The Atlanta Voice E-Edition 120525

Transforming Adversity into Opportunity

By TABIUS McCOy Report for America Corp

ABlack woman… her impact transcends the rooms she has yet to step foot in. Her grace is something that’s admired but often unmatched. Her indomitable spirit is respected, but also hated by some due to the inability to duplicate it. Throughout history, Black women have left their fingerprints on every corner of American life: inventions that have shaped industries, voices that have demanded justice, art that speaks to the soul, sports achievements that defy limits, and community leadership that holds neighborhoods together. Maya Angelou, Shirley Chisholm, Elizabeth Freeman, Carrie Mae Weems— their stories are chapters in the living history of Black womanhood.

Maya Angelou once asked, “How did it happen that we could nurse a nation of strangers, be maids to multitudes of people who scorned us, and still walk with some majesty and stand with a degree of pride?” Her words echo today. In 2025, Black women face rising unemployment, over 300,000 have lost jobs, and the rate has climbed to 7.8 percent, higher than the national average and double that of their counterparts. Yet even in this moment, Black women do what they always have: they pivot, they rise, they transform uncertainty into action. Their resilience, honed across centuries of challenge, remains unbroken.

This is not a story of pity. It is a story of perseverance, ingenuity, and refusal. Black women do not simply survive—they create paths, build opportunities, and lay foundations where none existed before.

“Through their challenges and activism, Black women force the United States to hold true to its democratic ideals—or at least shine a mirror on where it fails,” said Dr. Taura Taylor, sociology professor at Morehouse College. “These numbers reflect both economic trends and social disconnect, but they also reveal what we’ve always known: Black women have a way of making a path out of nowhere.”

Dr. Taylor notes that Black women literally built the nation’s labor force, even through the horrors of enslavement. The myth of the “strong Black woman” can be heavy, she adds: “It places an unfair expectation of endurance that harms physical, emotional, and spiritual health.” Yet, that enduring strength is also what allows Black women to pivot, to innovate, to transform obstacles into opportunity.

“This might be a moment where Black women can decide to take their labor, their skills, and their expertise elsewhere—to pivot entrepreneurially—and that’s very dynamic and important,” Dr. Taylor said.

Feeding the soul and

Health

In April 2025, Carolyn Henry, a certified project and scrum manager at the Food and Drug Administration, was laid off. Federal downsizing under a new administration claimed her role, along with thousands of others. For Henry, it was not unexpected—but it was still a rupture.

She returned to a passion rooted in childhood, growing up on a family farm in Southern Maryland. Her food truck, The Stop Food Truck, specializing in sustainably sourced ingredients, became her lifeline. Most of her produce

comes from her backyard or local farmers. Her mission is simple yet profound: bring healthy food to communities with limited access, to “show folks how to take what little bit they have.”

Henry’s work echoes the long legacy of Black women in agriculture—from Fannie Lou Hamer to generations who shaped communities through labor, care, and creativity. On a Thursday in Augusta, despite clouds overhead, her dishes sold out in minutes. The line of customers was proof not just of flavor, but of resilience, adaptation, and the power of pivoting.

A Pivot to Writing

For Nicole Knight-Justice, the layoff notice came as expected. Federal budget cuts had been shrinking K–12 program funding, and her role as Director of Program Design and Innovation at a national nonprofit—helping districts redesign teacher coaching—was being eliminated.

“Schools and districts were shrinking their budgets, and so the money we got as a nonprofit was

days after being laid off, she entered a writing fellowship, gaining the time and support to begin a young adult fiction book she is now working on. The gift of writing had been present since her early teaching years. “My kids were like, ‘Miss KJ, you should write a book. You write really well.’ I just never made the space for it,” she said.

Though unwelcome at first, the layoff ultimately became a relief. “I had a lot of relief because for me, God is my source,” Knight-Justice said. Her faith, perseverance, and willingness to pivot allowed her to embrace a calling she had long set aside—a reminder that even in disruption, purpose can guide the way.

Stay Prepared, Not Scared

Unemployment is uncomfortable to confront, but it is universal. Amber Cabral, founder of Human(ing) Well Co., noticed many people are unprepared when a job ends. She created a free Layoff Survival Guide, offering advice on navigating the emotional and practical challenges of unemployment.

shrinking too,” Knight-Justice said. After over a decade in academia— starting as a middle school teacher in Charlotte, moving to charter schools in metro Atlanta, and consulting in education—her layoff in May 2025 was part of the third wave of reductions.

At first, the news was frustrating. One salary gone from her household meant recalibration and uncertainty. But it also became a pivot, a moment to reimagine her path. “When the bottom falls out and you realize you’re actually standing on something more solid than you were before—that’s where I am,” she said.

Her skills—leading and communicating with groups of all ages, designing lesson plans, and enlightening the minds of young and old landed her a contract with a startup developing HR training strategies. But more importantly, the layoff created space for a longheld love: writing.

“Writing is something that I’ve always loved to do and just haven’t always made space for,” Knight-Justice explained. Two

“A lot of people don’t know how to talk about themselves,” Cabral said. “Make sure you know how to talk about what you do and can tell your story…figure out your story: who are you, what have you done, what’s the work you’ve created that has left a lasting impact?”

The guide emphasizes not just survival, but opportunity—leveraging skills, experience, and creativity to pivot effectively, even in a shaky economy.

