Category: Guest Column

We live in a commuter region. We’ve grown accustomed to spending hours on the road each week traveling to work, appointments, even outings with friends. But for the first time in nearly 60 years Cobb voters will have the opportunity to vote for a real transit system in our county. I’m no stranger to public […]

These days, corporate volunteering is no longer just a check-the-box for social responsibility. At Hands On Atlanta, we’ve been engaging Atlanta’s corporate community in service for over 35 years, mobilizing over 1,000,000 ATLiens, so we know a thing or two about the topic. It’s about what you gain — yes, what you gain — when you […]

Each year, more than 700 young adults age out of Georgia’s foster care system. Most have nowhere to go and wind up homeless, live on the streets or couch surf, and often resort to a life of crime or poverty. I understand their plight because I aged out of foster care. Like them, I, too, […]

Established by the Board of Commissioners in 1995, the Fulton County Citizens Commission on the Environment (FCCCE) advises on development projects and collaborates with community organizations and citizens to promote and encourage environmentally sound practices. since 2003, the commission has awarded “Environmental Awards” every year to recognize exemplary environmental efforts and best practices that serve […]

I recently found myself marveling at a collection of inspiring photos; in fact, they’re still in exhibition for a few more weeks as part of a gallery show at Spalding Nix Fine Art. These intimate images by Charlie McCullers, Atlanta Ballet’s principal photographer for more than two decades, capture vivid and vulnerable moments of Atlanta […]

Since its founding in 1913, the Rotary Club of Atlanta, whose membership is made up of business and civic leaders across our city, has been committed to ‘service above self.’ As the fourth largest Rotary Club in the world, our membership is compelled to lead the way and bring this concept of “service above self” […]

Being able to tell your story of resilience, struggle and strength is not easy, but it is especially difficult for marginalized individuals, including those in Muslim American communities.  Since 9/11, and more recently Oct. 7, our stories have been hijacked, and Muslim Americans have been dehumanized. As non-dominant communities, not having diverse Muslim American stories believed […]

While no hurricanes made landfall along the Georgia coastline in 2001, contentious issues whirled furiously across the state that year. A new state flag supported by Governor Roy Barnes met with stiff opposition. Teachers resisted the education reform proposal to end tenure for newly hired teachers. Community groups, budget hawks, and environmentalists coalesced to fight […]

It only takes 60 seconds of doomscrolling to feel helpless and hopeless — about the fate of democracy and the future of the planet. Why doesn’t somebody do something? The unconscious passivity in that question explains a lot about how “We the People” got to this moment.  Waiting for someone else to fix the problems […]

On Aug. 9, 1995, local grassroots group Georgians Against Nuclear Energy, now known as Nuclear Watch South, hosted a gathering called “Seeds of Peace” to commemorate the atomic bombing of Nagasaki 50 years before. Held in the Rose Garden at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, this free-form annual gathering of Atlanta peacemakers has […]

The Landmark Designation Ceremony for the Old Stone Church, the historic church home of the Antioch East Baptist Church and the Candler Park home of the First Existentialist Congregation (First E), took place on Saturday, June 22.  A hot, blistering day was soothed by the joyful singing and merry hearts that joined in honoring the […]

We have a regular Author Talk series at the History Center, and one of our recent events has continued to resonate with me during our current moment in history. We had the privilege of hosting Ted Blum, author of “Calculated Risks,” a work of creative historical non-fiction, and Bob Ratonyi, author of “From Darkness to […]

Recent news headlines documenting the record number of cost-burdened households, people experiencing homelessness, and widespread housing unaffordability are distressing. In Georgia, over one million households are extremely housing cost-burdened, spending almost 50 percent of their income on housing. This high-cost burden, combined with any emergency, such as an illness, accident, loss of employment, etc., all […]

Atlanta’s sustained transformation into a vibrant, interconnected metropolis hinges on pivotal transit decisions. Among these, the introduction of light rail along the Atlanta BeltLine stands as a beacon of progress and promise for our communities since the Beltline’s inception. As Atlanta continues to grow, the implementation of a comprehensive transit system becomes not just a […]

TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is marking 20 years of providing essential survivorship services designed to enhance the quality of life for breast cancer patients of all backgrounds, including men, facing a myriad of challenges in their respective journeys to a full recovery.  As the only nonprofit organization of its kind in […]

The war in Ukraine has captured the attention of the world for more than two years now. Several months into the conflict, Atlanta businessman, Emory Morsberger, was tired of writing checks to lend his support and demanded he do more.  In June of 2022, Morsberger left for a trip to Ukraine to hand-deliver tens of […]

Four decades ago, a unique event set in motion a remarkable series of achievements benefitting people around the globe, which continue today and are shaping the next 40 years. Atlanta-based global health organizations are playing a key role in this progress. In 1980, the world was declared free of smallpox — the only human disease […]

Mayor Dickens rightly asked MARTA to pause its planned renovation and 4-year closure of Five Points MARTA Station. CAP/ADID applaud the mayor’s call to take a step back from the current project and existing plans for the Five Points Station “transformation”, which MARTA has spent millions producing, plans that are deeply flawed. Unfortunately, despite this […]

Since 1965, SkillsUSA has worked to fill the skills gap in the American economy — that widening divide between the jobs available and the skilled workers ready to fill them. We’re proud to bring our SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) back to Atlanta this year, and we plan to be here until 2033. […]

As the Founder and President of the National Black Empowerment Council, I have made it my mission to advocate for policies that support the Black community’s growth and potential. Borrowing on credit is a crucial pathway for families to accumulate wealth and enable significant investments such as homeownership and higher education. However, access to credit […]