Entrance to the Tower Suite in the Disney Destiny, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
There are rooms aboard the Disney Destiny, the latest addition to Disney’s cruise fleet, and then there are suites. To say the following residential experiences are just rooms on a cruise ship would be the precise definition of understatement. To be more precise, here is the exact Merriam-Webster’s definition of an understatement: a statement that represents something as smaller, less intense, or less important than it really is, or the act of making such a statement; a statement that understates something.
The Tower Suite and the Hero Suite inside the Disney Destiny are special in their own right. Both suites will provide guests with unique living quarters.
The Tower Suite has four bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, and an unbelievable view. Located in a funnel of the ship, the entrance is off the beaten path from guest traffic. And that is the point. Upon entering the suite, a brief climb up two short staircases opens up to a Tony Stark-themed kitchen and living room. Photos of Iron Man adorn the suite, and an Iron Man helmet rests on a shelf in the dining room.
Photos of Iron Man (above in the stairway) adorn the Tower Suite. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
The Hero Suite, located on the 13th deck of the Disney Destiny, also offers a unique vacation experience. There’s an outdoor hot tub, equally impressive views, a large kitchen, and a spacious living room. The dining table is made of marble and gives off a luxurious vibe akin to what the Greek Gods might eat at if they were staying aboard the newest Disney cruise ship.
Disney’s Hercules (above) reigns supreme inside the Hero Suite in the Disney Destiny. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
The Hero Suite has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The living room couch can be pulled out into a third bed.
The outdoor hit tub in the Hero Suite. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
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Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donnell began his career covering sports and news in Atlanta nearly two decades ago. Since then he has written for Atlanta Business Chronicle, The Southern Cross…
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There are five stories of play space inside the new Ronald McDonald House which is scheduled to open for families in December. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
A new Ronald McDonald House is set to open for families in December. Move-in day is scheduled for Dec. 9 and 10. This will be the third Ronald McDonald House location in metro Atlanta, joining two other locations in Atlanta and Sandy Springs.
On Wednesday, Oct. 29, The Atlanta Voice was given a tour of the new 110-room, five-story facility at 2580 Briarcliff Rd. The new facility has 92 guest rooms each 350 square feet and 18 suites 655 square feet. According to Todd Myrick, the information technology program manager for Ronald McDonald House Atlanta, the increased capacity will help serve more families.
A look at the dining area. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
For the families who check into Ronald McDonald House, there will be an app-based and tablet check-in process that was designed for a faster process. The facility is similar to a hotel in many ways, says Myrick.
“We have a quasi-hotel/hotel/dorm room set up here,” Myrick said. The dining room looks to be able to seat dozens of people and is reminiscent of what diners can find on a cruise ship, for example. It’s a large space, and the facility has a chef-driven menu that is updated every day. The dining room staff will include two executive chefs and two sous chefs.
There are three glassed-in reserve dining areas for families who need privacy as part of the Marcus Autism eating program.
The outdoor play area. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
The new Ronald McDonald House also has an arts and crafts room, a game room, a wellness activities room, and an indoor play area called the playscape. The five-story playscape has different designs on each of the floors. There is also an outdoor play area that has a covered rest area and a grilling area.
“We try to replicate the home environment for the families,” Myrick explained.
The facility is currently under construction and will have 55-60 staff members on site when it opens. Myrick said staffers are scheduled to move in mid-November. The 3,000-square-foot community room can be split into two rooms in order to serve multiple parties or groups for meetings.
The community room is 3,000 square feet and will be used for everything from corporate events to parties. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
There are also multiple meeting spaces on the ground level of the $90-million project.
Ruwa Romman (above) stopped by The Atlanta Voice to discuss her candidacy for Georgia Governor and what she hopes to accomplish while speaking with voters across the state. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
The first Muslim and Palestinian woman to ever be elected to Georgia’s House of Representatives, Ruwa Romman, believes she is the candidate voters will need to elect as the state’s next governor. In the midst of a career of civic engagement and representation, Romman, 32, is looking to take a step toward not only representing her people and the people of the state’s 97th District, but all Georgians as a gubernatorial candidate.
“I think our jobs right now are to be moral leaders, and what I mean by that is that we should not be leading based on what’s trending and what’s popular. We should be leading based on what’s right,” Romman said.
On Tuesday, Oct. 22, Romman, who moved with her family to the United States from Jordan when she was seven, visited The Atlanta Voice to discuss her campaign and what she wants most for Georgia.