Closing Thought

Across history and today, Black women have transformed adversity into opportunity. From shaping the nation’s labor force to innovating in business, education, and community life, they continue to pivot, create, and thrive. Unemployment may interrupt a chapter, but it rarely ends the story. Carolyn Henry, Nicole Knight-Justice, Amber Cabral, and those alike show that resilience, ingenuity, and perseverance are constants in a world that often underestimates them.

Maya Angelou’s question returns, and the answer is clear: they walk with majesty, they rise with pride, and they make a way where none existed before.

Black women rise. They pivot. They persist. They thrive. And in that persistence, the nation is held to its promise, again and again.

Election Day runoff results in new faces in metro Atlanta offices

By DONNELL SUGGS

The cities of East Point, Roswell, Sandy Springs, and South Fulton were electing mayors on Tuesday night. The polls in all four cities closed at 7 p.m., and another election night would be in the books.

Along with the mayoral runoff elections, three seats on the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education, two seats on the Atlanta City Council, and a seat on the Sandy Springs City Council were up for grabs.

There was also a special runoff for Georgia State House District 106.

Here’s how the elections turned out.

East Point’s new mayor will be Keisha Chapman, who had twice as many votes as her opponent, Joshua B. Butler IV, late into the night. Chapman received 64% of the 3,000 votes.

Roswell’s new mayor is Mary Robichaux, who had 1,500 more votes than her opponent, incumbent Mayor Kurt Wilson, by 9:30 p.m., hours after the polls closed.

The race between long-time Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul and his opponent, Dontaye Carter, ended with Paul winning

over 70 percent of the vote.

Carmalitha Gumbs was elected as the newest mayor of South Fulton on Tuesday night. One of the more high-profile mayoral seats up for grabs in metro Atlanta, Gumbs defeated Mark Baker with more than 60% of the 13,000 votes that were cast.

The Atlanta City Council seats in Districts 7 and 11 were won by Thomas Worthy and Wayne Martin, respectively. By 10 p.m., both Worthy and Martin had garnered more than 55% of the votes that were accounted for.

Two of the three races for seats on the Atlanta School Board remain close late into the night. Single-digit percentage points separated the District 8 At-Large race between Royce Mann and Kaycee Brock, before Brock pulled away with 53% of the vote.

The District 6 between Patreece Hutcherson and Tolton R. Pace was also close, with Hutcherson winning by just 379 votes.

The race for District 2 went to Tony Mitchell, who garnered an overwhelming majority of the nearly 1,492 votes cast.

The special runoff election for Georgia State House District 106 resulted in Muhammad Akbar Ali being elected to the position. Ali won 54% of the 1,741 votes that were cast.

Voices

This Is Bigger Than You: Focus on the Systems That Limit Progress

By JENNIFER R. FARMER

Power is everything. Those who have it do not want to lose or share it with others. Naturally, there are methods used to hold onto that power. If you’re wondering why you are struggling to get ahead, I offer you this: It’s not you. It’s the system.

Lately, I’ve observed a pattern in our current economic and political environment. The person with the least amount of power is blamed for their own demise. You see, powerful systems and structures intentionally point an accusatory finger toward individual shortcomings rather than look into their own mirror of systemic failures or barriers. In this arrangement, it is easy to place the burden on individuals for solving problems that powerful players, systems, and/or structures created.

I can think of three poignant, yet very different examples of where this is happening right now: climate crisis, personal finance, and literacy rates.

Corporations Pollute, Individuals Get the Blame

Think about the climate crisis. The United States accounts for 4% of the world’s population, but contributes to 17% of the world’s pollution. When considering discourse around the climate crisis, there is a lot of focus on what individuals can do and should do to ameliorate the problem. Recycle. Consume less. Use mass transportation. Don’t get me wrong. We each have a role to play in creating a sustainable future. However, too often what is missing from the debate around pollution and global warming are the ways in which large corporations, and their powerful lobby, advocate for reduced accountability for how they contribute to the climate crisis. Drilling. Oil spills. Air pollution.

Corporations are meant to build wealth; if they can’t make money doing what’s right for the people, many opt for what’s beneficial for their earnings ratios. They will not take ownership of their hand in what harms us. Instead, the lot of the blame is placed on the individual for not doing enough — or worse yet, not “taking care of themselves” when their health is affected by climate-related hazards.

A Rigged Economy That Pretends it’s Your Fault

In another example, think about the whole industry of personal finance. When a person experiences financial challenges, there are a host of opinions on what the person is or is not doing to contribute to their struggles. There is tendency to tout the rhetoric of financial gurus or push vulnerable people toward courses on how to manage one’s money, how to invest, and how to grow rich. There isn’t enough conversation around what happens when you don’t make enough money to get ahead. Going further, there isn’t enough conversation around the “Why.” Many people are

Americans are told to work harder, save more, and parent better. But climate, finance, and literacy crises are driven by systems — not individuals. iStock.com/francescoch

thwarted from making more due to systemic forces like redlining, high cost of child care, unaffordable health care and costly education programs.

When the focus shifts from individuals to systems of financial exploitation, the players who actually advocate for people are deemed communist or socialist — dirty words in the lexicon of wealthy elites.

It doesn’t matter that in the United States, it is harder than ever for persons who were not born into extreme wealth to get ahead. It is not uncommon to see generation after generation born and dying in a cycle of poverty. This is more than an individual failure. If generation after generation cannot pay their bills, cannot afford to pay for their children’s education and cannot move from one social class to another, shouldn’t we consider blaming the systems that keep people stuck?

