Launching a gubernatorial campaign with a conversation about the need for reparations for descendants of the enslaved isn’t something you see every day— especially in Georgia. But state Rep. Derrick Jackson, D-Tyrone, who officially announced his bid for governor last week, says he wants to be a voice for Black voters looking for more aggressive […]
Georgia
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Public Services
Meet the Candidates Who May Decide What Happens With Your Electric Bill
Atlanta voters concerned about rising electric bills began casting ballots on Tuesday in a special election for the Georgia Public Service Commission, the administrative entity that regulates the state’s energy prices. At stake is how much people pay for power in a state with some of the highest utility costs in America. PSC commissioners have […]
Posted inHealth, Politics & Policy, Public Services
CDC Cuts HIV Communications, Leaving Vulnerable Black Georgians in the Dark
As infectious diseases like measles, salmonella, and hepatitis quietly spread across the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has gone largely silent. Of particular concern for Atlanta residents is the CDC’s lack of communication about HIV. According to the CDC, Georgia had the second-highest HIV diagnosis rate and the second-highest rate of HIV […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Public Services
How this Statewide Election Impacts Your Power Bills
As summer returns and customers crank up their air conditioners to cope with the punishing heat, a little-known elected body that regulates energy prices in the state of Georgia is gearing up for a pivotal election. The body, known as the Georgia Public Service Commission, or PSC, has the power to determine what Atlanta power […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, State Politics
Keisha Lance Bottoms Interview: ‘I’m Standing Up and I’m Fighting Back’
When Keisha Lance Bottoms first ran for mayor of Atlanta in 2018, part of her campaign’s appeal was that she was deeply rooted in Black Atlanta. Supporters loved to wear T-shirts emblazoned with “My mayor’s name is Keisha” from the barbershop to the neighborhood BBQ. Proudly repping the city’s southwest side, she declared victory after […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, State Politics
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Announces Run for Governor
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms officially entered the race for governor on Tuesday morning, joining what’s expected to be a crowded field of candidates vying to replace Brian Kemp as Georgia’s next top executive. In a wide-ranging interview with Capital B Atlanta on Tuesday, Bottoms explained her decision to run for governor, her plans […]
Posted inHealth, Maternal Health
She Is Medically Brain Dead. Georgia’s Abortion Law Is Keeping Her Body Alive.
In Georgia, a Black pregnant woman declared brain dead after a medical emergency is being kept on life support for three months so that her fetus can develop — a course of action over which her family says they have been given no choice because of the state’s strict anti-abortion law. According to the Associated […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice
After Executing an Intellectually Disabled Man, Georgia Rewrote Its Death Penalty Law
Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill Tuesday that will transform how intellectual disability is handled in death penalty cases in Georgia. Now in alignment with 26 other states that still practice capital punishment, Georgia will require a judge to determine during a pretrial hearing whether a defendant is intellectually disabled or not. Prior to the […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, State Politics
Why Jason Esteves Puts Georgia’s Housing Crisis at the Center of the Governor’s Race
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jason Esteves recently voiced support for the growing Target boycott, as he and other state Democratic Party leaders continue working to mend fences with Black Georgia voters. “My wife has had a [Target Circle 360] subscription, and she canceled it as a result,” Esteves said during an April phone interview with Capital […]
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 […]