages 12 to 2, taking place at Adams Park in partnership with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Partners included Atlanta Fire Rescue, the Atlanta Police Department, and Atlanta Parks and Recreation.

Now in its fourth year, the event began as a safe harbor for youth in the area, brought to life shortly after Mayor Dickens took office as one of his signature community initiatives. Like midnight basketball, it was designed to replace idle time with structured, purposeful

activity. “We started out with 25 kids,” said Demetrius McCray, Deputy Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services. “We have registered this year 160, and it has just grown.”

“One of the things that the mayor wanted to make sure is that we kept crime down,” McCray said. “This is just allowing young men to just not have idle time. This is an opportunity for them to get up on a Saturday morning, get started, get moving.”

Beyond fishing instruction, participants heard from licensed mental health practitioners throughout the morning. McCray said walking boys through stress-relief techniques and the patience required by fishing was intentional, a way of drawing a line between the sport and broader emotional wellness.

Michael Sellers, Community Fishing Coordinator with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, has been stocking the Adams Park pond with catchable catfish and bream for six years and has attended the retreat every year since its launch. A native Atlantan, Sellers joined the DNR in 2012 and now works across all 159 Georgia counties through the agency’s Gateway to Fishing program, with a focus on urban communities where access to outdoor resources is often

Community

least visible.

“If you catch them young, they become lovers of fishing,” Sellers said. “If you don’t expose them to fishing, they will never know about fishing.”

Sellers noted that children under 16 do not need a fishing license in Georgia, meaning any young person can walk to a neighborhood pond and start fishing without barrier. His team also runs adaptive fishing programs for participants with handicap and special education needs, with accessible lakes throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Among those on hand was Joshua T. Ali, a former Atlanta Falcons Wide Receiver who wrote about his love of fishing turned children’s book author from Miami who came to the retreat because his father’s company, Keen Water, was sponsoring the event. Ali released “Young Joshua’s Big Adventure” in August 2022, a series drawn

from his own childhood memories of fishing with his father after football practice.

“Fish has just always been a part of me,” Ali said. “This book is not necessarily showing people how to fish, but my first experience fishing, catching the fish.”

Watching children reel in their first catches, Ali said the scene resonated personally.

“It’s great just to see these kids outside again,” he said. “Video games and phones and computers kind of took over everything, but it’s good to see everybody come outside and learn something new.”

McCray said the office is already planning to expand the retreat next year, with hopes of bringing a second event to Piedmont Park, which also features a lake within the city of Atlanta park system.

“The community loves it,” he said. “The kids love it. They love the life skill portion of it, and it is just growing every year.”

Join the conversation: The Atlanta Voice hosts forum on affordable housing

STAFF REPORT

The Atlanta Voice is inviting residents across the city to help shape its upcoming year-long journalism initiative focused on one of the region’s most pressing issues: housing affordability.

The publication will kick off Rooted, a solutions journalism series examining the impact of rising housing costs on communities of color and working-class residents, with a free community forum on May 7 at 6 p.m.

Rather than beginning with reporting, The Atlanta Voice is starting with listening.

The forum, organized by Chia Suggs of The Atlanta Voice, will bring together renters, homeowners, seniors, and essential workers to share their lived experiences navigating Atlanta’s housing landscape. Attendees will also have the opportunity to raise

questions and concerns they want explored in the series.

“For 60 years, The Atlanta Voice has served this community. With Rooted, we’re continuing that legacy by making sure the people most affected by this issue help guide the conversation,” Suggs said.

The event is designed to be interactive and community-driven. Chia emphasizes that it will not follow a traditional panel or lecture format. Instead, it will center on open dialogue, allowing participants to speak directly about the challenges they face, including rising rents and property taxes, to displacement and access to affordable housing.

Insights gathered from the forum will directly inform the publication’s reporting over the next 12 months. The series aims not only to highlight the scope of the housing crisis but also to explore

potential solutions and elevate voices that are often underrepresented in mainstream coverage.

Atlanta has experienced rapid growth in recent years, accompanied by increasing housing costs that have disproportionately impacted communities of color and working families. Through Rooted, The Atlanta Voice seeks to document those realities while identifying pathways forward.

Community members interested in attending the May 7 forum are encouraged to register in advance. The event is free and open to the public.

https://tix.theatlantavoice.com/e/ solution-journalism-community-forum

As the series begins, organizers say the message is simple: the community’s voice will lead the way.