Yes, it’s important to know how to balance a checkbook, but if the ends don’t meet, the ends don’t meet. Without jobs that pay a living wage, benefits that allow individuals to keep more of their salary while meeting their family’s needs, many people will continue to struggle. The nation benefits when all people have resources to spur the economy, invest in their local communities and care for themselves and their families.

What’s more, we cannot talk about personal finance without also talking about the insane amounts of money spent on advertising and marketing in the U.S. Americans may well be the most marketed to consumers in the world. How does one get ahead financially when one is constantly bombarded with ads advising on what you need to be whole? It seems the nation is set up to get people to spend money they don’t have to impress people who do not care and to build economic empires for everyone but themselves.

Racial Justice, Literacy, and Technology

Personal finance is a good segue to race and racial justice. People talk about racial justice as though it is something that can be achieved in our lifetimes. But when we see policies that undermine the very possibility of advancement, we have to question how we’ll get past these powerful systems to a place where all people can thrive, regardless of their skin color.

There was a time in our history when it was

illegal for certain individuals in the United States to learn to read and write. This should tell us something. There is power in knowledge. Take away access to knowledge, and power remains with those who control the narrative. In this 21st century, that narrative is technology.

To this point, even plummeting literacy rates should not surprise us at a time when manufacturers and developers push screens to our children from the cradle to the grave. Addiction to technology, including smart phones, and social media, is literally rotting our youngest minds, but also leading to a host of mental and emotional challenges.

No one should be surprised that children and young people are struggling to read and comprehend. However, who seems to be the blame? Parents and care givers. It is our fault for not teaching our children to read. As with the earlier climate crisis example, of course we are culpable in raising our children with literacy top of mind. Yet, how can this be accomplished in an era where parents and caregivers are working harder, and for less? They haven’t the time to read to their children when the most important task is to feed them — and keep them safe.

We shouldn’t be surprised that the love for reading and the ability to comprehend what one has read is waning! Rather than narrowly focusing on parents, policymakers, and concerned community members should also focus on reprimanding the greedy gadget companies that bring in psychologists and expert marketers to educate their teams on how to get children addicted to technology.

Stop Blaming People, Start Fixing the Systems

In the United States, there is often a tendency to blame the victim rather than focus on the systems that created the problems in the first place. By blaming the individual, powerful players can not only escape accountability, but also keep Americans divided.

As a nation, let’s move beyond focusing on individual challenges, and spend more time attuned to the structures that undergird societal challenges.

Jennifer R. Farmer is the author of “First and Only: A Black Woman’s Guide to Thriving at Work and in Life,” and founder of the social good public relations firm, Spotlight PR LLC.

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Hunting 4 Answers hosts panel on dating safety at Clark Atlanta

By ISAIAH SINGLETON

Hunting 4 Answers, the advocacy and media initiative founded by journalist and producer Hunter Gilmore, hosted a campus safety discussion at Clark Atlanta University as part of the Human Sexuality Lecture Series led by Chanel Hudson, a transgender educator and activist.

Also, the panel featured therapist and licensed clinical social worker Vernique Esther.

With each panelist offering powerful perspectives on identity, faith, trauma-informed awareness, and student empowerment. Together, they unpacked the intersections of safety, social media, and self-worth in today’s cultural climate.

The panel explored campus safety, relational awareness, and dating literacy, offering students a space to learn, reflect, and engage in open dialogue about the realities of modern dating and safety culture.

Through Hunting 4 Answers, Hunter Gilmore has brought national attention to the stories of missing and murdered Black women and girls, while broadening the mission to address the root causes of violence and vulnerability.

“So many of the stories we highlight on Hunting 4 Answers remind us of what’s at stake when safety and awareness are missing,” Gilmore said. “Bringing this conversation to Clark Atlanta is about prevention, about giving students the tools, understanding, and confidence to navigate relationships safely. It’s all about fostering safety on campuses and in our communities.”

“I am ecstatic to collaborate with the amazing Hunter Gilmore during my Human Sexuality Lecture Series at the illustrious Clark Atlanta University,” Chanel said. “Blending both of our unique experiences will guarantee a comprehensive panel discussion that covers both safety and inclusivity within the AUC.”

National data reveal that one in five women and one in sixteen men experience sexual assault during college. Among students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, approximately 14 percent of female undergraduates report having tried or near-completed assaults.

Esther said there’s so much that contributes to students being more vulnerable and susceptible to things that may not be in their best interest.

“You went from your parents’ house, for a lot of you, or whoever your caregiver was, to immediately being on your own, and that’s shocking,” she said. “I wish there were like a transitional period for people when they go to college, but a lot of us didn’t have that. I grew up experiencing homelessness, and so for me, college was the first time I had a stable home.

So, a transitional period would not have been ideal for me, but it can be for others.”

Hunter says students and people need to identify what relational awareness and dating literacy are.

“Relational awareness is knowing yourself, paying attention to the dynamic between you and someone else, and being able to recognize what’s healthy and what isn’t, whether that’s emotionally, physically, or socially,” she said. “It’s the skill of noticing patterns, trusting instincts, and understanding how a relationship is making you feel so you can protect yourself.”

