For more than 58 years, The Atlanta Voice has ably provided a voice for the voiceless. It is the largest audited African American community newspaper in Georgia. Founded in 1966 by the late Ed Clayton and the late J. Lowell Ware, The Atlanta Voice has evolved and redefined its efforts to better connect with the community it serves.
Red and blue lights blend into a purple hue, illuminating a picturesque stage reminiscent of an intimate jazz club. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice
Miyana Sarver always knew Poetry on Peter (POP) would be special. However, the poet and driving force behind POP didn’t predict it would blossom into the community it has become today.Red and blue lights blend into a purple hue, illuminating a picturesque stage reminiscent of an intimate jazz club or a scene plucked out of the pages of one of the many books adorning the stage of Peter’s Street Station’s Poetry on Peter (POP). The lone mic at center stage is always warm, either by the hands of a lively host or one of the poets who scrounge up the courage to share their words at the free weekly event that has become a safe space for Atlanta’s Black creatives.
“At first, I didn’t even realize what was happening,” Sarver said. “It makes me feel blessed. And it also makes me feel like, ‘huh, I wonder what God saw in me to be given such a task.’”
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Sarver got acclimated with Atlanta’s arts scene by performing at poetry events around the city. In 2020, she made a pivotal decision to leave the music industry after the realization that it wasn’t serving her and that her true passion lay in poetry and event curating rather than songwriting.
After Sarver came across a post on the Peter’s Street Station Instagram in June 2021 asking for new curated events, she knew it was a sign. A month later, POP was born. Almost three years later, the weekly Monday event hosts a vibrant atmosphere that has garnered a loyal crowd of Black musicians, small-business owners, and, most notably, poets.
“It’s turned from a passion to a duty. At first, it was just a place to save myself, but once I got myself on good ground, it became my duty to do what I did for myself to do for others.”
Guests swayed to the live music by the talented in-house band Vibe Ktrl. Bartenders sling drinks as guests crowd the bar to grab a cocktail or write their name down on the 14-slot list for the chance to perform on stage. The couches, tables, and chairs that litter the intimate room are never empty or without conversation. Guests can often be found exploring the backroom art gallery plastered with Black art — that’s the ambiance that POP invokes every Monday.
Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice
We are Family
There are three rules formulated by Sarver when first-time guests or regulars settle in their seats and gather around the stage as showtime starts: give poets good energy, talk to each other, and have a good time.
POP is adamant about creating an inclusive and safe space that serves as an outlet for Black creatives. Whether it’s a poetic piece that draws from elements of spoken word or lends itself more to the cadence of rap, the crowd responds through bobbed heads, shouts of praise or affirmation, and that scrunch of the face that signals that the words have hit home for its audience.
“The crowd is so receptive,” said Demauge Williams, a poet who has been performing at POP since its inception. “I really think that if you have a piece that connects and really hits home for us, we will champion you.”
Championing each other and showing support is the theme of Monday nights at POP. Different Black businesses are showcased every week, from product owners to those who own food businesses, emphasizing the community that Sarver and her team have built.
“’I’m very grateful and honored to work with other Black creatives and support each other in that way. It feels freeing. It feels empowering,” said JAHnye Ashanti, a licensed esthetician and owner of Ashanti Skin, a wellness and beauty business that offered massages while poets performed.
From start to finish, the show seamlessly brings people together in a cocoon of live music, poetry, food, drinks, and good vibes, but a lot goes into crafting the event behind the scenes. Sarver revealed that Monday’s show is just 10 percent of the work they do, and after just a day’s rest, her team of 10 people are back to work. It’s a fully operating business and engine that works together through social media, networking, grant applications, and attending other art events while also tending to their own creative crafts.
And Sarver said it wouldn’t work so seamlessly if the team behind the event hadn’t become family. Many of the key players of POP are long-time friends or family of Sarver, and you can clearly see the teamwork in the hours before the show starts. Before doors open at 8:30 p.m., you can likely catch Vibe Ktrl serenading the room with an impromptu jam session that speaks to their synergy. Where one goes, the other soon follows, creating an atmosphere that carries the team as they work diligently to organize what guests see every Monday.
Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice
Cultural Renaissance on Peters Street
The Mondays at Peters Street Station have become an important part of the art renaissance in the Castleberry Hill neighborhood. Peter’s Street has transformed into a hub of creative expression. Once a red-light district, the street now boasts art galleries, restaurants and bars that have revitalized the neighborhood’s nightlife. Peter’s Street Station is the heart of this cultural renaissance, a culture house and event space founded by Miya Bailey. It serves as a safe space for creative incubation in the local art community, with Poetry on Peter leading the charge as it creates a reputation for itself within the local community.
“I think that we pour a lot of our heart and spirit into it. They just called us and asked us if Poetry on Peter could be a part of the Atlanta marketing run for labels: if you come to Atlanta, you have to step on that stage. Almost like an Apollo,” Sarver said.
“Poetry on Peter is the heartbeat of Peter Street for sure. I don’t think anybody in that building would say otherwise. I think we have a hard engine in this cultural renaissance happening in Atlanta, especially with Peter Street.”
In February, POP held one of its biggest events yet featuring Foggieraw, a Maryland-based rapper from Ghana. As POP’s three-year anniversary in July draws near and Sarver reflects on the continued success of the event, which has been an integral part of keeping Atlanta’s poetry scene alive, Sarver is proud of what the event has become to its neighborhoods and the community.
“It’s bigger than us…. It feels good. It makes me feel proud. So often, I’ll drop a tear about it.”
After more than two hours of debate, the Georgia House passed the school voucher bill, Senate Bill 233, 91-82. The legislation passed largely along party lines. It now heads back to the Senate for further debate. The bill promises $6,500 per child per year for private school or homeschooling for kids in the lowest 25% of performing public schools. One Democrat did vote for the bill. Patty Marie Stevenson voted with the Republicans.
