SEASON 02, EPISODE 05: THE MEMORY AND REALITY OF ATLANTA
As rapper Andre 3000 from the Atlanta-based duo Outkast proclaimed to the world during the 1995 Source Awards: “The South got something to say!” For Season 2 of the BLK IRL Podcast, Anuli travels to Atlanta, GA to learn more about the local tensions between "Old Atlanta'' and "New Atlanta'' that began to take root in the 1990s as the city prepared its bid to host the 1996 Olympic Games and how Atlanta has since evolved to become one of America’s cultural capitals.
In this episode, Anuli talks to documentary filmmaker, journalist, and podcast host King Williams about the history of gentrification in Atlanta, the tangled relationship between Atlanta and Decatur, and the Great (Re)Migration of Black people (myself included) from the American North to the American South, among a host of other topics.
FEATURED GUEST: king williams
King Williams is a documentary filmmaker, journalist, and podcast host in Atlanta, Georgia. He is currently working on his documentary series on Gentrification in Atlanta, The Atlanta Way, based on a short film of the same name.
To learn more about the intersection of business, entertainment, politics, and urban planning in Atlanta, subscribe to King’s newsletter here.
referenced materials
Adams, Kimberly, and Richard Cunningham. 2021. “Why are Black Americans leaving big cities?” Marketplace.org. https://www.marketplace.org/2021/12/27/why-are-black-people-leaving-big-cities/.
Felton, Emmanuel, John D. Harden, and Kevin Schaul. 2022. “Census data shows Black Americans are relocating to the South.” The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/01/14/black-migration-south/.
History.com Editors. 2021. “The Great Migration - Causes, Significance & Effects.” HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/great-migration.
Kessler, Aaron. 2021. “Black Families Leave Cities for Suburbs as Barriers Erode.” Bloomberg Law. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/interactive/black-families-leave-cities-for-suburbs-as-barriers-erode.
Mason, Skip. 2012. Skip Mason's Vanishing Black Atlanta History. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/skipmasonblackatlantahistory/
Richards, Doug. 2021. “Atlanta Census Data: Black population no longer majority.” 11Alive.com. https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/census-no-more-black-majority-in-atlanta/85-645bed51-b9bd-4263-bbd3-40c1a97ded61.
Wheatley, Thomas. 2021. “Metro Atlanta sees population gain from New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.” Axios. https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2021/12/22/metro-atlanta-population-gain-new-york-chicago-los-angeles.