Dating literacy, she says, is the ability to understand what healthy dating looks like, how to build trust, communicate boundaries, recognize red flags, navigate digital interactions, and make informed, safe decisions. Additionally, during the discussion, both O’Connor and Esther emphasized the importance of self-trust, setting boundaries, and recognizing early warning signs in relationships.

Esther highlighted the impact of relational trauma and the need for self-awareness, while O’Connor stresses the importance of community vigilance and staying informed about campus safety. They also discuss the challenges young adults face in recognizing unsafe dynamics and the role of trauma in influencing behavior.

“Being able to read the relational situation is very crucial when dating. Knowing what you want before you step into any space, knowing what your intent is, what your boundaries/standards are, expectations, knowing and being certain of yourself, all these things should be in your mind when trying to date,” Esther said. When you don’t trust that gut feeling of what you’re seeing, it can jeopardize your safety.”

O’Connor says when students come straight from high school onto a college campus, they’re inundated with people that they’ve never met before.

“You meet people you’re not familiar with, and that’s a huge part of being a college student on campus, whether it’s an HBCU or not, it’s culpable,” she said. “Holding more people culpable a lot, especially during my experience in 2009, I would hear stories of people getting sexually assaulted, and no one would be willing to speak up for fear of being embarrassed or no one believing them.”

The panelists gave these dating safety tips:

• Know your non-negotiables and believe behavior, not words

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Dr. King’s legacy: How basketball fueled his vision

By LAURA NWOGU

Sports bring people together, and it wasn’t any different for civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Short documentary film, “Hoops, Hopes, and Dreams” tells the untold story about how King and a team of civil rights activists used basketball as a tool to create change, foster community, and fuel movements for years to come.

The Atlanta Voice sat down with executive producer Dr. Bernice King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s youngest child and CEO of the King Center, to talk about her father’s legacy and how this film peels back the layers on an iconic figure we all know.

“Hoops, Hopes, and Dreams” will premiere on Hulu on Jan. 19, 2026, under the Andscape Films banner.

The Atlanta Voice: The documentary explores the connection between activism, politics and sports, specifically basketball, and the importance of meeting people where they’re at. When you think about what your father accomplished and what, later on, former President Obama accomplished, what was it about their strategies that you think resonated with so many people? Why do you think that link between sports, activism, and politics works?

Dr. Bernice King: “It’s kind of a rhetorical question, to a certain extent, because I think what the strategy was is that they connected to people where they were — that they went to the people. Obama essentially won because he connected with the grassroots in a way that very few people do in elected politics. A lot of people tend to go to the familiar. He reached far and wide, and he even did that with his donations. He raised the most money just by getting people to give $1, which was very powerful. So, I think that’s the same link for my father.

SAFETY

Continued from page 5

• Trust your intuition

• Share your location with at least one trusted friend

• Plan your own way home/Always have an exit strategy

• Meet in public places first before moving to private settings

• Keep personal items secure (purses, drinks, etc.)

• Speak up if you see troubling or controlling behavior

Hunter says she hopes students will take away the meaning and importance of relational safety and dating literacy.

“It’s not just about romantic relationships; it is other relationships like with family and friends and everyone you interact with daily,” she said. “We must be mindful of those interactions and how we can best protect

“First of all, he was with the people. He didn’t lead the movement from an ivory tower or from a pulpit, although he used the pulpit. But he was out there amongst the people in so many different ways, and he met them wherever they were, and sometimes even on their terms. When you think about the conversation he was having with Stokely Carmichael when they were marching together, Stokely Carmichael wanted to use the word Black power, and daddy said, ‘I get it. We need power as a people.’ He said, ‘But what

ourselves because a lot of the stories we cover on Hunting 4 Answers, unfortunately, families are left to depend on systems that aren’t so willing to be as helpful.”

O’Connor said she wants people to leave the discussion, saying they weren’t expecting some of the information that was given out.

“I want them to be shocked and leave informed, especially going into the holiday season and going back home to their families and meeting with old flames. I just want them to be forever changed with the information and precautions we give them,” she said.

For advice to the LGBTQ+ community and students in general at the AUC center, O’Connor says you are the only person who makes you, you.

“You decide your quality of life, not the public, not a person, not a thing, not an animal, you determine your quality of life. Just like African Americans have had to be enthralled in the ancestral history of slavery and all the things that our ancestors had to

three is in the word that you used. To be effective in activism, to be effective in politics, to be effective in sports, strategy wins the day, all day. And I think in today’s society, one of the places where we still need a little bit of growth in activism is in the area of strategy and planning, and executing it. Not just collaborating, not just having teamwork, but taking that strategy and determining what to execute at what point in time.”

AV: And when people hear the name Martin Luther King Jr., they often just think of his role as this iconic civil rights activist. What new perspective about your father’s legacy do you want people to take away after watching the documentary?

you don’t want to do is to cause confusion, because there’s semantics involved.’ Words have denotative meaning, and they have connotative meaning. And right now, there are so many connotations associated with power that can be taken out of context. And what we’re doing, will become the conversation instead of what we’re trying to accomplish. So, he was meeting him where he was. Not trying to say, ‘No, Stokely, you need to follow my way.’