Supporters of the bill believe the ‘The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act’ provides more options for parents and addresses the gap between public and private school costs.
This is how the program is structured: If a parent wants to use the money to pay for part of a private or homeschooled education, the money would be placed into a Promise Scholarship Account. Additionally, if a parent wants to draw down those funds to pay tuition for a particular school, the state must also determine that the school is authorized to participate in the program (provided that the student gains admission to the private school of his/her choice).
Last year, the Democrats were able to beat back the measure. However, House Republicans were on a quest to not have a second defeat on the school voucher bill. This year’s version of the legislation includes low-and middle-income Georgians, only students in families earning no more than 400% of the federal poverty limit – currently $120,000 a year for a family of four – would qualify for the program.
“What you have before you is a responsible piece of legislation that will enhance the educational options we give children,” said House Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones, R-Milton, during the debate. “I have rarely encountered regular citizens who wanted fewer options.”
Also in the House version of the bill, it codifies the teacher pay raises that were approved in 2019, Governor Brian Kemp’s first year in office. Teacher salaries increased $6,500 per year.
In a move to increase enrollment in pre-kindergarten classes, the legislation also would let public schools use state capital construction funds to build new pre-k facilities.
The bill would take effect during the 2025-26 school year and expire at the end of June 2035.
Georgia State Rep. Mesha Mainor, R-Atlanta, speaks in favor of school vouchers inside the Georgia House Chamber on Thursday, March 14, 2024. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)
State Representative Mesha Mainor, a Republican from Atlanta, pointed her finger at Democrats. She claimed they acknowledge the problems associated with Georgia’s public schools but refused to offer solutions. Mainor is a huge advocate of school choice.
“SB 233 is about parental choice, teacher pay raises, Pre-K funding tax credits for schools that have children that want to participate in this program,” said Mainor. “If you vote yes for 233, you codify into law the pay raises for the teachers. If you vote no on SB 233, the teachers in your district may return the favor. If you don’t value them, they may not value you.”
Meanwhile, Bryce Berry, a Democrat and a public school teacher running for House District 56, a seat occupied by Mainor, says he was ‘repulsed’ for his students.
“As a Public School teacher I am repulsed for my students, for my families and for my community,” Berry said in a statement. “This blatantly ignores outstanding unmet needs and will result in school closures, teacher layoffs and students left out and left behind. While Rep. Mainor chooses to work against us, I will work for us and immediately hit the ground running to overturn this law and finally meet the needs of our schools.”
According to a poll by the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) from the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs Survey Research Center, 50.2% of Conservatives (+14.4% margin), 57.3% of Moderates (+26.1) and 56.7% of Liberals (+18.5) responded that they would not support any form of public money funding private school vouchers. The effects of this bill, if it passes out of the Senate without further changes, could be potentially damaging to rural public schools. It goes without saying, it would also damage public schools in Atlanta that do not receive adequate funding from the State.
Georgia State Rep. Karlton Howard, D-Augusta, speaks against school vouchers inside the Georgia House Chamber on Thursday, March 14, 2024. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)
Furthermore, there are studies that inextricably link students’ academic performance to their socioeconomic backgrounds. According to a 2020 study by the United States Department of Agriculture, Georgia had more children (aged 0-17) in poverty than 43 other states. Georgia is also one of only six states that does not provide added support for students living in poverty. State Representative Karlton Howard, a Democrat from Augusta, says the bill will further a two-tiered system where families who reside on the margins will see their education options reduced.
“Ultimately, what it does is perpetuates inequality in our educational system,” said Howard. “And frankly, I’m not swayed by the promise of teacher pay raises or kindergarten improvements if it comes at the cost of defending our public schools. Why don’t we instead invest in our public school education system? Supporting policies that promote equality, equity and fairness for all students? It is clear who this bill serves. It serves the wealthy.”
Fan Zhang, owner of the popular Buford Highway restaurant Northern China Eatery, often sees one-to-two-hour waits for his restaurant’s authentic Chinese fare. With the opening of spin-off the Dumpling Factory in June, he hopes to make the food more accessible to metro Atlantans. Set to replace Boxcar Betty’s—a Charleston-based fried chicken spot—in Westside Paper, the Dumpling Factory will serve highlights from Northern China Eatery’s menu.
“At Northern China Eatery, every table [orders] dumplings, along with stir-fry stuff, so I could see there is a market,” Zhang says. “We just started franchising the Dumpling Factory brand and needed a location to prove ourselves.” A franchise location is in consideration for the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Steamed buns
Courtesy of Northern China Eatery
Dumpling varieties may include pork with chives, pork with fennel, pork with cabbage, chicken with corn, and shrimp with chives. Seasonal options like lamb with cilantro will be available for two or three months at a time. Dumplings can be ordered steamed, pan-fried, or boiled and come with black vinegar and chili oil sauces.
Zhang says 12-16 dumplings comprise a meal. He’s also working on combination plates, such as fried rice with dumplings, soup with dumplings, and stir-fried rice noodles with dumplings. Other offerings may include egg drop soup, wonton soup, hot and sour soup, steamed buns, scallion pancakes, and more.
Expect counter service, takeout, and delivery, and for those who choose to dine in, a robot may deliver your food to the table. The restaurant will not serve alcohol at the beginning. However, Zhang is considering selling bottled beer and soju in the future.
The 2,100-square-foot space will feature framed Northern China Eatery T-shirts and photos of dumplings on the walls. Other than that, not much will change from Boxcar Betty’s.
For those looking for a sit-down experience, Zhang says he’s close to signing a letter of intent for a 3,000-square-foot space along the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail, between Hawkers and Shake Shack. This will be Northern China Eatery’s second location.
“It’s a place I always wanted to be,” Zhang says. “The BeltLine is a no-brainer. My family and I love the vibe and love the area. We want to make this our flagship.”
