Atlanta residents opposed to the public safety training center being built in South River Forest — known as “Cop City” — protested its construction by dropping 116,000 ping pong balls during a City Council meeting on Monday. Each ball was meant to symbolize one signature that organizers said they gathered for a petition to hold a ballot […]
City Politics
Posted inCity Politics, Politics & Policy
Meet the Atlanta City Council Post-3 At-Large Candidates Vying for Your Vote
The presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump has been dominating headlines, but there’s another important political matchup on the ballot in November that will directly impact everyone living in Atlanta. Five contenders are vying to be the newest face on Atlanta City Council this fall. Black Futurists Group founder […]
Posted inCity Politics, School Boards
How the City Council Post 3 Election Could Impact Atlanta’s Board of Education
The stage is set for November to be an important time of the year here in Atlanta. In addition to a highly contested presidential election looming between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump — in which Georgia will likely play a pivotal role — there are upcoming contests between public officials on the […]
Posted inCity Politics, Public Services
Water Crisis: Black Business Owners Seek Financial Relief from City Ordinance
The devastating water outage that has forced some Atlanta residents to go up to five days without drinkable water has also taken a hefty financial toll on Black business owners like Jason Davis. The 45-year-old Davis is the owner of Aiskrimu, a 9-month-old ice cream parlor located in Cascade Heights and one of several neighborhood […]
Posted inCity Politics, Politics & Policy
City Council Calls for I-20 Noise Barrier in Mozley Park
Atlanta lawmakers are amplifying Mozley Park residents’ demands for a noise barrier to be built along Interstate 20 to silence noise pollution from traffic in majority-Black parts of the city. The Atlanta City Council unanimously supported a resolution on Monday that urges state and federal regulators to build a noise barrier along the stretch of I-20 that […]
Posted inCity Politics, Politics & Policy
‘Maynard for Mayor’ 50 Years Later
It was 50 years ago today when Maynard Holbrook Jackson Jr. shook up the South. At the ripe old age of 35, the Democratic candidate defeated incumbent Sam Massell in a runoff election to become Atlanta’s first Black mayor, receiving 60% of the vote to Massell’s 40%. Jackson’s landmark election ushered in an era of […]
Posted inCity Politics
Two City Council Members Will Push to Put ‘Cop City’ on the Ballot
Two Atlanta City Council members are drafting legislation that would put plans to build the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, dubbed “Cop City,” up for a ballot referendum in November. Their efforts come in the aftermath of the city attorney announcing on Monday that officials would not begin to verify the 116,000 signatures collected by […]
Posted inCity Politics
Will Council Members Who Voted to Fund ‘Cop City’ Lose Black Support?
Controversy over the Atlanta City Council’s decision to fund construction for the divisive public safety training center — nicknamed “Cop City” by critics — continues this week as activists in opposition prepare for an entrenched political battle. Stop Cop City organizers launched their week of action over the weekend, with events planned through July 1. […]
Posted inCity Politics
City Council Approves Largest Budget in Atlanta History
The largest proposed budget in Atlanta history received a stamp of approval from the Atlanta City Council. Members voted unanimously Tuesday afternoon in favor of the estimated $790 million general fund budget, which Mayor Andre Dickens is due to sign into law by June 30. Dickens joined the meeting and thanked the council for approving […]
Posted inCity Politics
What Would Atlanta Teens Do If We Gave Them $790 Million to Spend on the Budget?
Budget season in Atlanta is nearing the home stretch. Before the City Council and Mayor Andre Dickens approve and sign off on the record-setting $790 million general fund tab, we had one question: What would local teens do with that money? After all, Dickens dubbed 2023 the “Year of the Youth,” launching an initiative in […]