Journalism has the ability to connect millions of Americans and billions of people across the world. Sometimes that reach can simply be a few miles down Peachtree Rd.
The Office of the Consulate General of Japan and Atlanta’s one and only Black-owned and operated newspaper, The Atlanta Voice, may not seem to have many things in common, but in fact, they do. Both entities are preparing to celebrate milestone anniversaries of representing their respective communities.
On Monday, Aug. 12, two representatives from the Consulate General of Japan visited The Atlanta Voice headquarters in the Mechanicsville section. Their visit marks the first time a foreign consul has stepped foot into The Atlanta Voice office under publisher Janis Ware’s current regime. Deputy Consulate General of Japan Hiroyuki Kaneda and Political, Economic, and Cultural Adviser Ike Chi made their way into the office to meet with the publisher, editor-in-chief, and support staff.
Though the discussion was private, the meeting was definitely one to mark for the history books. Both men were given a tour of the office and some of the framed historical front pages of The Atlanta Voice, including coverage of Atlanta’s first Black mayor, Maynard Jackson, and its first female mayor, Shirley Franklin, and the passing of luminaries such as Congressman John Lewis.
Kaneda said he wanted to “express gratitude to the people of Georgia” and thought it was only right to do that through the 59-year-old The Atlanta Voice. All parties agreed to have future audiences with Ware, including at Japan Fest Atlanta at Gas South Arena on Sept. 21-22.