Steamed buns with black vinegar and chili oil sauces
The Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund (GRO) runs a guaranteed-income program called In Her Hands
Photograph courtesy of the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund
Universal basic income (UBI) isn’t a new idea, but in a dystopian world with pandemics and a growing wealth divide, the utopian concept seems more practical than ever before. Some of Atlanta’s biggest players have bought in and are investing in small-scale guaranteed-income pilot programs.
In September 2023, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation granted $22.4 million to programs on the Westside. Over $6 million of that went to the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund (GRO) for its guaranteed-income program, called In Her Hands. Focusing on Black women in the English Avenue and Vine City neighborhoods, the program will provide 200 residents with direct cash deposits of around $1,000 per month, for up to three years. Residents qualify if they have an income of 200 percent or less of the federal poverty level, and applications will open soon.
Are there any guaranteed-income programs already in Georgia? GRO already runs three In Her Hands guaranteed-income programs in Georgia, in partnership with GiveDirectly, an international nonprofit organization that pioneered direct cash transfers in East Africa. GRO launched in Old Fourth Ward in late 2021 after the neighborhood’s community task force determined that guaranteed income might be a solution for lifting residents out of poverty. That same year, In Her Hands began operation in Old Fourth Ward, then expanded to College Park and southwest Georgia. The three programs now serve a total of 654 women, providing $850 each per month for two years.
The first-year results of In Her Hands show encouraging numbers—the number of participants now able to put money toward savings increased by 50 percent, educational enrollment increased by 200 percent, and food insecurity has dropped from 78 percent to 60 percent. Participants are using much of the monthly cash to catch up on bills (44 percent), followed closely by spending on food and other essential items (28 percent) and reducing debt (24 percent).
Where did this idea originate? The concept likely dates back to at least 1516, when Thomas More proposed guaranteed income as a solution to theft and poverty in Utopia. In 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. advocated for guaranteed income, and In Her Hands takes its name from his words: “The dignity of the individual will flourish when the decisions concerning his life are in his own hands, when he has the assurance that his income is stable and certain.”
In 1969, President Richard Nixon proposed a negative income tax that would pay low-income families $1,600 per year. The program was tested with about 7,500 people. Results showed that the susidies did not raise participants’ income significantly, though the number of hours worked was slightly reduced.
But America has changed since Nixon’s test run. Research from the Pew Center shows an ever-increasing wealth divide: From 1970 to 2018, the share of aggregate income going to middle-class households fell from 62 percent to 43 percent, with the share held by upper-income households increasing from 29 percent to 48 percent. With rising inflation and wages behind the curve, studies show a full-time minimum-wage earner can no longer afford an average two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the U.S.
Did the CARES Act lift citizens out of poverty? In 2020, President Donald Trump signed the CARES Act, which included $300 billion of one-time cash payments, or “stimulus checks,” of up to $1,200 for qualifying individuals. More than 150 million households received payments, and a Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) published by the U.S. Census Bureau showed that 11.7 million people were lifted above the SPM poverty line.
Zachary Peskowitz, a political science professor at Emory University, says the number of guaranteed-income programs run by local governments and nonprofit organizations has exploded since the pandemic. A couple of programs have even been proposed in the U.S. House, though one never made it to a vote and the other is still in progress. With the freedom cash offers, low-income citizens can work outside existing social safety net programs, like SNAP (food stamps) and housing assistance, to target their individual needs, says Peskowitz. Opponents of the idea fear that guaranteed payments will disincentivize work and reduce the labor supply, though studies show the pandemic stimulus checks did not affect workforce participation. But a primary roadblock is cost. One House proposal for UBI was projected to increase federal spending by $3.75 trillion per year, on top of current social safety net programs.
Other than In Her Hands, has UBI worked in Atlanta? The City of Atlanta has implemented a guaranteed-income pilot called I.M.P.A.C.T., launched by former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and continued by Mayor Andre Dickens. The pilot was a partnership with the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, funded by $2 million in city money and a $500,000 donation from Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI)—an organization of 125 mayors that follows a model set by Stockton, California’s SEED guaranteed-
income program. From January 2022 to May 2023, I.M.P.A.C.T. served 300 Atlanta residents who were at least 18 years old and had an income below or equal to 200 percent of the 2021 federal poverty line ($53,000 for a household of four). Participants, 94 percent Black, received $500 per month. In addition, MGI and the City of Atlanta planned to provide waivers that exempted the cash transfer from being considered income, so participants could still use other social programs.
MGI released a spending breakdown for Atlanta participants that showed 41 percent of their total income was spent on retail sales, 25 percent on food, and 11 percent on housing. I.M.P.A.C.T. also documented stories of participants’ lives that show improvement in mental and physical well-being. However, as of press time, MGI had yet to release their final results.
What are GRO’s goals? Executive director Hope Wollensack says that GRO, with its partner GiveDirectly, has raised $30 million for In Her Hands, including the recent grant from the Blank Foundation. Following a decade of investment in the Westside, the Blank Foundation turned to GRO to streamline its approach. Danny Shoy Jr., the managing director of youth development and Atlanta’s Westside at the Blank Foundation, believes In Her Hands and guaranteed income can help mitigate displacement of legacy residents. “One of the lessons we learned from our evaluations is to engage in a more individual-focused way,” says Shoy. “We knew about GRO’s great work all over Georgia and wanted to bring it to the Westside. This is true Atlanta.”
Wollensack points out that, in English Avenue and Vine City, the poverty rate is 36 percent with a 77 percent Black population. In Her Hands will work with community organizations to reach candidates. Volunteers will knock on doors in the neighborhoods, and GRO plans to hold in-person information sessions to build trust in the community and answer key questions like, Is this a scam? and Will this affect my other social services? As of press time, In Her Hands was unable to provide the same exemption waivers that MGI could, but its team consults with candidates if the $1,000 monthly payments will impact other social services. GRO will also continuously check in with participants to survey how their finances shift, how their personal well-being changes, and their progress toward individual goals.
