Atlanta native and veteran journalist Janita Poe has launched Black Atlanta Documented to help preserve Black history in Atlanta. The project will feature oral histories and stories of people who have made a difference in Atlanta, from enslaved people to present-day leaders. The YouTube-based production launched on March 16 and will release one episode per […]
Tag: Paschal’s
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
The sad saga of the historic Paschal’s hotel and restaurant
For more than 20 years, one of Atlanta’s most notable civil rights venues has sat vacant – waiting for new life. It’s hard to overstate the role Paschal’s has played in Atlanta’s civil rights movement. Two brothers, Robert Paschal and James Paschal, began operating as a sandwich spot in 1947. Then, in 1959, the two […]
Posted inMaria's Metro
Success on Sunset: restoring historic 220 Sunset for affordable housing
It was 2019, and the demolition permit had been issued. 220 Sunset Avenue — the apartment building developed by Rev. Maynard Jackson Sr. and where his family lived — appeared destined for the scrap heap. There was such history in the red brick building. The Jackson family lived on the top floor of the building, […]
Posted inColumns, Maria's Metro
At long last, there’s hope for historic preservation on the Westside
A $1 million grant from the National Park Service to renovate two historic homes in Vine City is a sign that finally Atlanta is grasping the value of preserving our unique Black history on the Westside.
Posted inColumns
Forget the symbols of the Confederacy; instead let’s preserve our African-American heritage
It makes no sense.
As the nation and our region ponder whether to erase Confederate history by removing monuments and renaming streets, we are letting our precious landmarks of African-American history crumble to dust.
Where is the passion and dedication to save the pillars of U.S. black history? Let’s begin with Gaines Hall, built in 1869 and the second oldest building in the city of Atlanta, and the place where W.E.B. DuBois wrote the mind-changing book: “The Souls of Black Folks.”
