Guest Columns
By Guest Columnist MICHAEL HALICKI, executive director of Park Pride
Monday, Jan. 18, is the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, an occasion that calls on us all to honor the legacy of Dr. King and to consider whether our individual actions follow in his example.
By Guest Columnist DEBORAH RICHARDSON, executive director of the International Human Trafficking Institute.
Georgia is a case study of Margaret Meade’s words: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
By Guest Columnist JOE HUDSON, trailblazing Black business advocate, mentor and coach
Today is the day that the Black business community needs to begin to step into city/community leadership roles. And, now is the time to put together funds from the Black community and its Black businesses to help build Atlanta’s Black community infrastructure and to protect our interest going forward. We have money and business leadership talent. We have many rich Black people in Atlanta who, as former Mayor Maynard Jackson used to say, “Get what they can get, and sit on the can.”
By Guest Columnist SUSAN VARLAMOFF, retired director of the University of Georgia’s Office of Environmental Sciences
As Georgia is the political epicenter of the nation with two U.S. Senate runoff races, the 1.2 million Catholics in the state may play an outsized role in deciding which party controls the Senate.
By Guest Columnist JILL BINKLEY, program director and founder of TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation
Functional limitations and issues such as numbness, decreased shoulder range of motion, weakness and reduced aerobic capacity are common side effects for breast cancer patients following surgery.
By Guest Columnist MICK COCHRAN, chairman of the board of First Step Staffing, Inc.
2020 has presented all sorts of challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic. The loss of income and wealth creates significant uncertainty and anxiety, coupled with fears and concerns over our family and friends’ individual health and welfare. Parents struggle with balancing childcare and maintaining secure employment. Many children are in despair, trying to keep up with school while mastering a whole new way of learning.
By Guest Columnist KAREN J. HARDWICK, leadership consultant and executive coach
Stressful doesn’t quite describe 2020. And it is the grueling pressure of this moment that is creating a leadership movement that harnesses the power of Connection. The kind of connection filled with grit and grace. The kind of connection that transforms us, our workplaces, and our relationships.
By Guest Columnist NANCY K. DAVES, retired international specialist, NOAA Fisheries
As Winter arrives, ‘tis the season for many holidays. But the ocean off Georgia’s coast has a different reason to celebrate. November marks the beginning of North Atlantic right whale calving season in our southern waters.
By Guest Columnist BO HIERS, a semi-retired marketing officer in the reinsurance industry and super-proud grandfather of his beloved grandson, Fletcher
There’s no point arguing, so don’t even try. The 1960s was hands-down the best decade ever for quality television, and it’s not even close.
By Guest Columnist MELITA EASTERS, executive director of Georgia’s WIN List
As Georgia becomes the “center of the political universe,” due to attention focused on Georgia’s highly unusual two United States Senate runoff races, two heavily courted groups are particularly meaningful for turnout as a tipping point towards a winning margin – Atlanta’s suburban women and Georgia’s newly energized youth vote.
By Guest Columnist LALITH POLEPEDDI, a research scientist at Georgia Tech’s Global Change Program
Efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 have radically transformed travel patterns across the globe. Between April and September 2020, global air travel dropped by 58% compared to the same time period in 2019. In the US, air travel dropped by 79% in that same time period. The steepest reductions occurred in the US in April, when air travel fell by 95%, and globally in May, when air travel fell by 68%.
By Guest Columnist PHIL OLALEYE, executive director of Next Generation Men & Women (Next Gen)
“Sit your behind down and let’s complete this application!” It was approaching midnight and Ms. Brenda was not going to allow her son’s close friend let this deadline pass. She recognized his talent and potential. And as a single-mother, she knew all he needed was some direction and support. “I won’t get in, and even if I do, I can’t afford it,” he muttered softly as he submitted his college application with a few minutes to spare.
By Guest Columnist ROXANA CHICAS, post-doctoral fellow at Emory University and former TPS holder from El Salvador
COVID-19 continues to ravage our nation, yet Congress has reached a stalemate in negotiations for the next COVID-19 relief package and attacks on immigrant communities ensue. A timely compromise that meets the needs of American families and businesses is critical, as well as safeguards for the immigrant community, including myself.
By Guest Columnist MATT TERRELL, communications director for Dad’s Garage Theatre
The LEAD Atlanta class of 2021 has been postponed. Because of safety and health concerns surrounding COVID-19, the cohort of 50 rising young leaders will take a break this coming year.
By Guest Columnist MARY KATHRYN NAGLE, a lawyer, playwright and enrolled citizen of Cherokee Nation
When I think of Georgia, I think of home. Although I have never lived there, when I return, it feels like we never left.
By Guest Columnists JEFF SMYTHE and RAPHAEL HOLLOWAY, CEOs, respectively, of HOPE Atlanta and Gateway Center
For too long, we’ve turned a blind eye to Atlanta’s homelessness and housing issues. Could the pandemic and racial justice movement finally be catalysts for real change?
By Guest Columnist SUNDIATA RUSH, a volunteer with the Atlanta BeltLine
Grandeur. Cambridge defines it as: the quality of being very large and special and beautiful. And a Google search of the term yields over 88 million hits. But you don’t have to look far and wide for it in Atlanta. Just visit the sprawling new greenspace on the Westside and ascend the winding slope just off the central meadow. The magnificence will smack you in the face.
By Guest Columnist STEPHANIE STUCKEY, CEO of Stuckey’s Corp.
Rocky is one of my favorite movies. In the popular cinematic journey that so engaged millions of fans – and improbably won a Best Picture Oscar – our hard-luck hero overcomes the odds to make an unexpected turnaround. But it wasn’t easy for Rocky.
By Guest Columnist DANA JOHNSON, CEO of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce
In early March, Mitzi Schepps’ mobile veterinarian business, Wellness Waggin’, was thriving. Born out of a desire to help pets stay healthy and help alleviate pain through alternative treatments, Wellness Waggin’ provided acupuncture, laser therapy and other procedures to pets across Cobb County and metro Atlanta through-in home visits. Schepps’ business model relied heavily on the ability to travel and provide personalized care where pets are most comfortable – their homes.
By Guest Columnist AISHA YAQOOB MAHMOOD, director of the Asian American Advocacy Fund
Growing up in Gwinnett County, some of my fondest memories include weekend trips to Jimmy Carter Boulevard to get our ethnic groceries, stock up on some great Indian food, and hang out with our friends at Global Mall. Businesses along the Jimmy Carter corridor have helped bring pieces of home for many Asian communities for over 25 years. To this day, my friends and family from neighboring counties plan trips to Gwinnett, as it is revered a nexus for so many immigrant communities.