“This is where the story starts,” Suggs said. “With you.”

Jason Esteves outlines plan to regulate data centers

LAURA NWOGU

Former Georgia State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Jason Esteves hosted a town hall on Monday evening for Decatur-area residents to ask questions about the state’s growing data centers.

A data center is a physical location that houses computing machines and related hardware. While they provide critical infrastructure for powering the internet and artificial intelligence, these centers can also impact the environment through massive energy consumption and local pollution from diesel generators, contributing to climate change and straining local resources. Over 50 community members, organizers, and local and congressional candidates gathered in the pews of Rainbow Baptist Church to express concerns over the impact of data centers on their neighborhoods and the resulting pollution.

“When you think about data centers, it ultimately comes down to our environment and affordability. Because people are struggling in Trump’s economy. They are struggling to get by with the rising cost of living, with the rising cost of utilities, and they see these massive buildings being built in our communities. They see at the same time that our water bills are going up and our power bills are going up, and they want to make sure that these data centers won’t continue to have an impact on the world. At the same time, our environment has been impacted, especially in communities across the country where we see examples of these data centers coming in and having a direct impact on communities.”

In his agenda for smart data center growth, Esteves plans to end tax handouts for new

bills, and how to stay informed.

data center construction, make sure the cost of new data center developments isn’t placed on Georgia families and small businesses, ensure local communities determine whether data centers will be built in their neighborhoods and ensure data centers will be required to use the latest efficiency standards.

Esteves shared that he and his wife are personally affected by data centers, with their house sitting within a mile of a coal ash pond and a plant, the latter of which he said the Environmental Protection Division doesn’t test enough to ensure it’s not emitting ethylene oxide.

“Data centers should be built with community, not to communities. And for too long, across this country, data centers are being built without neighbors even being aware that they are being constructed, and I want to make sure that you have a voice. So, I want to strengthen local control to make sure that you have a voice with your county commission, with your city council, to ensure that they are listening to the people

Meet the Editor: A Conversation with

Donnell Suggs

STAFF REPORT

Join The Atlanta Voice for a special “Meet the Editor” conversation with Editor-in-Chief Donnell Suggs on May 4, 2026, at 11 a.m. This engaging session offers a behind-the-scenes look at local journalism, including how impactful stories are selected, developed, and shared with the community.

Attendees will have the opportunity to connect directly with a leader in community media, gain insight into the power of storytelling, and participate in an open dialogue where questions and perspectives are welcome. Whether you’re a media enthusiast, aspiring journalist, or engaged community member, this event promises to inform and inspire.

This is a free event. Reserve your spot at: https://tix.theatlantavoice.com/e/meet-theeditor-a-conversation-with-donnell-suggs

who are most impacted by these developments that are being built.”

Esteves brought in Edward Gresham, an energy consultant from Savannah, Ga., and Paul Glaze, a member of Georgia Conservation Voters, to speak alongside him. Examples such as the Hyundai plant in Bryan County were used, and the audience expressed concerns about the risk of closed-loop cooling in data centers (when water circulates in sealed pipes or coils that cool the servers without directly exposing water to air), sprawling data campuses, putting the proper leaders in place to address these issues and pass the necessary

“As governor, I’m going to make sure that we appoint the heads of DNR and EPD who are putting your interests ahead of the interests of industries, making sure that we’re protecting our communities and holding companies accountable. That has not been happening, and it’s not necessarily because of the people that are in these departments, because we have folks in the crowd who work for state agencies who want to do more. They have just not been empowered by those who are in leadership. And when you think about what’s been happening in our state when it comes to our environment, whether it’s the foreign chemicals in North Georgia that have been poured into our streams and our rivers, whether it’s the fact that the Okefenokee permit to drill adjacent to the swamp was pending, instead of being denied for years, whether it’s the fact that there are folks who are concerned about contamination to our food supply all across the state. EPD can be doing a lot more to test for these concerns, to make sure that the water that’s being put back into our community, our streams and our rivers is actually OK. This is an issue that is not only of interest to people across the state, it’s also personal for my family, and I make sure that we are protecting Georgians across the state.”

‘Michael’ film draws emotional crowd at Atlanta screening

By NOAH WASHINGTON

Before TikTok dances, before K-pop, before bedazzled streetwear became a staple of clothing racks in America, there was Michael Jackson, the man who made it all possible.