“And I think the connection between the

BK: “Obviously, my father introduced this nation, in a social justice way, to nonviolence. Gandhi in India is where he got his tactics from. He said he got his inspiration from Jesus Christ. When many people think about nonviolence, and they look at all the demonstrations, they forget that it was a group of people. It was a team. Many people will say, ‘Well, I’m not gonna let anybody hit me upside the head.’ They individualize it, not realizing that the effectiveness of the movement is that there was a group. There was a team. There was agreement amongst those that we’re going to posture ourselves this way because we are trying to expose the evil and the injustice. We don’t want to be a contributor to it, and again, confuse the issue. I want to remind people of that teamwork.

“But the second thing is not a new perspective; it’s just something people forget. My father was 26 years old when the movement started. He was young. Many of those who were around him were young. The power and strength of it was a movement of young people; that’s where the strength of that

go through, it was never easy for people of color,” she said.

So, being a trans woman or woman of trans experience and black, O’Connor says there are several targets placed on her back, but she lives her life regardless.

“If you let it diminish your quality of life, you start to separate yourself from experiences that were designed for human consumption, so I tell people you can either be scared or you can be yourself,” she said. “Either direction you go in, it’s going to result in you having to deal with something that is not easy.”

Community

Da Brat and Jesseca Harris-Dupart host Atlanta turkey drive

By LAURA NWOGU

Dozens of cars lined Cleveland Avenue on Monday afternoon as the City of Atlanta, rapper Da Brat, and her wife, entrepreneur Jesseca Harris-Dupart hosted a turkey drive to feed 500 families ahead of Thanksgiving.

The drive was hosted in partnership with Kaleidoscope Hair Products — owned by Harris-Dupart — Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Whiskey Mistress Restaurant, Celebs Give Back, and Bella Nissan. Da Brat, Harris-Dupart, and volunteers from ATL Parks and Rec and Hope Atlanta handed out turkeys, bundles of fresh collards, and tote bags filled with more goods to keep the holiday spirit alive.

Faven Ressom, co-owner and operator of Whisky Mistress, said people were lined up as early as 8 a.m., five hours before the start of the event. After hosting the inaugural turkey drive in Buckhead in 2024, they knew they wanted their next spot to be an area

where families experienced the most need.

“It’s so awesome to be on the Southside today and giving back to the community that’s kind of made us who we are,” Ressom said.

Families took pictures with Da Brat and Harris-Dupart as they, along with volunteers, loaded up their trunks and backseats with tote bags. The duo, who have lent their time to charitable organizations, said it “feels good” to give back to the community and to see the turnout from Atlanta residents. “It makes us want to double it,” Harris-Dupart said.

“We are in a critical time all over our country, and so we’re just really happy to serve and be there for our community. It’s amazing. It just, you know, seeing everybody come together and you know, it gets you in the holiday spirit,” said Courtney Johnson, a partner with Atlanta Life Insurance Company.

“Some people were saying they were going to cancel their Thanksgiving, and now they don’t have to, and we’re glad that we could provide that.”

2 Chainz and Walmart host College Park Thanksgiving

By ISAIAH SINGLETON

Not even the rain and chilly weather could stop the College Park residents from lining up at their local Walmart. Turkey may be synonymous with Thanksgiving, but the holiday table is ready to be graced with an abundance of other healthy and flavorful food offerings.

While the rain poured, lines and lines of College Park families gathered to receive a Thanksgiving blessing.

On Tuesday, Nov. 25, Walmart partnered with the TRU Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Grammy Award-winning artist 2 Chainz and philanthropist Nakesha Epps, to serve the community in College Park with a new event called the “Greens and Things Thanksgiving Giveaway.”

Inspired by 2 Chainz’s commitment to eating clean, this initiative with Walmart reimagines traditional holiday giving with a focus on wellness and community. It also marks the first time in a decade that 2 Chainz will be personally serving in his hometown.

The first 150 families moved from station to station outside Walmart with individual tote bags and were treated to a bundle of greens, canned Thanksgiving staples, College Park Skyhawk ticket vouchers and a $50 Walmart gift card to buy their protein and added ingredients of choice.

Walmart also donated all the canned goods being distributed. Each SkyHawk ticket voucher is good for two people.

McCoy/The Atlanta Voice

2 Chainz said they must lead by example for the community and younger generation.

“This is not only an experience to remember but we are doing this for you all, for the community. With everything going on in the world and in the community, this is about finding reasons to come together, where it is not something negative or bad,” he said. “We have to come together, and we just wanted to see families smiling and bring their families

together, this right here is for the sake of good.”

Epps said they started TRU Foundation in 2011 and been giving back diligently every year to the east side and south side, places her and her husband, 2 Chainz are from.

“We just cater to all kinds of families in need, and we don’t take that lightly. This is what we started with, this is where we started, so we are more than happy to give back to the community,” she said.

One fan was star-struck and shouted, “Is that 2 Chainz?” The fan dabbed him up and was so in awe to have run into one of his favorite musical artists.

College Park resident Bonita Johnson said she has been here since 12:30 a.m. Monday morning waiting for this event to start.

“I wanted to be one of the first in line to receive all these Thanksgiving blessings,” she said. “I’m just so happy and grateful to the TRU Foundation and 2 Chainz for giving back to his community, it’s appreciated. Now, I’m able to make some food for my family this year.”

Other residents, Carla Levinson, and her sister said they are so happy to have received their “greens and things” and be a part of this community event.

“My sister and I were worried it would’ve been canceled due to the rain but as you can see, this event is full of people. It’s so nice to see all the families come down to get their food and other items. We all will be eating well together this Thanksgiving season,” she said.