“Even in a moment when people are at first mad at you, if you’re willing to lead with morality, they do come around,” Romman said.
The Atlanta Voice: Rep. Romman, thank you for dropping by to chat. My first question of all of the candidates in this race is always the same: Why do you believe you are the best candidate for Georgia governor?
Rep. Ruwa Romman: I want to be governor of Georgia so that we can raise the minimum wage, feed hungry kids, reopen hospitals, invest in small businesses, and take homes back from corporations.
AV: That’s going to take a lot of work.
RR: I know. I think anyone who is running for this position had better be ready to work.
AV: On your campaign website, it says in part, “After 20 years of Republican rule, Georgians are worse off. We can’t build the Georgia we deserve with Republicans in charge.” Could you elaborate?
RR: If you listen to what I call Republican propaganda, because that is what it’s become, you will hear them talk about we are the number one place to do business. My immediate question is, ‘For whom?” To be clear, it’s not even the best place for small businesses, because we are one of the worst states for small businesses. Twenty-five percent of small businesses fail within the first year in Georgia. This is a very difficult place for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Romman also listed the state minimum wage of $5.15 per hour, two dollars under the federal minimum wage. “The fact that we haven’t even had a conversation about it since I was four years old is an absurdity to me,” said Romman. “That shows how completely upside down Republican priorities have been. We need to start owning that, saying that, and being very plain about it.”
“Absolutely.If I didn’t think I was prepared for it, I wouldn’t be doing it. The reality of the situation is that, growing up in Georgia, I’ve had a lot of life experiences that have really prepared me,” Romman, a South Forsyth High School and Oglethorpe University graduate, said. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
AV: Do you believe you’re ready for what’s to come?
RR: Absolutely.If I didn’t think I was prepared for it, I wouldn’t be doing it. The reality of the situation is that, growing up in Georgia, I’ve had a lot of life experiences that have really prepared me, whether it is growing up in Forsyth County before it became as diverse as it is today. Whether it is having to experience multiple unprecedented times for our generation. Way too many for any generation to experience.
There’s so much in my life that has brought me to this moment that has really called me to this moment.
AV: What, if anything, concerns you about the last woman who ran for the office of governor, who was equally as educated, energetic, and good at organizing people, and how those particular campaigns ended?
RR: It’s actually not a concern; it’s inspiration. I deeply believe that campaigns are building blocks and that even in the losses, if we nurture what we build, it can move us forward. I’m assuming you are referring to Stacey Abrams.
AV: I am.
RR: In 2018, she was the one who got the closest of any candidate that has ever run for governor. It’s deeply important to remember that. On her second turn, it was a year when the governor was an incumbent. If you look around the country, she lost by the smallest margin. Again, a loss is a loss, and I don’t only believe in moral victories, but the reality of the situation is that it’s a mixture of timing, context, and where people are.
Romman credits Abrams’ two campaigns as inspirations to her political career, saying, “I ended up going to grad school [at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy] because of that campaign and doing work on voting rights.”
AV: You co-founded Georgia Volunteer Hub in 2020, which helped train thousands of volunteers for the Georgia Senate runoff that year. Flash forward to this year, how has that kind of work prepared you for what’s next as a candidate for governor?
RR: That work is going to influence my entire ethos. We are already going to start door-knocking on Saturday, Oct. 25. We will be launching in Norcross, and we will begin there and work our way out. Our goal is to recruit 5,000 volunteers by the end of the primary.
Romman told The Atlanta Voice that there have already been 300 volunteers signed up from dozens of counties.
AV: We are in the early stages of the gubernatorial race with the primaries still more than seven months away. Where have you held campaign rallies, and why did you choose those cities and counties?
RR: We haven’t done a campaign rally because of logistics and cost, but we just were in Savannah for “No Kings” last night [Monday, Oct. 20], we were in Athens, and we expected 10-15 to show up. We had over 40 people show up. Our goal is to be everywhere as much as possible.
AV: I saw that you spoke at a “No Kings” rally in Savannah last Saturday. I covered the rally here in Atlanta. What are your thoughts on how Americans expressed themselves last weekend? Do rallies like that really help change things?
RR: There is a starting point for everybody. I believe that. We never know what someone’s starting point is going to be. For example, I started out doing interfaith work and volunteering with those of other faiths, learning about the importance and the beauty of different people coming together towards a common and shared goal. We never know what an entryway for somebody is and where it can lead. To me, that’s what I see in these protests.
It’s a reminder that there are way more of us than them.