“It’s not proof of concept for us anymore,” Wollensack says. “The goal of our pilot in the Westside is to bring to life a horizon of what an economy that works for everyone looks like.”
Although Willis showed Herculean strength in bringing RICO charges against the perpetrator of the “Big Lie” and ultimately indicting Trump and 18 of his closest friends and political allies, her professional conduct has become the cornerstone of the entire ordeal.
Judge Scott McAfee, 34, is expected to rule by the end of this week whether, as The New York Times put it, “to disqualify Ms. Willis on the grounds that a romance she had with Nathan Wade, the lawyer she hired to run the case, created an untenable conflict of interest.”
But the vigor with which Trump and his supporters have sought to disqualify Willis from the legal proceedings against him and his co-defendants is next-level political theater designed to discredit Willis by leaning into racist stereotypes of Black women as hypersexual, hostile, aggressive, incompetent, and unprofessional.
“I’m never surprised when I’ve seen Donald Trump attacking women, especially Black women. This is who he is,” Senator Raphael Warnock, a Democrat from Georgia, told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
The standard is suddenly different now because Willis is pursuing charges against Trump.
A statement released on Monday by a coalition of more than 100 prominent Black women, including former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin and civil rights leader, Helen Butler called out how “When Black women ascend to positions where their voices can be heard, their presence seen, and their power felt, it often unsettles certain individuals in this country.”
The coalition noted, “We knew that the first Black woman to become the district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, would face challenges, especially when prosecuting powerful men.”
The statement pointed out that folks weren’t putting Willis’ personal life under the microscope “when she prosecuted and locked up Black teachers, or when she indicted Black gang members.”
But the standard is suddenly different now because Willis is pursuing charges against Trump.
“Remove the unfair burdens placed on Black women and stop subjecting us to higher standards than others. We are not Wonder Woman,” the coalition wrote. No doubt, Black people — especially those of us who know it’s true we have to be “twice as good” at our jobs — are angry with Willis. She didn’t appreciate just how volatile her position is and she underestimated how her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade would impact the proceedings against Trump. But we would be wrong to villainize her for her indiscretion.
The Willis-Wade relationship is controversial, but it shouldn’t be a get-out-of-jail-free card for Trump and the other defendants in the RICO case. According to Georgia law, a prosecutor is disqualified from a case due to a “conflict of interest” when the prosecutor’s conflicting loyalties could prejudice the defendant, leading to an improper conviction. This romance doesn’t rise to that standard.
The district attorney’s predicament is not a case of “white people do it all the time” either, as critics of all colors have admonished Willis for her affair with her colleague.
Should Willis have seen this level of scrutiny coming? Yes.
Political operators have been working against the popular prosecutor since the onset of the election tampering investigation. One month after the August 2023 indictments against Trump and his allies, Republican agents began putting pressure on Georgia’s governor, Brian Kemp, to convene a legislative session to investigate Willis. Kemp refused.
A month later, in September 2023, Newsweek published an article, “Four Ways Georgia Republicans Could Remove Fani Willis.” None of the four tactics — being indicted for a felony, impeachment by a Georgia Senate vote, recall, or being found unable to fulfill her constitutional and statutory duties — applies to Willis’ situation.
But a love affair opened the door to removal from the case against Trump, which without Willis (and Wade) will probably result in acquittal.
Should Willis have seen this level of scrutiny coming? Yes. She was aggressively pursuing and caught a fiendishly “big fish.” This is the man who called the Jan. 6 insurrection, “a beautiful day.”
But what did she really do?
According to mainstream media, she may have committed an indiscretion so egregious that it may disqualify her from prosecuting the Trump case. The actual indiscretion is that she has the gall to indict a former president. Trump and his allies have achieved what they intended to do: demean the prosecutor and derail the judicial process.
Whichever way the judge rules, the damage is done, and we can only hope the fallout doesn’t affect our democracy — or other powerful Black women who have worked so hard for a seat at the table.
Hiram Jackson is the CEO & Publisher of Real Times Media, which includes The Michigan Chronicle, a partner in the Word In Black collaborative
Judge Scott McAfee decided to strike down six counts in the election interference case that involves former President Donald Trump and several high profile political officials.
In the nine-page ruling, McAfee dismissed the six counts stating that they lacked details to move forward. “They do not give the defendants enough information to prepare their defenses intelligently…fail to allege sufficient detail regarding the nature of their commission, (that is) the underlying felony solicited,” McAfee wrote.
The six counts that were dismissed center around alleged act that Trump and his cohorts urged others to violate their oath of office, but the indictment should add further details of the actual office that was violated, McAfee states.
Although it stands as a short-term win for Trump and co-defendants, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis could resubmit the charges to a new grand jury with more details on each count that was dismissed.
Furthermore, 41 felony counts remain and Trump is still facing 10 felony counts for his alleged role in stealing the 2020 election.
The RICO case centers around the 2020 election probe when Trump asked former Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger during a phone call to help him secure over 11,000 votes, the amount in which he trailed Joe Biden in Georgia.
During a recorded call that took place on Jan. 2, 2021, Trump told Raffensperger, “All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state.”
However, there have been several stall tactics used by Trump attorneys. In an effort to have Willis removed from the case, the defense claimed that Willis benefitted from a relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. McAfee will rule on Willis’ future with the case in the upcoming days.
A.R. Shaw serves as Executive Editor of Atlanta Daily World. His work has been featured in The Guardian, ABC News, NBC, BBC, CBC. He’s also the author of the book “Trap History: Atlanta Culture and the Global Impact of Trap Music.”
(CNN) — Vice President Kamala Harris will visit a Planned Parenthood clinic in Minnesota on Thursday, a White House official tells CNN, marking a significant and high-level visit to an abortion provider as Harris continues to highlight an issue the campaign believes will galvanize moderate voters in November.
It’s believed to be the first visit by a sitting US president or vice president to an abortion provider in history.
The vice president is traveling to Minnesota on the sixth stop of her “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour, and she is expected to walk through the Planned Parenthood facility and speak with staff about reproductive rights, another White House official says.