The event also turned into a real block party, with a DJ and hot chocolate station for all to enjoy, with two southside McDonald’s restaurants providing 150 meals for attendees (Old National Highway and Virginia Ave. locations).

The “Greens and Things Thanksgiving Giveaway” was also being supported by Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. and the A.J. Terrell Jr. Foundation, with a raffle taking place for game tickets.

Travel

‘I always wanted to connect with people’: Disney Destiny stars talk about representation

By DONNELL SUGGS

CASTAWAY CAY, THE BAHAMAS

- The live shows aboard the Disney Destiny include moments that feel more like family reunions or church services than simply actors, actresses, musicians, and singers plying their respective trades. The physical representation of Blackness in the performers on the Disney Cruise line isn’t new, for what is music and theater without Black artists? What is refreshing, however, is to see how Regina LeVert and Corey Bradford, for example, have taken the live viewing performance aboard the Disney Destiny and made it their own.

LeVert is one of the leads in “Feast of the Lion King” at the Pride Lands restaurant, which is located on deck

five. Bradford plays Hercules in the live performance in the Walt Disney Theater. The Disney Destiny is better for having both performers involved in its live performances.

The Atlanta Voice had time to interview both LeVert and Bradford on Wednesday, Nov. 12, as the Destiny was preparing to dock at Castaway Cay.

LeVert, a native of Los Angeles and member of the world-famous LeVert family tree, was a part of the very first all-Black show at Disneyland. She was part of the cast for “Feast of the Lion King” from the very beginning, rehearsing with the current cast in Toronto, Canada, in August 2025, after booking the role in August 2024.

“We were all very much aware of the impact and how important that was,” LeVert said. “When you do this, you just want to do it right.”

LeVert recalled one showing of Frozen, in which she plays the mother of Anna and Elsa, and locked eyes with a young girl in the audience. The stars of Frozen, arguably the biggest Disney movie in decades, are Anna and Elsa, but on this night in 2019, LeVert said the girl was focused on her and she on the girl.

“She was not about Anna or Elsa at all; she was looking straight at me. And I knew that what she was feeling was that she saw herself up there,” said LeVert, who added that she had to hold herself together when she got backstage.

LEGACY

Continued from page 6

movement came from. So, I would say, not necessarily a new perspective, but a reminder that young people fueled the movement for social change in the ‘50s and ‘60s.”

AV: How do you hope this film contributes to the conversation surrounding your father’s fight for civil and equal rights?

BK: “First of all, I don’t want people to lose hope. The film, I think, introduces a new perspective: meeting people where they are. It also exposes the fact that ordinary people changed the world. There’s nothing supernatural or superhuman about my father. He

was a normal person. He grew up very normal, faced very horrific situations growing up as a child, and being exposed to segregation, seeing sites of lynching, and being rejected because of the color of his skin. When he was with his father, they went into a store to buy some shoes, and they told his father that they would serve him if he went to the back of the store. He said, ‘No, I want to be served right here.’ And even though they wouldn’t comply, he walked out of this store and said, ‘I don’t care how long I have to live with this. I don’t accept it.’ And I think that helped propel my father in later years, when he began studying the works of Reinhold Niebuhr, Henry David Thoreau, and many others, to talk about noncooperation with evil. He was just a kid

LeVert remembers feeling the same way when she was “The Wiz” on stage in her native Los Angeles during her youth. She says that moment was foundational for her career, which spans many years around the world.

“There’s space for us up here, we can do this, and we can show up in a way in which we lift each other and tell our story in the way in which it is meant to be told.”

Bradford, a native of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, shares a similar story of representation. Seeing himself in performers like Leslie Odom, Jr. and actor/singer Jordan Fisher helped keep him encouraged as he moved from gig to gig, ultimately leading to his role as Hercules aboard the Disney Destiny. There hasn’t been a Black Hercules before him, and he understands the significance of that.

“No matter who you are, no matter what you have been through, keep going,” Bradford said about his career.

Following the premiere of “Hercules” on Tuesday night, Bradford received roaring applause during the curtain call. During the performance, Hercules is considered an outcast by the people in his village due to his exceptional strength, speed, and uniqueness. When Hercules began saving the village from monsters, he became accepted by everyone. Whether he knows it or not, Bradford is representing so many Black men who don’t fit into society’s box for them.

“That’s how I want to carry myself in this industry,” said Bradford, who has been training in the theater arts since he was five years old.

picking up little lessons from the next generation, which I think is important.

“This film will hopefully provide some lessons for the next generation. All people love sports, because either we played it, or somebody that’s near and dear to our heart played some kind of sport. I know I did. I played basketball, soccer, volleyball and tennis.”

AV: Are there any stories or elements within the film that you’re excited for people to witness or learn?

BK: “Yeah, the humanization of my father. I think people have sought to humanize him in other ways, but they don’t realize this is a very human story. This was a young man who was called to an extraordinary work that I think he did well, and we get to see him in another

“Disney’s Hercules” live performer Corey Bradford (above) took questions from the Black press aboard the Disney Destiny on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025.

Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

LeVert added about the amount of representation that is beautifully displayed on stage and live on the Disney Destiny, “This is something that should be happening.”

A mutual appreciation society is growing between the two performers. LeVert called Bradford “amazing” and said of the Hercules show, “I love how they reimagined the muses.”

On live performances and why they still feel so important in a world full of screens and apps, LeVert said that they can’t be duplicated. Every performance is one of one.