The long-in-the-making biopic, directed by Antoine Fuqua and distributed by Lionsgate, chronicles the life of Michael Jackson from his childhood in Gary, Indiana, through the formation of the Jackson 5 and into the early years of his solo career. The film stars Jaafar Jackson, the pop icon’s nephew by way of Jermaine Jackson, in his feature film debut, alongside Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, who is portrayed as Michael’s antagonist throughout, and Nia Long as Katherine Jackson.

What emerged from the theater Monday was a crowd emotionally full, voices singing along to memorable hits from the Jackson catalog.

“It felt like I was part of his concert,” said Sydney Michelle, an Atlanta resident who described Jackson as her “first celebrity crush.” “I had the best time. I was very surprised, very shocked.”

Michelle said one sequence in particular hit close to home. When the film recreated the Motown 25 special, she said she had to hold herself together.

“I was three when my dad showed me that on VHS,” she said.

“I’m sitting in the living room, eyes glued to the TV, and my dad’s just like, ‘I’m going to show you who this man is, this Michael Jackson.’ I’ve been in awe of him ever since.”

The film, which drew significant pre-release buzz after its trailer shattered streaming records with more than 116 million views in its first 24 hours, officially opens in U.S. theaters April 24.

For many in attendance Monday, the film was less a movie and more a rite of passage, a chance to sit with a legacy that had shaped their earliest memories of music, dance and Black excellence.

In a city that has long served as the South’s hip-hop capital, Nuface, a historian of the genre, said Jackson’s reach into hip hop has never really been a question.

“We are talking about fashion, we talking about knowing what a legend is, we talking about Black excellence,” Nuface said. “His influence in music and hip hop, it goes hand in hand.”

The film closes at the release of “Bad,” leaving room for future installments. The performances carry it. Where it earns its runtime is in the tension between father and son.

Some will see Joe Jackson as a man trying to give his children what he never had, a product of his era and his circumstances. Others will not be so generous. Colman Domingo leaves little room for easy conclusions, delivering the film’s standout performance alongside Jaafar

Jackson as Michael. Equally worth noting is the warmth Nia Long brings to Katherine Jackson, a quiet counterweight to the film’s harder edges.

Brothers Benny and Matthew Muyumba, both Atlanta-based creatives, made the trip out together, drawn by a shared childhood devotion to Jackson that their father first sparked.

Benny Muyumba, also known as King Imprint, said his father introduced him to Jackson through a VHS tape of his greatest hits when he was seven years old.

“I saw the zombies dancing and all that, and it just sparked something in me,” he said, referencing the “Thriller” video. “I started my dance journey from then.”

He said he came to the screening hoping the film would reignite what first drew him to creating.

“I’m hoping to get that re-inspiration,” Benny Muyumba said. “Just revamp into what made me want to get into creating in the first place. We don’t have movies anymore that just give off that vibe, for the dance culture, for the music culture. That’s what we need in this generation.”

His brother Matthew, who performs under the name Unghetto, said Jackson’s influence on his creative identity has been inescapable.

“Every time I want to move wild, I kind of think about what Michael would do?” he said. “Did Michael respond to haters? No. He just kept

being great.”

Matthew Muyumba said he hoped the film would strip away the mythology and restore the man.

“He’s so big, once you get to that level, you’re kind of looked at as a robot,” he said. “I want people to see the feelings, the things in his childhood that crafted him to be how he was.”

The film arrives at a moment when Jackson’s cultural imprint continues to expand across

Atlanta’s Jagger Suite unveils Golden Hour menu

By LAURA NWOGU

Sprawling views of the Atlanta skyline, a stylishly retro ambiance with a 12-foot horse that looks like it was plucked straight out of the

‘70s, and a cocktail and small bites menu that leans on its disco-driven charm are exactly what Atlanta’s newest cocktail lounge, Jagger Suite, offers. The rooftop lounge

celebrated its grand opening in early March, following a slew of new establishments opening in Downtown Atlanta.

Located atop the Moxy Hotel at 329 Marietta St. NW, the rooftop lounge recently introduced its Golden Hour (Happy Hour) menu, setting the table with plates of elevated bites and drinks as the sun sets in the background.