Harris began the tour in January in Wisconsin, and she has since held events in California, Georgia, Michigan and Arizona.
Minnesota also marks the fifth state Harris has visited since the president’s State of the Union address last week. Prepared remarks from the president’s address included the word abortion, but the president did not say the word when he delivered the speech.
The vice president’s visit to Minnesota comes during what the Biden campaign is calling the “March Month of Action” which includes plans for President Joe Biden and Harris to travel to every battleground state this month.
The campaign is also focused on making abortion a centerpiece of its messaging as it seeks to court moderate voters – particularly women.
About half of registered voters in the United States say this year’s elections will have a “major impact” on access to abortion, and about 1 in 8 voters says that abortion is the most important issue driving their vote, according to a new KFF survey.
A new venture from the owner of Buford Highway mainstay Northern China Eatery is coming to Atlanta’s West Midtown.
Later this summer, owner Fan Zhang will open a casual restaurant focused on street food and dumplings at Westside Paper, an office and retail development on West Marietta Street, according to an announcement from landlords Westbridge and FCP. It’s called The Dumpling Factory, and it’s taking over the space now occupied by fried chicken sandwich spot Boxcar Betty’s, which will close its doors Friday.
Westside Paper, an adaptively reused, 70-year-old paper warehouse on a 15-acre site, opened late last year. A number of restaurant tenants opened outposts at the development, including brunch spot Pancake Social and Southeast Asian-Cajun tapas restaurant Bar Diver, among others.
This isn’t the first time a Buford Highway restaurateur has opened an outpost in West Midtown. In early 2023, traditional omakase sushi restaurant Hayakawa relocated from Buford Highway to an 8-seat space at Star Metals Offices. Hayakawa later became one of five local restaurants to earn one star in Atlanta’s first Michelin Guide.
Northern China Eatery opened in 2008, and Zhang took over ownership in 2012. Despite its small size and somewhat obscured location, it has become a popular restaurant in Atlanta’s sprawling international enclave of Buford Highway. It was featured on an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s travel and food show “The Layover” in 2013.
Bridger Properties’ Shelbi Bodner represented Westside Paper in lease negotiations. Terra Alma’s Michaela Boone represented The Dumpling Factory.
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon says his new show will no longer air on Elon Musk’s X platform.
On Wednesday (March 13), Lemon said Musk “canceled the partnership I had with X.”
“He informed me of his decision hours after an interview I conducted with him on Friday,” the ex-CNN anchor added.
Musk’s interview was set to be featured on the first episode of “The Don Lemon Show,” which was previously slated to debut on X and YouTube.
During the Musk interview, Lemon said “There were no restrictions,” and he thought the two “had a good conversation.”
“Clearly he felt differently,” Lemon said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat (above) visited The Atlanta Voice office on Tuesday, Mar. 12 in order to complete our series of stories on everyone campaigning for the office of sheriff in Georgia’s largest county. Labat was elected sheriff in 2020. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice
Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat’s current term ends on New Year’s Eve. Long before the peach drops (not actually, since there isn’t an actual Peach Drop in Atlanta any longer) on a new year, there will be an even more important decision day to observe: election day. The general election for a number of high-ranking positions within Fulton County, the state’s largest and most populated county, will take place on Tuesday, May 21. That includes sheriff, a position Labat ran for and won in 2020.
Walking into The Atlanta Voice office on Tuesday morning, Mar. 12, Labat gives off the impression that he’s not worried about having to campaign for office again. Wearing his uniform and flanked by members of his staff and security team, he took a seat at a conference table and answered questions about why he believes he is not only doing a good job but should be re-elected as sheriff.
“We came into office after defeating a three-term incumbent with a spirit of change,” said Labat. “We came in at the height of COVID, 3,700 individuals, 600 of them were sleeping on the floor. So our first goal was to treat people humanely.”
The inmates are no longer sleeping on the floors of the jail due to overcrowding, according to Labat. Having spent ten years of his 35-year law enforcement career as chief of the Atlanta Department of Corrections, Labat understands that in order to effect even more change, including the culture at the jail, there are going to be some rough moments.
“Change is necessary, and people don’t like change,” he said. “In that environment, we focussed on how we treat each other, and our goal was to focus on how we provide service for individuals.”
An example Labat gave where change was implemented upon his arrival was the changing of the department’s mission statement from a long paragraph to just one word: service.
“We cannot provide service for you; we are not doing our jobs,” he says. “So ultimately, we are people first and service first.”
Asked what he offers voters who will be heading to the polls in just a couple of months to decide the next leader of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Labat said, “I offer a continued vision people elected me for in the first place. Let’s fight together, and let’s continue to work together.”
Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice
Part of the issues that some voters may have with the current regime inside the sheriff’s department has happened inside the jail. Last year, 901 Rice Street became synonymous with death and destruction following the deaths of a number of inmates within the facility. Though inmate deaths due to violence can’t solely be put at the feet of the sheriff, inmate deaths due to neglect and filthy conditions can, in some cases, be something the sheriff would have to address. Case in point is the death of Lashawn Thompson, whose family was recently awarded a $4M settlement. Thompson was found covered in bed bugs and dead in his cell in September 2022, three months after being booked into the jail. There’s a chance voters remember Thompson’s condition and death and thus the association with the jail and Labat than they do the raises, employment improvements, and inmate-focussed programs that have taken place during Labat’s first three years as sheriff.
There was the creation of an inmate advocacy unit that assists inmates with their paperwork and identifying inmates that might get lost in the system and be spending more time in the jail than necessary, on a legal basis. During Labat’s time, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office created a free app that allows inmate welfare checks for families and friends to keep up with inmates. There has also been an employee welfare check. It’s a wellness program that will allow employees to make appointments with a certified psychiatrist in order to unpack some of the things employees within the jail go through on a daily basis. Labat says people don’t understand the impact the facility has on the employees. The employee welfare check is an attempt to combat that stress.
