Why Do I Write About Atlanta?

Why Do I Write About Atlanta?

Good question. Nobody’s asked it, but it’s a good question nonetheless. Full disclosure: I wasn’t born here. I was born in Indiana. I’ve been here for 36 years, though, and I think that qualifies me to call Atlanta home and to consider myself a Georgia Peach. Now, about this town:

The Black Mecca

Atlanta has long captured the imagination of black folks throughout the country. I won’t bore you with a history lesson but the TLDR version of what happened is this: In 1865, after the Civil War ended, there were roughly 4.5 million African American descendants of slaves (AADOS) in the U.S. and 85% of them lived in the South. Between 1910 and 1970, about 6 million AADOS migrated to the North, West, and Midwest in search of opportunity. This is known as the Great Migration.

What does this have to do with Atlanta? The 1970s saw that trend reverse as African Americans began to migrate back to the South. Atlanta, in particular, was seen as a place where black folks could thrive, and Ebony magazine dubbed the city "Black Mecca of the South.” My own family was part of the reverse migration; my mother moved us down here in the early 80s.

I’ll be honest. I loved it. I still love it. It’s not perfect by any stretch, but the low cost of living, all-black suburbs, black schools, and black professional class are just a few reasons why I stayed here, and why African Americans continue to come here. However:

The City Too Busy to Hate?

Nah. That’s been our mantra/slogan/ideology since the 60s but trust, it’s all PR. There’s plenty of hate. And tension. And inequality. And segregation. And elitism. But it’s all a part of this vibrant, dynamic city.

So why do I write about it?

Atlanta Is Its Own Character and It’s Underrepresented

There are still plenty of stories to tell about life in the Black Mecca.

Tom Wolfe and Margaret Mitchell, who are white, are perhaps the most famous novelists to set their stories in Atlanta (someone correct me if I’m wrong), and a cursory glance at Wikipedia’s list of Atlanta novelists shows that the vast majority of them are also white. That’s all well and good but we need a wider representation of perspectives.

I aim to add my perspective in a way that both honors and critically examines my beloved city. That means sometimes I will wax poetic, and other times I will drag Atlanta by its follicles. Either way, it’s all love.

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