As an emphasis on mental health continues to take shape in the country, one conference aims to provide resources and make care more accessible to an often-neglected group. On Saturday, July 15, Atlanta welcomed the Black Men’s Mental Health Conference (BMMHC) with hopes of reaching the titular demographic. Camillia Harris, founder of justUS — focused […]
Category: Mark Lannaman
Mark Lannaman is a current graduate student at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He holds a B.A. from Georgia State University and an M.S. from Georgia Tech. He has previously worked with WABE as an intern for the Atlanta Press Club. Mark was a 2021 National Association of Hispanic Journalists mentee, 2021 Every Learner Everywhere fellow, & 2022 Society of Environmental Journalists fellow. He enjoys reporting on topics including sustainability, environment, education and urban development. Born and raised in Metro Atlanta, his family comes from Jamaica and Colombia. One of his favorite quotes is, “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore” -André Gide.
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Historic 395 Edgewood Ave building sees groundbreaking ceremony for its redevelopment
On Tuesday, July 11, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at a neglected building on historic Edgewood Avenue in Downtown Atlanta which will become the site of BE on Edgewood. Fulton County Commission Chairman Rob Pitts attended the ceremony, along with dozens of other community leaders. The redevelopment is being headed by Navmar, LLC. Marjan Yavari […]
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‘How I’d Fix Atlanta’ gives an outlet to say what we’re all thinking
The newsletter How I’d Fix Atlanta (HIFA) has made a name for itself as a collective journal of grievances — and solutions — for Atlanta, by Atlantans. Since 2022, the newsletter has published 14 essays (and counting), the first 10 of which comprise “season one.” The essays each dive into a problem and solution for […]
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The Southeast Region Environmental Justice Summit wraps up in Atlanta last weekend
The Southeast Region Environmental Summit was held June 7 to 12 at the Grand Hyatt Regency in Buckhead. The summit brought together hundreds of community leaders, scientists, educators, activists and others around the movement of environmental justice. Environmental justice is a relatively new term dating back to the 80’s for a concept that has long […]
Posted inColumns, Mark Lannaman
Aspen Climate Ideas: Green makes green, preaching to the choir, and innovation out of desperation
By Mark Lannaman In March, I attended the second-ever Aspen Ideas: Climate conference in Miami Beach, Fla. It was one of the best experiences I’ve had this year, and there are few places in the U.S. where the effects of climate change can be seen so easily than in the Miami area. When I got […]
Posted inColumns, Mark Lannaman, Uncategorized
Grounds breaks on project to bring 40 affordable townhomes to East Lake
By Mark Lannaman In late March Mayor Andre Dickens joined Atlanta Land Trust (ALT) in a groundbreaking ceremony for a project in East Lake that will bring 40 affordable townhomes over its lifetime. The Trust at East Lake will be “permanently affordable” according to the ALT. This is made possible by the two-acre land donation […]
Posted inColumns, Mark Lannaman
Atlanta is the No. 5 city in the nation for Black homeownership
By Mark Lannaman Given decades of racist practices, it may come as no surprise that Black Americans don’t fare as well as their White counterparts as far as homeownership rates go. When it comes to homeownership rate for Black Americans in Atlanta, though, the city sits at number five in the country according to a […]
Posted inLatest News, Mark Lannaman
Corazón a Corazón celebrates its one-year anniversary and looks towards new venue
By Mark Lannaman Corazón a Corazón — Heart to Heart in English — is an Atlanta-based open-mic and poetry slam group that just celebrated its one-year anniversary at the Mexican coffee shop Cafexito. Leo Rodriguez, creator of Corazón a Corazón, said he created the group for a specific purpose — to give space for those […]
Posted inColumns, Latest News, Mark Lannaman
Paint ‘N Sit ATL gets biggest turnout yet at its latest social
By Mark Lannaman The popular local Paint ‘N Sit ATL event held its largest gathering yet. An estimated 3000 people came together to create and celebrate art and build community. The idea is simple: people gather for the free event, use the provided paint tools or bring their own, and paint with each other. Paint […]
Posted inLatest News, Mark Lannaman
Tech Exposure Day a success at Mercedes Benz