“We have been very successful over the last three and a half years,” says Labat, who added he and his staff are in the “Embryonic stages of creating something that people can be proud of when they come to work.”
The Fulton County Sheriff has three main responsibilities: protect the courts, run the jail, which has 3,700 inmates, and be the chief law enforcement officer for Fulton County. Labat says potential voters may not have a complete grasp of all of the responsibilities of the job and the “challenges” that he faced when he took office in January 2021. He wants to be as transparent as possible about the job he and his staff are doing heading into his fourth year on the job.
Labat says the Fulton County Jail has “outlived its lifespan” and he is realistic about there not being a new jail built. “Anybody that tells you that we don’t need a new facility is out of their mind,” Labat said.
There is also the issue of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office being understaffed, something that many law enforcement agencies across the country have experienced. Labat believes there’s a realistic answer to the age-old question of how to find good help these days. “We have to be the employer of choice, and that starts with having a Board of Commissioners who understands that we focus on people first,” Labat said.
Asked what he would say to the Fulton County voters if given the opportunity, Labat said he would ask for more time because what he is doing is working. “What I would ask the voters is, let’s fight together, let’s continue to finish. We’re just getting started.”
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law Wednesday that lets a state commission begin operating with powers to discipline and remove prosecutors, potentially disrupting Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
“This legislation will help us ensure rogue and incompetent prosecutors are held accountable if they refuse to uphold the law,” Kemp said before signing the bill, flanked by Republican legislative leaders. “As we know all too well, crime has been on the rise across the country, and is especially prevalent in cities where prosecutors are giving criminals a free pass or failing to put them behind bars due to lack of professional conduct.”
Though Kemp signed legislation last year creating the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission, it was unable to begin operating after the state Supreme Court in November refused to approve rules governing its conduct. The justices said they had “grave doubts” about their ability to regulate the duties of district attorneys beyond the practice of law. Tuesday’s measure removes the requirement for Supreme Court approval.
The measure is likely to face renewed legal challenges. Four district attorneys dropped their previous lawsuit challenging the commission after the Supreme Court set it aside.
The law would require district attorneys and solicitors general, who prosecute lower level cases in some counties, to evaluate each case on its own, instead of declining to prosecute classes of offenses. Opponents say that would mean prosecutors couldn’t use their discretion.
Republican House Speaker Jon Burns of Newington said the House’s efforts have not been directly aimed at Willis, who already is facing an effort in court to have her removed from the Trump prosecution over a romantic relationship she had with the special prosecutor she employed in that case.
Republicans cited other instances of alleged prosecutor misconduct, including occasions in the past when Democrats supported the idea of a prosecutor oversight panel after the killing of a Black man, Ahmaud Arbery, near Brunswick.
“For us in the House our focus is not on any one person, not on any one situation,” Burns told reporters after the law was signed. “It’s about asking the folks that are elected, just like me, to do their jobs and protect the citizens of this state.”
But Democrats say Republicans are trying to override the will of Democratic voters and are inviting abuse by creating a commission without some other body reviewing its rules.
The law was enacted even as the state Senate has created a special investigative committee that Republicans say will be used to probe whether Willis has used state money to benefit herself by employing attorney Nathan Wade as a special prosecutor in the Trump case. That committee has already heard testimony from Ashleigh Merchant, the defense attorney for co-defendant Michael Roman who first raised questions about Wade.
Willis and Wade both testified at a hearing last month that they had engaged in a romantic relationship, but they rejected the idea that Willis improperly benefited from it as lawyers for Trump and some of his co-defendants alleged. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee has not yet decided on whether Willis and Wade can continue with the prosecution.
McAfee on Wednesday dismissed some of the charges against Trump and others, but the rest of the sweeping racketeering indictment remains intact. He quashed six counts in the indictment, including three against Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee. But he left in place other counts — including 10 facing Trump — and said prosecutors could seek a new indictment to try to reinstate the ones he dismissed.
Georgia’s law is one of multiple attempts nationwide by Republicans to control prosecutors they don’t like. Republicans have inveighed against progressive prosecutors after some have brought fewer drug possession cases and sought shorter prison sentences, arguing Democrats are coddling criminals.
The castle will have 30 murals that depict world philosophies and religions.
Photograph courtesy of Naomi Marthai
In a place where gaps in mountaintop treelines get noticed, the residents of Northeast Georgia watched with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation as the horizon changed its silhouette. Bit by bit, a sprawling, fantastical storybook castle emerged above Helen—complete with a turret and 12 towers, one of which is eight stories high.
Who on earth was building this thing? Rumors swirled that this looming edifice was a monument to the occult, or that it was the latest incarnation of the Guidestones in Elberton. Whatever it was, it was imposing and led to much head-scratching . . . which was the point.
The elliptical explanation given by the visionaries behind the castle, Bob and Janine Marthai, only stoked the intrigue. Bob Marthai, its architect, said that it was a “citadel of epistemology,” eliciting a collective “huh?” from passersby. He added, with understatement, that the castle was just his elaborate way of “keeping deer out of my garden.”
In fact, Uhuburg, or the Eagle Owl Castle—a one-of-a-kind place in structure and mission—is his magnificent obsession. When it is complete (construction continues, but the castle is open to the public), the picturesque grounds will boast 30 murals illustrating the world’s religions, philosophies, and thought systems.
You can stroll around and muse, lodge here, or even book your events—the great hall’s floor is reinforced with swimming pool noodles, for a springy step.
The overall design is intended to reflect the castle’s natural surroundings. “I wanted to design the castle around the mountain, not the mountain around the castle,” Marthai says. He grew up mostly in California, but attended the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School. He was a professor of psychology at Charleston Southern University, a builder of ships, and a “lifelong learner” interested in philosophy.
