Qcells employee Kimberly Richardson is trying to help the South Korean solar panel manufacturer recruit more Black folks like her to work at its expanding factory in Dalton, — but there’s a problem. Less than 5% of the people living in Dalton are Black. Additionally, the city is located about 89 miles northwest of Atlanta, […]
Chauncey Alcorn
Chauncey Alcorn is Capital B Atlanta's state and local politics reporter.
Posted inCity Politics
Why More Black People Are Showing Up for Atlanta NPU Meetings
Lynette Grant didn’t know developers were building a new apartment complex in her community before attending the latest Neighborhood Planning Unit meeting Wednesday night. Grant was one of about 30 resident members of NPU-R who participated in the most recent monthly Zoom call to weigh in on issues happening in their predominantly Black, southwest Atlanta […]
Posted inState Politics
Your Elected Officials Were Busy Passing Laws That Affect You. Here’s a Recap.
Lawmakers inside the state Capitol ceremoniously threw shreds of paper in the air in celebration after working past midnight to decide the fate of several contentious bills on Sine Die, the last day of this year’s legislative session. Many of the year’s most controversial measures, including one that would create a Georgia school voucher program […]
Posted inCity Politics
What Did Mayor Andre Dickens Say? Read Our State of the City Breakdown.
In case you missed it, Mayor Andre Dickens delivered his second State of the City address on Tuesday. Dickens spoke for just over half an hour, touching on everything from youth engagement programs and affordable housing to reiterating his support for the public safety training facility known as “Cop City.” “Today, I can tell you […]
Posted inState Politics
Georgia’s Legislative Session Is About to End. Here’s What We’re Watching.
The fate of several proposed laws that could impact the lives of Black Georgians will be decided on Wednesday, the 40th and final day of the state’s latest legislative session — aka Sine Die. The term “Sine Die” is a Latin phrase that means “without assigning a day for a further meeting or hearing.” In Georgia, it’s […]
Posted inCity Politics
Black Folks Share Their Concerns Ahead of Dickens’ State of the City Address
When Mayor Andre Dickens steps to the podium to deliver his State of the City address, residents like Vanessa Turner hope he’ll talk about his administration’s progress on addressing crime and public safety. The 69-year-old retail sales clerk lives in the Wheat Street Towers retirement community, located in the city’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood. She keeps […]
Posted inHousing, Money
The Rent Control Bill Stalled, but This Activist Isn’t Done Fighting
Margie McLeod spent Tuesday outside the Georgia State Capitol in downtown Atlanta trying to sway lawmakers to support a bill she already knew was unlikely to get signed into law this year. “I’m not the type of person to give up,” the 75-year-old community activist told Capital B Atlanta on Wednesday. “We don’t know what’s […]
Posted inState Politics
Crossover Day Is Over. Here’s What You Might’ve Missed.
Georgia lawmakers were up late Monday night. Why? It was Crossover Day, the General Assembly’s deadline for most bills to be passed by either the House or the Senate before becoming new laws by when the legislative session ends on March 29. Text from bills that weren’t passed by the end of Crossover Day can […]
Posted inMoney
Up in Smoke: What a Proposed Tobacco Tax Hike Could Mean for Georgia
Everybody knows smoking is bad for you, which is why a group of state lawmakers wants to make it more expensive in Georgia. In early February, state Rep. Ron Stephens introduced HB 191, legislation that would raise taxes on tobacco products in the interest of public health. It’s a move that could have more of […]
Posted inState Politics
Why Black Buckhead Residents Say They’re Against Cityhood Push
Jimmy John moved to Buckhead with his wife about a year ago because he wanted to get away from crime in East Atlanta and enjoy a community with better amenities. Today, as Buckhead finds itself grappling with its own perceived crime issues, John wonders how the city becoming independent will fix the problem. “Buckhead becoming […]