Mercedes Benz Stadium recently hosted Tech Exposure day (TEXD) which saw over 3000 students participate and attend along with a plethora of companies and nonprofits. The event saw over 50 similarly aligned organizations, companies and community partners represent themselves at Tech Village within the stadium. The March 2 event was hosted by CodeHouse, a national […]
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First Latino Day held at Georgia State Capitol building
On Monday, Feb. 27, 13 local organizations came together to hold the first Latino Day at the Georgia state capitol. According to a press release by the Georgia-based Latino community empowerment organization GALEO, the event featured “a press conference, community educational sessions, advocacy activities and networking with policymakers and legislative leadership.” Carla Romero, a community […]
Posted inLatest News, Mark Lannaman
Atlanta Housing unveils its plan for the next five years
By Mark Lannaman The City of Atlanta’s department of housing, Atlanta Housing (AH), revealed last month how it plans to move forward for the next five years. One of the biggest takeaways is the plan’s focus on people and housing affordability — a hot topic of late as rents continue to increase faster than wages […]
Posted inColumns, Latest News, Mark Lannaman
Fulton County Board of Commissioners approves budget for reparations research task force
What is believed to be the nation’s first-ever county-led reparations research task force has just received funding in Fulton County. The Fulton County Board of Commissioners executive session on Jan. 18 approved the overall county budget in a vote of 4-3, which included funding for the task force. The budget was approved for $250,000 after […]
Posted inLatest News, Mark Lannaman
Partnership for Inclusive Innovation looking to continue momentum into 2023
The Partnership for Inclusive Innovation (PIN) is headed into 2023 hoping to continue solidifying Georgia as a center for innovation. PIN came out of a task force led by Georgia’s Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan who was looking to position Georgia as the tech capital of the East Coast.It is described as a “foundation crossed with […]
Posted inLatest News, Mark Lannaman
Soccer in the Streets finds new executive director
Soccer in the Streets, which has found much success in recent years from its popular program Station Soccer, has named Elijah Miranda as its new executive director. The move comes after previous director Phil Hill stepped away from the position. Miranda has a background in public health and has previous nonprofit experience in New York. […]
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Atlanta Region Transit Link Authority calls for special board of directors meeting
The Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority (ATL) elected new executive director Jannine Miller at a specially-called board meeting on Thursday, Nov. 5. ATL, along with the State Road & Tollway Authority (SRTA) and Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) were previously served by interim-director Heather Aquino of the Georgia Regional Transit Authority. Chris Thomilson previously headed the […]
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Cincinnati’s revitalization effort, and how Atlanta could be headed the same way
On a recent trip to Cincinnati, I got to visit the Over-the-Rhine (OTR) — the city’s most popular Downtown district vibrant with shops, restaurants, people and more. It was fun enjoying relatively walkable streets and amenities. It even reminded me of parts of Atlanta. Which kind of has me worried. The brief time I spent […]
Posted inColumns, Mark Lannaman
Georgia Public Service Commission allows Georgia Power to hold off on net metering expansion
The popular Georgia Power net metering program will not expand in Georgia in 2023. The tri-annual Georgia Power Integrated Resource plan hearings before the Georgia Public Commission — not to be confused with the tri-annual Rate Case — encompassed a few topics including expanding or starting a new net metering program, where homeowners with rooftop […]
Posted inColumns, Mark Lannaman
Georgia Tech developing climate action plan
By Mark Lannaman The Georgia Institute of Technology, known colloquially as Georgia Tech, is in the midst of planning its future — and is making sure climate action is at the forefront. To prioritize this, Georgia Tech’s Sustainability Next Task Force, created in 2021, is developing the school’s Sustainability Next Plan. The Sustainability Next Plan […]
Posted inColumns, Mark Lannaman
Historic Oakland Cemetery hosts first ever Day of the Dead ceremony
Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos in its traditional Spanish, has a new home in Atlanta. Historic Oakland Cemetery hosted its first Day of the Dead ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 6 from noon to 5 p.m. The event was a joint effort between the Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta and the […]