“You can’t replace it,” she said. “You can’t replace our engagement with each other.”

light. We usually see him in the pulpit, ‘I Have a Dream,’ or when he opposed the war in Vietnam. We see him in marching clothes. Daddy loved basketball. Although he was right-handed, he had a mean left hook, I understand. I’m left-handed, so that kind of resonates with me [laughs].

“A lot of kids weren’t there. Obviously, they weren’t born. So they’re thinking this is somebody who’s bigger than life. And so, what it does is it brings them down to their world, and it helps them now to have curiosity to want to know more about Martin Luther King Jr., because there are so many other things. He also went into the pool halls. And you know, he could win against some of those folks that were regularly in the pool halls [laughs].”

Entertainment

Jazz Community Comes Together to Support Jazz WCLK Radio

By STAN WASHINGTON

Jazz WCLK 91.9 FM, Clark Atlanta University’s public radio station, is partnering with CAU’s Music Department, Belle*Noir Productions, and members of the Atlanta jazz community to help close a significant $300,000 annual funding gap caused by the elimination of federal support for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

To help recoup a portion of the shortfall, the collaboration held a “Back To The Roots” benefit concert on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at Central Methodist Church, 501 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., in Atlanta.

In July 2025, a Trump administration decision to eliminate more than $1 billion in national public broadcasting funds left stations across the country—including WCLK—facing sudden and severe budget cuts. The loss represents about 13% of WCLK’s anticipated budget and threatens quality programming, staff retention, and vital paid media training stipends for CAU students.

Most of those federal dollars had already been allocated and were awaiting distribution.

According to WCLK General Manager Wendy Williams, the station has already raised

Entertainment

“As soon as the vote count was final, we went into immediate fundraising mode,” Williams said.

Recognizing that there will be no federal funding for public radio for at least the next three years, Williams said the station is aggressively pursuing other public and private funding sources.

“We are working in tandem with our Clark Atlanta Institutional Advancement Office to identify prime grant opportunities,” she said. “We are working with a new public media company. They knew this might happen, so they started reaching out to philanthropists and foundations months ahead of time.”

“They raised $57 million, and they told us they plan to make grants and loans to public radio stations that need the funding most. We’ve also reached out to individuals who have been big supporters of the station in the past.”

$175,000 of the $300,000 gap. Listeners and supporters can still donate by visiting wclk. com and clicking the “Donate” button.

Among the Atlanta-based jazz artists performing at the benefit were Kathleen Bertrand, Tony Hightower, Julie Dexter—known as the “British Peach”—and alumni, faculty, and staff from CAU’s Music Department.

Holiday pop-ups and hotspots in Atlanta

By LAURA NWOGU

Part of Atlanta’s charm lies in its diverse food scene, from the rich culture to the bold flavors. The saying often goes that “Atlanta isn’t a real place,” and what makes it unique is the bustling array of dining and drinking spots on every corner of the city’s neighborhoods, catering to every palate. Lucky for locals and tourists alike, there’s never a shortage of places to visit, especially when new businesses are rolling in every month.

With the holiday season in full swing, The Atlanta Voice rounded up a list of pop-ups and holiday hotspots you can visit in the coming weeks.

The Americano 3315 Peachtree Rd NE

The holidays are incomplete without hot chocolate to chase away the cold. The Americano, Intercontinental Buckhead’s dine-in restaurant by chef Scott Conant, is offering a hot chocolate bar where guests of all ages can enjoy hot chocolate flavors topped with fun additions such as crushed candy canes, peppermint whipped cream, and toasted marshmallows. Signature espresso martini flavors, crafted by Beverage Director Katie Bellingero, will also be available.

The hot chocolate bar will be available every Friday and Saturday in the restaurant from 3-6 p.m. all season long.

Tulum Kitchen & Bar

3167 Roswell Rd NE

Tulum Kitchen & Bar takes guests to Tulum without ever boarding a plane. Now the Mexican restaurant is saying “Feliz Navidad” with a new holiday menu including items such as a holiday flan, beverages crafted with cinnamon, ginger, and pumpkin spice, and decorations meant to transport people to a winter wonderland.

The Omni Hotel Centennial Park

190 Marietta St NW

The Omni Hotel’s signature holiday popup bar is making its debut on Nov. 28, complete with over-the-top festive décor, creative seasonal cocktails by mixologist Julie Reiner, and a wonderland worth taking a million photos in.

Rreal Tacos

Multiple Locations

Christmas has officially arrived at Rreal Tacos. Decked with special cocktails and

In an interview with The Atlanta Voice, Williams said she and other public radio leaders around the state anticipated cuts after President Trump’s reelection.

Williams said the administration’s decision to cancel funds that had already been allocated was particularly cruel.

“They took those funds and put them into what they wanted,” she said. “During President Biden’s four years in office, they thought about and planned every cruel thing they could do. It’s a mess. A nightmare.”

seasonal favorites, the Atlanta chain has become the go-to for those wanting Mexican street food and over-the-top holiday decorations. With ten locations around the city, guests can enjoy Christmas-themed food such as Christmas birria pizza and Christmas birria ramen as well as creative cocktails such as the elf punch and the mistletoe margarita.