“The Renaissance castle reflects the Scientific Age and Enlightenment periods of Western history,” Marthai says. His objective is as ambitious as his lofty towers: to portray “every thought system since the beginning of history”—in painstaking detail. Not only do the Abrahamic religions get their due (Christianity is still in the research phase), but so do Eastern religions, New Agers, and others. Muralist Hoke Johnson created works to reflect Taoism, Confucianism, and Chinese folk cosmology. “I just want people to come and contemplate wisdom,” Marthai says.
His daughter, Naomi Marthai, a former schoolteacher who handles administrative duties, is quick to note that her family is not “affiliated [with] or endorsing one belief system over any other.”
She points toward the Zoroastrian mural, with a figure that resembles the late lead singer of Queen. “You can think of that tiny figure as Freddie Mercury, whose family was Zoroastrian. That’s just one of the things you’ll learn here.”
One of only five Atlanta restaurants to earn a Michelin star, Lazy Betty is moving to its new home March 16. The acclaimed tasting menu spot opened in the former Radial Cafe space in Candler Park in 2019. Five years later, it’s taking over from Hugh Acheson’s esteemed Empire State South, which shuttered last year due to financial fallout from the pandemic. Located in the heart of Midtown near 10th and Peachtree Streets, the new space is nearly 2,000 square feet larger than the old, allowing owners Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips to grow the bar program, add an a la carte menu, and expand the group private dining options.
The duo, who also own the more casual Humble Pie in the Interlock, will continue to serve the seven course, $205-per-person tasting menus Lazy Betty is known for. It will keep charging a 20 percent service fee (included in the $205) to pay workers a livable wage. Lazy Betty will also continue to offer wine, beer, and spirits from small producer for which sustainability is top-of-mind. Wines include options from family-owned and minority-led biodynamic wineries. Lazy Betty also features rare spirits and a large bourbon portfolio, including Pappy Van Winkle, the Clase Azul Collection, and Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. New cocktails and zero-proof options (including pairings) will be available. “We have a few [beverage] surprises for the city,” Phillips says. However, Lazy Betty has not procured its new liquor license yet, so for now, BYOB is welcome, and usual the corkage fee will be waived.
Chilled split pea
Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee
Corn dessert
Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee
Designed by Blue Lantern Studios, the space features earth tones and organic materials: pine floors, a stone-topped bar, and a wine display made with a repurposed steel and glass window. The bar/lounge is decorated with greenery, brass and wood accents, and a hand-crafted bird sculpture. In the dining room, expect teal velvet banquettes and terracotta plaster walls. Velvet curtains separate it from the private dining areas. Like the original Lazy Betty location, this space is Sensory Inclusive to provide a more comfortable experience for those with autism, PTSD, and more. “We’re very inclusive. It’s just fell in line with our core values,” Hsu explains.
We spoke to him and Phillips about their plans for the new space—particularly the a la carte menu available only to walk-ins at the bar.
Grilled Maine lobster
Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee
Why did you decide to move?
Hsu: We outgrew our old space and couldn’t improve our product there. The new one gives us the opportunity to create a more extensive beverage and wine program. We also had a lot of issues in the building itself. It was a converted garage—not the type of building you’d want for a tasting menu concept.
Phillips: This space is more reflective of the product we already produce through service, beverage creation and pairings, and food. We’ll be able to better serve our clientele through two dedicated private dining rooms and accommodate larger-format functions.
How is the look and feel similar and/or different?
Hsu: We didn’t want to lose the feel of the original space. We are a little less industrial with a lot of the same design elements and color schemes. We made it more contemporary and refined.
We want to be more environmentally friendly, so we repurposed furniture by reupholstering and adding cushions. We’re bringing over light fixtures and refurbishing them.
Phillips: I think we achieved an elevated reimagination of what we were already known for and what people had come to expect. It’s a bridge between the old and the new. We still have an exposed ceiling but now we have a hardwood floor—I always wanted one. It’s beautiful, and I’m very happy.
How do you feel moving into such an esteemed space?
Hsu: I’ve been eating at Empire State South for 11 or 12 years—since they first opened. We did a popup there with chef Josh Hopkins before moving into the brick and mortar. It’s like coming full circle. We view it as passing the torch from one great restaurant to another.
Tell me about the new a la carte menu offered at the bar.
Hsu: At the old space, the bar was really the chef counter. This space allows us to show off a bar program, and with that, we want to have food. It’s about accessibility, too. The tasting menu is a three-hour time commitment. At the bar, you can get a dish that will be indicative of who we are.
One dish is causa. It’s been on our tasting menu the longest and goes well with a glass of champagne or white wine or with a cocktail. It’s a layered hot/cold dish that’s just five to six bites. It’s Royal Red shrimp with lime aioli, cilantro, and fermented chili paste, then a layer of avocado puree, followed by warm, aerated potato foam, and topped with red pepper relish. We’ll have six to eight items with one or two of them changing monthly. We like food that’s fun and has an element of comfortability. We have three chef-y donuts: with foie gras mousse and seasonal jelly, lemon and caviar, and truffle.
Phillips: In this building, there are a lot of people in large business firms. After work, they may not be able to commit to a tasting menu experience, but they could stop by for happy hour and enjoy an elevated bite or two. They’re still experiencing the flavors and specialness of what we do.
Roasted dry aged duck
Do you feel more pressure now that you have a Michelin star?
Hsu: We worked at Le Bernadin. Every time we’d maintain our 3 stars, there would be a rash of negative reviews because expectations are sky high. It is added pressure. We’re fortunate to have success in such a tough industry.
Phillips: Much of our team has been with us since we opened. They’ve experienced the steppingstones to success with us. They’ve been conditioned for this and are excited and ready.
What’s happening with Juniper Cafe?
Hsu: I have one brain and it’s on Lazy Betty right now. Aaron is very busy with three kids and being a husband. Lazy Betty will always be our flagship and our baby. Juniper Cafe is still selling wholesale to other businesses, but other plans are on hold.
Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, and Detroit return to the 2024 programming schedule.