Golden Hour is from 4-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday-Friday, and the menu features bites such as $25 caviar bumps, jagger frites with a choice of truffle, Cajun, or bacon seasoning, buffalo chicken empanadas, pigs in a blanket, Szechuan calamari, and tuna

cannoli topped with black truffle. The cocktail offerings range from fuel-ready espresso martinis to fruity cocktails, as well as discounted champagne and Napa Valley wines.

Prices range from $5 to $13 for small bites outside of the caviar bump, and the cocktails average around $11. Self-parking is discounted to $10 for up to 2.5 hours with validation.

Velvet couches, intimate corners, outdoor tables perfect for big groups, and a DJ booth ready to spin records through the night are what guests can expect at Jagger Suite. If you’re looking for a post-work pickme-up, it’s a worthy contender.

generations, from TikTok edits to the bedazzled streetwear that saturates fashion runways and storefronts alike.

“The bedazzles in streetwear, everyone wears bedazzled now,” Matthew Muyumba said. “When Michael came and did it, it was kind of like weird, just eccentric. And now that’s regularly implemented in streetwear. Everything today derives from Michael and his ability to push and be a pioneer.”

Braves star Michael Harris II is the difference-maker this season

By DONNELL SUGGS

The Atlanta Braves are in first place in the National League East.

One of the many reasons for that is the play of centerfield Michael Harris II. A first-time father went back towards the centerfield wall at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., timed it perfectly, and then snatched a potential hit away from the home team. The Atlanta Braves defeated the Washington Nationals 9-4 on Monday night for their sixth consecutive victory. Though that catch wasn’t exactly a game-saver, it was another big play from the difference-maker.

Michael Harris III was born earlier this month and his father’s game was reborn this week. He’s batting near the .300 mark, already has six home runs, and is among the RBI

III. In an important season for the fifth-year pro and local kid turned Atlanta Braves star, Harris is trying to overcome his tendency to start slowly at the plate.

Take his game last Sunday in Philadelphia. Harris II went 3-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Every one of those hits was hard-hit and came at a time when the Braves needed to either get something going or get a run batted in. Harris was in the ninth spot in the lineup, and Braves manager Walt Weiss has told the media time and again that the bottom third of the lineup has been crucial to the team’s success (first place in the NL East) this season.

leaders on the team with 14. Harris II, arguably the best defensive centerfielder in Major League Baseball, was the man who made that catch, and whose wife had the baby, Michael Harris

Over the past seven games, Harris has found a way to contribute while hitting up and down the Braves’ lineup. On Monday in Washington, Harris batted sixth in the lineup ahead of red-hot Dom Smith, Jorge

Mateo, in at shortstop for Mauricio Dubon (14 RBI through 21 games), and Mike Yastrzemski. During the game on Monday, Harris was 1-4 with an RBI. On Tuesday, an 11-4 loss, Harris was 1-4 with a double and another RBI.

Harris batted in the sixth spot on Wednesday and proceeded to have one of his best games of the season.

During his first two at-bats he hit

Atlanta United showed fight, new look

By DONNELL SUGGS

It’s understandable that there might not be a lot of fans at the game on Wednesday. This is a week full of Atlanta sports, the Braves are hosting the Phillies in a three-game weekend series, the Hawks are hosting the Knicks for games three and four of a first-round playoff series, and Atlanta United, well, they were just looking to contribute something positive to the conversation on Wednesday night. The few fans that managed to make their way inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium were vocal and

treated to something new.

The result was the same, Atlanta United lost another match at home, 2-1 to the New England Revolution, but it felt different. It looked different. The manager thought the team looked good enough to win this game.

“We controlled the game, created five of six chances, we scored so we had the lead and didn’t have to chase the game,” Atlanta United manager Tata Martino said.

Atlanta United will play consecutive road games at Toronto and Charlotte on Saturday,

April 25, and Tuesday, April 28, 2026. They will return home to begin May with matches against CF Montreal and the LA Galaxy.

There was a new look to the starting XI on Wednesday night, and that should be taken as a clear sign that Atlanta United manager Tata Martino has had enough of whatever was going on. Defender Matt Edwards and striker Fafa Picault were among the starters, as was Saba Lobjanidze. The Georgian was a regular starter for the past two head coaches, but during Martino’s second run at the helm, Lobjanidze has come off the bench late in games.

The new-look Five Stripes nearly fell behind 1-0 after Nigerian midfielder Alhassan Yusef pulled off a thing of beauty in the form of an individual strike in the 18th minute. The goal was wiped off the scoreboard after a referee review that seemed to take 20 minutes to complete. Atlanta threatened to score only once during the first 30 minutes, but looked to be playing with more spirit.