Ponce City Market

675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

The weather is cold, but the rooftop fun doesn’t have to end. The Roof at Ponce City Market is inviting guests to celebrate the holiday season at their Holiday Social Bar. Decorated with floor-to-ceiling holiday décor, guests can enjoy holiday-inspired cocktails while overlooking the city.

Hawks return to D.C. on Saturday night

By DONNELL SUGGS

The last time the Atlanta Hawks were in Washington, D.C., they gave up 132 points to the worst team in the National Basketball Association. The Hawks not only lost that November 25 game by 19 points, and allowed Wizards guard and former All-Star CJ McCollum to score a gamehigh 46 points, and gave up 45 first-quarter points in the process.

It was a rough night all around, but it might have been a teaching moment for the Hawks, according to Hawks head coach Quin Snyder. The loss to Washington was mentioned when The Atlanta Voice asked him about the versatility and consistency of guard Dyson Daniels. Every game matters in the NBA, even

though the game in question was weeks ago.

The Hawks return to Washington on Saturday, December 6, and will aim to apply any lessons they have learned since their loss to the Wizards. Since that loss, the Hawks have had plenty of tests, and they have both passed and failed them. Atlanta hosted the Detroit Pistons last week and lost a competitive game to the best team in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta also hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, and won that affair despite being victim to another 40-point game from an opposing player, this time it was Cavs All-Star Donovan Mitchell.

The Hawks were in Philadelphia on Sunday, November 30, and won 142-134 in double overtime, before losing a one-point game in Detroit on Monday, December 1.

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Clippers were in town. Not necessarily the toughest test if their 5-16 overall record was any indication of how the team is playing this season, but another chance for the Hawks to get back on the winning track. All-Stars James Harden (27 points, 9 assists) and Kawhi Leonard (21 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) led the Clippers to a 115-92 victory.

The Hawks were without leading scorer Jalen Johnson (calf), Trae Young (out for at least the next two weeks due to a right knee MCL strain), and Kristaps Porzingis (illness), and it showed. The team struggled to create quality scoring opportunities. Atlanta was 7-20 from three during the first half and was down 14

points. Atlanta managed to only have one lead during the game, and that came midway through the second quarter when they went ahead 33-32 on a three-point play from Dyson Daniels (15 points, 2 steals).

Los Angeles would lead the game by as many as 18 points during the third quarter and by more than 20 points before Hawks head coach Quin Snyder pulled the starters out of the game. Hawks forward Caleb Houston (3 points in 5 minutes) entered the game in the fourth quarter. Houston played for the College Park Skyhawks earlier in the afternoon.

Note: The Hawks hosted the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. That game is scheduled to take place after this story went to press.

That’s 8 years without the playoffs for the Falcons

By DONNELL SUGGS

The Tampa Bay Bucs and the Carolina Panthers both won their seventh game of the season today. The Bucs defeated the Arizona Cardinals 20-17, while the Panthers defeated the Los Angeles Rams, the league’s top team coming into this week, 31-28 in Charlotte.

The Falcons (4-8) played a back-and-forth game against the New York Jets (3-9) on Sunday, and watched a 56-yard field goal from Nick Folk go through the uprights as the clock ticked to zero. The non-postseason streak for Atlanta will extend to eight years when the 2025 regular season is done.

With two losses to the Panthers and only five games remaining this season, the Falcons can’t make up the ground.

The Atlanta Falcons were back home after defeating the New Orleans Saints 24-10 on the road last Sunday. The victory may have only been the Falcons’ first in five weeks, but it had some significance. The win reignited the discussion over what it would take to make the playoffs, at the very least. That discussion is no longer necessary.

At 4-8, the road to the playoffs in the NFC is now closed. Atlanta needed a lot of teams to lose, and that didn’t happen on Sunday.

The Falcons were back on the road against the New York Jets (now 3-9 overall) on Sunday. That loss to the Jets officially rendered this entire breakdown moot. The Falcons couldn’t afford to lose any of their remaining games. The seven losses were more than any of the teams that are in Atlanta’s way of getting a wild card spot have. Those teams are the

following: the Detroit Lions (7-4), Green Bay Packers (7-3-1), Seattle Seahawks (8-3), San Francisco 49ers (8-4), and the Carolina Panthers (6-6 following a loss at San Francisco on Monday night. The Panthers hold a tiebreaker over the Falcons after sweeping them this season.

Following the Jets game, the Falcons will return home to host the Seahawks, who are a game behind the L.A. Rams (9-3 overall) in the NFC West on Sunday, Dec. 7. Atlanta will host the Rams and NFL MVP candidate and former University of Georgia Bulldogs star quarterback Matthew Stafford (30 touchdowns and two interceptions this season) next month in the last Monday Night Football game of the year on Dec. 29. Both games can be described as the toughest of the season for Atlanta. Atlanta will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

on Thursday, Dec. 11, and a loss to Tampa will end the season, even if the Falcons win every other game they play from this point forward.

The season-opening loss to Tampa has Atlanta in a position to not lose to the Buccaneers again or be swept by two teams in the NFC South (Carolina).

The Falcons have games against the Cardinals in Arizona on Sunday, Dec. 21, and the Saints at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to close the regular season on Jan. 4. Neither will matter if the winning doesn’t continue. The Philadelphia Eagles (8-3), Chicago Bears (8-3), Bucs, and Rams are leading their respective divisions and won’t be out of the playoff picture without a free fall of some sort.

The Falcons’ season isn’t done, but the hopes and prayers to make the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade are officially over.