Real Times Media’s, Who’s Who In Black, the premier platform celebrating excellence within the African American community over 35 years, is thrilled to announce its 2024 return with an expanded program.
Who’s Who In Black relaunched in 2023 after a three-year hiatus brought about by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The events held in Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus were sold-out, showcasing the immense talent, leadership, and innovation that exemplifies the spirit of excellence and collaboration defining the brand’s mission.
“Overcoming the challenges of the past four years has reinforced the critical importance of our return. We understand and fully embrace our role in recognizing excellence, ensuring stories of resilience are told, and innovation and achievement continue to be highlighted, inspiring generations to come,” said Hiram E. Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of Real Times Media.
For 2024, the highly anticipated program returns with enhancements to increase the impact and professional development opportunities for its growing network of Black professionals. Enhancements will include broadened networking opportunities, the return of the brand’s e-newsletter featuring need-to-know news and lifestyle content, and bigger annual Black excellence celebrations.
Additionally, 2024 will see the brand’s return to Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, and Detroit.
“We recognize the vital role our brand plays in chronicling the next chapters of black history and want our impact to be as expansive as possible. Our presence in more cities allows us to capture diverse narratives, celebrate local heroes, and inspire future generations. Together, we’re shaping a legacy that will resonate for years to come.”
“We are grateful for the support of our sponsors and supporters as their participation is instrumental in our mission to amplify the voices of our community, we thank you,” said Hiram Jackson, Chief Executive Officer, of Real Times Media. “Together, we’re making a tangible impact, celebrating African American achievement!”
A federal court held the City of Flint in contempt for violating a February 2023 federal court order requiring the city to reach certain milestones in its lead pipe replacement program.
The City of Flint had originally agreed to replace all its old lead pipes by early 2020, but it still has not completed that work. In addition, there remain almost 2,000 homes where residents have been living with damaged properties—some for years—caused by the lead pipe replacement program.
“The City has failed to abide by the Court’s orders in several respects, and that it has no good reason for its failures,” Judge David M. Lawson wrote for the court. “The City is in civil contempt of the Court’s order.”
Plaintiffs in Concerned Pastors for Social Action v. Khouri filed the motion for contempt last May in the lead-contaminated drinking water case against the City of Flint and Michigan state officials. The court recognized that the City of Flint’s delays in finishing the service line replacement program are continuing to cause difficulties and hardship for Flint residents, some of whom have been waiting for years for the city to fix damaged sidewalks, curbs, and lawns on their properties caused by the lead pipe replacement work.
The plaintiffs did not ask to recoup their attorneys’ fees and costs in connection with bringing this contempt motion. Nonetheless, Judge Lawson found it was appropriate to reimburse plaintiffs for the cost of bringing the City’s violations to the Court’s attention, if they file an appropriate request with the Court.
The following are reactions from Flint resident and advocacy group plaintiffs in the case:
“The court’s decision to hold the City of Flint in contempt reflects the depths of disgust and despair felt by Flint residents. We’ve only gotten this far because residents refuse to stop fighting for Flint,” said Melissa Mays, one of the plaintiffs in the case and Operations Manager of Flint Rising. “In order to see any real progress, Flint residents and our allies have had to prod this administration every step of the way. We should not continue to suffer because of this City’s failure to meet the judge’s orders and their own deadlines.”
“We’ve waited almost 10 years for the water crisis nightmare to come to an end,” said Pastor Allen C. Overton of Concerned Pastors for Social Action, one of the plaintiffs in the federal drinking water case. “While we are encouraged by Judge Lawson’s ruling, the true outcome we’re seeking is for the City of Flint to succeed in finishing the lead pipe replacement program, including by finishing the overdue work of repairing damage to residents’ properties caused by lead service line replacements. Court intervention has been the only way to hold the City to its promises, unfortunately.”
“Residents are not asking the City of Flint to do the impossible,” said Addie Rolnick, an attorney with NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) and lawyer in the case. “They simply want officials to meet deadlines and finish the work the City already agreed to. Beyond the homes that may still require lead pipe replacement, the City needs to finish restoring these residential properties that have been damaged by the replacement work. We will continue to hold officials accountable until this work is fully done.”
“We applaud the Court for holding the City accountable for the obligations they agreed to nearly seven years ago, to bring clean safe drinking water back to the City of Flint, ensure that residents’ lead pipes are replaced, and that their properties are restored. That work still needs to be completed and we will continue to monitor the City’s compliance to ensure the lead pipes are replaced and residential properties are restored,” said Bonsitu Kitaba, Deputy Legal Director for the ACLU of Michigan.
Background:
Today’s ruling comes nearly a decade after the Flint water crisis began and nearly seven years after a major settlement was reached in the landmark citizen suit against the City of Flint and Michigan state officials. The 2017 settlement agreement initially mandated that Flint finish replacing lead service lines and restoring residents’ properties by January 2020. The deadline to finish the required excavations and pipe replacements (excluding restoration) was later extended to September 30, 2022, in part due to work stoppages related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since then, the City has repeatedly failed to finish the work it agreed to on time, missing deadlines and failing to keep accurate records of whether and where it had fixed damage to residents’ properties caused by pipe replacements. Before the motion for contempt, the plaintiffs had to file five motions to enforce the settlement agreement.
As a result of the fifth motion to enforce the settlement agreement, in February 2023 Judge Lawson ordered the City to finish pipe replacements by August 1, 2023 and to provide accurate reporting on its progress. The City’s records to date show that it missed this deadline and still hasn’t finished the required work. Judge Lawson explained after the February 2023 hearing that, “the City put itself in this position by its mismanagement of the service line replacement process.”
Within weeks, the City of Flint began violating the February 2023 court order requiring it to reach certain critical milestones needed to finally finish lead pipe replacement and property restoration work. Among other violations, the City missed a key May 1, 2023 deadline to fill in the gaps in its tracking of restorations.
How do you feel moving into such an esteemed space?
