As a longtime news anchor on Atlanta’s top-rated television stations, John Pruitt narrated and often embodied the tumultuous events that punctuated our last half-century. On July 4, 1964, John stood next to a colleague at a segregationist rally when four young African-American men wandered in, inciting a melee in the stands. John’s colleague handed him a video camera, quickly showed him how to press the button to record on film and pushed him in the direction of the battle and into his own Moment of journalistic fate.
Tag: people
Posted inMoments, Moments Season 1
Noel Khalil’s Moment was when Herman Russell offered to hire him at half his salary and he happily agreed
When Noel Khalil moved to Atlanta in 1983, chasing development deals on the affluent north side of Atlanta seemed as natural to him as it was unusual to the white men who dominated the industry in that part of town.
After closing a few deals in the northern suburban counties of Atlanta, Noel was surprised when the secretary of Atlanta’s most prominent African-American developer called to say her boss, Herman Russell, wanted Noel come to his office for a meeting.
Posted inMichelle Hiskey
After quake, Braves pitcher Buddy Carlyle’s family helps stabilize Japanese single mom
After 17 years in pro baseball, the Carlyles are used to rapid shifts in the foundation of their family’s life.
That’s why their family supporters are so precious to them, and that’s why when the earthquake shook Japan on March 11, 2011, the Carlyles pitched in to care for Akane Nakagawa, the single mom who had cared for them, and for her community that suddenly, desperately needed help.
Posted inMoments, Moments Season 1
Rolling Stones’ Chuck Leavell’s Moment happened 40 years ago … Could it have been Ladies’ Night?
By Chris Schroder
Chuck Leavell leads a musical life that most guys would trade everything to have – playing keyboards for the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton the Allman Brothers and later next month with John Mayer – but his Moment was one all the ladies will love.
Now at age 59, looking back on all that rock ‘n’ roll, Chuck really wants to talk about his true loves: his wife, family and his deep abiding care for the environment, support for which he is spending an increasing amount of his time and treasure.
Posted inLatest News
Atlanta loses another great business leader — Jim Young
By Maria Saporta
I was so sad to hear about Monday’s passing of James E. Young, president and CEO of Citizens Trust Bank.
Young had been a strong behind-the-scenes player in the Atlanta business community — translating his rich experience in the banking and financial world into the city’s civic sector.
It was always a pleasure to see Young in action, and it was even more of a pleasure to hear about how he used his influence behind closed doors.
One of the last times I saw him was after a board meeting of the Commerce Club when Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed was the guest speaker during the closed session.
Posted inMoments, Moments Season 1
Evelyn Wynn-Dixon’s Moment was a vision others had for a life she’s living
As I watch Dr. Evelyn Wynn-Dixon glide into her stride, telling her life story, I try to brush away a nagging premonition that we might soon see her firing up a Monday night crowd at a national political convention – but then again, other people’s premonitions is how she ended up in the mayor’s chair of Riverdale, Georgia.
Evelyn was driven to find a way out of her situation for both her and her children and serves now as an inspiration to her seven grandchildren and others who meet her.
Posted inMichelle Hiskey
Jimmy Carter, Jason Carter inspired by matriarchs and family values
The two men, connected by a last name and DNA, separated by two generations and different dreams, together reflected on the forces that have driven their family.
Driven Jimmy Carter past national vilification for his presidential failures, driven him into the humanitarian work that has changed the world, and driven his grandson to appreciate the example set by the older generations – especially the women behind the men.
Posted inMichelle Hiskey
Off the rollercoaster, Ben Dempsey loses 165 pounds
Ben Dempsey says of his lifelong battle against overeating,
“I had done all kinds of strange diets, like eating tofu straight for six weeks, but when I lost 30 pounds, I would gain 40. At the rate I was going, I would have weighed 420 pounds today.”
From his work in physical therapy, he knew change was possible if he could just slip that elusive mental switch.
Posted inMoments, Moments Season 1
Josh Starks’ Moment helped him find ‘you have to be present to be blessed’
The economic downturn has been tough on millions of Americans and 24-year-old Atlantan Josh Starks was just one of the recession’s many casualties. By the afternoon of October 13, 2010, Josh said he had “pretty much lost everything that I worked hard for in life. You name it I lost it, or had to get rid of it to pay a bill or because I couldn’t find any work.”
When he woke up that Wednesday morning, Josh didn’t plan on that being his last day on the planet and he certainly didn’t plan to be on that night’s TV news, attracting headlines around the world.
To view Josh Starks’ Moments HD video, click here.
Posted inMoments, Moments Season 1
Ryan Gravel’s Moment wasn’t conceiving the BeltLine, it was when others embraced it
I thought BeltLine visionary Ryan Gravel would say his Moment was when he looked at a map of the city of Atlanta, saw the 1800s-era railroad tracks outlined and had an “ah-ha” moment. He says he’s often asked if the idea came to him all at once, but it actually marinated slowly, sparked during his senior year in college when he rode trains all over Paris and later when he returned to the traffic-clogged streets of metro Atlanta.
“My moment was in 2003, when I realized we might actually build the BeltLine,” he said.
Please view our HD Moments video with Ryan Gravel.
Posted inMoments, Moments Season 1
When Sam Massell got fired, it set him on a path that helped shape Atlanta
SaportaReport is re-running Season One of Moments for your enjoyment. This column originally published in January 2012.
When a young Sam Massell went in to see his boss, the future mayor of Atlanta thought he was in line for a big raise. Instead he got fired for all the right reasons and it was one of the best things that ever happened to him – and our city.
As Sam recalls, “I went in shock. At 24, those were heavy words.” He tried talking his boss into keeping him, reciting all his excellent work, but it was all for naught. Instead his boss urged him to go into real estate, “the real market in this city.” Please watch our 2-minute video of Sam’s Moment.
Posted inMoments, Moments Season 1
Shirley Franklin’s most amazing Moment just might be her next one
SaportaReport is re-running Season One of Moments for your enjoyment. This column originally published in January 2012.
When we sat down with former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin in the conference room of her new office at Purpose Built Communities where she is now the CEO, she was clear she wanted her Moment to be “strategic.” It wasn’t until we were packed up and leaving a little later that we truly understood her meaning – giving us a sense that she’s been strategic since she was a young child in a Philadelphia dance class.
Video Shirley Franklin’s HD Moments Video.
Posted inMoments, Moments Season 1
Clark Howard’s teenage Moment changed his life and saved millions
Consumer advocate Clark Howard came home for Thanksgiving from his sophomore year in college and faced a very grim household. From the sad faces he found around his family’s dinner table, he knew something bad had just happened.
When the dishes were cleared from Clark’s holiday table, his father asked him to stay afterwards to talk with him alone. Clark’s first guess when he saw his relatives’ faces and his father’s “awful” face, was that his father was going to announce that he was dying, he told us in our Moments HD Video.
