A new think tank is launching Friday, Feb. 28, to address economic disparity, redevelopment and other issues facing residents in Black neighborhoods across the city of Atlanta, said founder Joe Hudson.
He formed the nonprofit BlacIntellec, which will hold a panel discussion on the initiative at 1 p.m. at Central United Methodist Church on how the initiative “will help move the entire black community of Atlanta forward,” he said.
Edward Davis, interim dean of Clark Atlanta University, is scheduled to moderate the conversation, which includes Nancy Flake Johnson, president of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta; Tarzene Livingston, pastor of Greater Chapel Baptist Church; Nathaniel Smith, founder of Partnership for Southern Equity, as well as other panelists.
More than 70 advisors are working to develop a broad scale, 10-year strategic plan that will guide historic Black communities on issues ranging from small business growth to housing, public policy and political empowerment and more, Hudson said.
Hudson owns Hudson Strategic Group, a design and strategy firm. He describes the BlacIntellec blueprint as an umbrella plan that communities would tailor for their specific goals.
Resident input is part of the strategic plan’s development, which is scheduled to be completed in August, he added.
“This process involves targeted outreach, structured interviews and collaborative brainstorming sessions,” the BlacIntellec website states.
Last year, Hudson started a GoFundMe campaign to raise $12,000 to help with those activities, research and other actions.