The New England Revolution came into Mercedes-Benz Stadium fresh off a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Crew on Saturday. Revs players Dors Turgeman and Carles Gil scored the two goals in that game. Atlanta United, on the other hand, gave up two goals during a 2-0 loss to Nashville the last time they were on the pitch at The Benz.

There have been times this season that the life was taken out of this team after an opponent scored first. Well, Atlanta United was the first to strike on this night, after Picault scored an unassisted goal off of a teammate’s

home runs and drove in three runs before the sixth inning.

As of Thursday morning, Harris had hit safely in five of six games on the seven-game road trip. The Braves have a pair of consecutive three-game series against the Phillies and Detroit Tigers at Truist Park, and the new dad’s hot bat and cool glove will be crucial to remaining at the top of the standings.

and

miss in the 38th minute. Ahead 1-0 at the half, Atlanta United’s supporters seemed to get back into the game.

A Lobjanidze free kick in the 80th minute went wide right, but brought cheers from the fans. Atlanta United was playing with more passion during this match. Edwards picked up a yellow card in the 47th minute to match the one Matias Galarza earned in the 44th minute.

Even when New England tied the game in the 73rd minute after Will Sands headed in a corner kick and took the lead 2-1 following another goal, this time from Peyton Miller in the 78th minute, the players’ energy didn’t wane.

Late-game substitutions of players for Miguel Almiron, Jay Fortune, and Tristan Muyumba kept the energy up. Emmanuel latte lath was also brought on late in the match. A message was sent.

Bill Pickett International Rodeo is returning to Atlanta in August

By DONNELL SUGGS

CONYERS, GA. - The cowboy watched as his son struggled to get on the horse. One try, two tries, and on the third attempt, the small boy, possibly seven years old, finally made it onto the horse. The entire time professional rodeo athlete Davenger Griffin watched his youngest child work to get on the horse, he never attempted to help him. After all, he taught him how to do it properly: left foot into the stirrup, lift with your legs, pull yourself up, get comfortable in the saddle. The boy and his dad wore matching purple cowboy shirts. The lessons of the father were passed on to the son, and also a daughter who rides horses and performs in rodeos.

Griffin, a resident of Natchez, Mississippi, performs all over the country and makes sure to bring his children when he can. He told The Atlanta Voice that is something he enjoys for many reasons.

“It’s a blessing,” he said while wiping sweat from his bro following his first calf-roping attempt of the day. “It’s a blessing from God to be able to love a sport and be able to pass it on to them.”

The entire time Griffin spoke to the reporter, his son watched his every move. “Im trying to show them how to win,” Griffin said.

The Bill Pickett International Rodeo made its way to Georgia for a stop on a long tour across the country. On Saturday, April 18, the stands at the Charles C. Walker Arena at the Georgia International Horse Park was full of Black people in cowboy hats, wearing cutoff denim shorts, and jeans with cowboy boots. A man made his way to a seat in the stands wearing a t-shirt with the slogan, “Black Cowboys and Cowgirls are Real.”

The rodeo is celebrating its 42nd year in business and will be in Oakland and Los Angeles, California, before returning to Conyers for two shows on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 1 and 2.

Along with the calf-roping, more officially described as tie-down roping, there was a bull riding competition that involved riders from as far away as Hope, Arkansas, and Houston, Texas. Competitors from Atlanta like McGill Willis also put their best feet forward. Other performers were from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Chicago, Illinois, and cities in Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.

Professional rodeo athlete DavengerGriffin (above) , a resident of Natchez, Mississippi, said of performing in front of his children: “It’s a blessing,” he said while wiping sweat from his bro following his first calf-roping attempt of the day. “It’s a blessing from God to be able to love a sport and be able to pass it on to them.”

Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

The level of athleticism needed to perform this sport on a professional level is high. Case in point, two of the tie-down ropers were previously college basketball and football players. And the junior and peewee barrel racing competition featured seven-year-olds. They brought the crowd to its feet every time they completed the

course at breakneck speeds.

During the first show of the day, there were noon and 7:30 p.m. shows on Saturday, vendors sold t-shirts, Western-themed chokers, cowboy hats, and food like deep-fried Oreos, Italian ices, and smoked meats. The line outside of the cigar truck stretched across the dirt path.

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