Gwen Smith thinks lovingly of the three decades she spent living in Collier Heights, reflecting on a close-knit community filled with neighbors who knew one another’s names and were always eager to lend a helping hand when necessary. But she can’t help but to remember the stench. Smith recalls foul odors surrounding her community on […]
Atlanta
Posted inEnvironmental Justice
How to Safely Dispose of Tires, Furniture, and Waste in Atlanta
Parks, vacant lots, and abandoned properties in West Atlanta are turning into dumping grounds, littered with busted furniture, worn tires, and other bulk trash — and community members say their complaints are going unresolved. “They’re dumping into the streams, dumping in ditches, roads, any place they can do a quick drop-off,” said Khalifa Lee, chair of […]
Posted inElections
How to Keep Your Voter Registration Active Amidst Georgia’s Massive Purge
Voting rights advocates are urging Black Georgians to take appropriate steps this year to ensure they’re not impacted by mass voter registration cancellations and voter eligibility challenges. Nearly half a million people are due to have their Georgia voter registrations canceled no later than July, meaning they won’t be able to cast ballots in key […]
Posted inEconomic Justice, Politics & Policy
Target Boycott Phase Two: Organizers to Expand Movement
Greear Webb hasn’t set foot in a Target or spent any money there in two months — a conscious departure from what was once his go-to retailer for affordable apparel and toiletries. The 24-year-old Emory Law School student and Midtown resident is one of an estimated 10,000 members of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘She Should Have Hung in There’: Voters Saddened By Nikema Williams’ Resignation
U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams’ resignation as chair of the Georgia Democratic Party didn’t sit well with some constituents in her district as the party, backed by an overwhelming majority of Black voters, seeks a new direction heading into a pivotal midterm election cycle next year. Williams — who became the first Black woman ever to […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice, Public Services
Could Texts Reduce Jailings? One Atlanta Suburb Says Yes.
Nate Mingo knew the havoc that missing a court date wreaked on the lives of residents in his suburban Atlanta community. He understood the prospect of a driver’s license suspension or jail detention — and how either consequence could jeopardize one’s employment and significantly worsen their legal troubles. As Riverdale’s director of court services, Mingo also […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Politics & Policy
BioLab Fined $61,000 After Georgia Lawmakers Fail to Pass Regulatory Legislation
This story was originally published on February 4, 2025, and has been updated. Kiya Stanford remembers clearly the fallout from the BioLab chemical fire that wrapped Conyers and surrounding areas in a cloud of toxic smoke in September. She recalls the pungent odor that lingered in the air for several days; the fear of exposure […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Voting
AUC Students Fear Being Disenfranchised by Massive Voter Registration Purge
Clark Atlanta University student Gabrielle Willis said she wasn’t surprised in late March when she learned of the Georgia Secretary of State’s office plans to cancel 455,000 “inactive” voter registrations later this year, but the news did concern her. “We face a lot going back and forth here at the AUC,” Willis told Capital B […]
Posted inHealth
CDC Employees Say Layoffs Under Trump Hit Black and Marginalized Staff Hardest
Employees at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta are accusing the Trump administration and the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) of laying off Black CDC workers at higher rates than other racial demographic groups. Three employees — two of whom received layoff notices on Tuesday — told Capital B Atlanta […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
The Three Records That Fani Willis’ Office Withheld in Trump Case
Back in 2023, Fani Willis seemed unstoppable. The first-term Fulton County district attorney became a national name after announcing in August of that year her intent to succeed where many before her had failed: holding the then-former President Donald Trump accountable. Willis brought criminal racketeering charges against Trump, alleging that he attempted to alter the […]