AV: What should potential voters know about you that they might not know if they don’t know you personally, have heard you speak, or don’t live in your district?
RR: I hope they come to learn that I am somebody who will never back down from a fight. Somebody who will always have their back, and someone who, regardless of what negotiating room I’m in, will put them before any special interests or corporation.
That’s been a deep belief of mine for as long as I can remember, and one that I intend to take into that Governor’s Mansion.
Romman said that people who will be seeing her in person for the first time while campaigning might immediately see her Hijab before they see anything else. And that’s OK, as long as they understand its importance in her life.
“At the end of the day, this to me is no different than wearing a cross or any other sign of faith,” Romman said. “I hope that they recognize it for what it is, which is a grounding thing in my life that has been very consistent in my life. This head scarf reminds me that there is something bigger than us. It is a reminder that we need to be our best selves in every place that we go.
“On day one as governor, I’ll sign an executive order that allows doctors to practice medicine with pregnant women without the fear of prosecution. Secondly, I’ll introduce legislation that repeals the six-week ban and returns us to Roe v Wade. That’s my promise and I’m sticking to it,” said Duncan (left) during his interview at The Atlanta Voice on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
Former Georgia Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan came to The Atlanta Voice for the first time on Monday, Sept. 21,to discuss his campaign for governor. Duncan is one of nearly a dozen candidates who have launched campaigns this year. Last week, Duncan visited a Black-owned small business in what looked like a concerted effort to speak directly to Black voters. A former Republican, Duncan, is running as a Democrat and believes there’s a place for a governor who appeals to both sides.
“I do have a track record of working across the aisle,” he said. “I want to turn chaos into conversations.”
The Atlanta Voice: Good morning, Mr. Duncan, and welcome to WAREHOUSE Studios on the campus of The Atlanta Voice. Let’s get right to it. Why did you decide to run for governor?
Geoff Duncan: I really feel like Georgia’s best days are in front of us and I want to lead all Georgians to those better days. In my role as Lieutenant Governor I saw how important the job as governor can be. I really feel there’s an opportunity to prioritize folks in the state that need it the most.
Duncan listed affordable child care, unemployment, and housing cost, and healthcare as issues he plans to tackle during his campaign.
AV: Any other issues taking place in Georgia that you believe should be addressed on the campaign trail going forward?
GD: Quite honestly, we have a Donald Trump crisis, too. This guy has leaned into our state in such a negative way. Not only trying to steal the 2020 [presidential election], but now he’s essentially putting rural hospitals in a crisis. We have a Donald Trump crisis, and I am willing to stand up and push back.
Photo By Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
AV: Does your experience as Lt. Governor give you an advantage over your opponents in this race?
GD: Absolutely. I learned a lot as Lt. Governor. In the four years that I was in office, we went through a pandemic, which was unbelievable for everybody ….I don’t even know what to refer to the pandemic as. We woke up one day, and there was 10 percent unemployment. We also had to navigate the difficult realities of civil unrest and the horrific murder of Ahmaud Arbery, amongst others. And we had to deal with the 2020 election trying to be stolen by a sitting President. I learned a lot about leadership. I learned a lot about myself. I learned a lot about Georgians, and that’s really what’s led me on this journey. I think most Georgians just want somebody to lead their state that stays focused on the issues that matter most.
AV: What are some of those issues?
GD: Being able to allow folks to raise their kids in safe communities, being able to have access to quality education and quality healthcare, the ability to find a high-paying quality job. Those are the things we want to stay focused on. Too often in politics, folks are staying focused on the fringe issues because it’s a hyper-partisan environment.
If Georgians want to elect somebody who’s going to be hyper-partisan and call names, then they are not going to vote for me. If they want a consistent leader who shows up to work every day focused on the issues that matter, I think we have a good shot to win this.
Duncan was clear that he believes current Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has been good for the state. “He is doing a good job of leading our state forward. Our economy continues to grow. I think he handled COVID extremely well, and I was glad to work alongside him and the Legislature on a number of the COVID relief actions. But there’s more work to be done in the state.”
AV: What do you believe you can bring to the governor’s office that the other candidates cannot?
GD: I have been behind the curtain, and I realize how important the job of governor is. You get to write the first draft of the budget. You get to prioritize what is going to be nearly $40 billion, understanding how those agencies work, and understanding what dollars are effective and what dollars don’t seem to be effective. You get to prioritize what’s going on in the Legislature as the chief negotiator between constituencies.
And it’s not just Democrats versus Republicans at the Legislature. There are a lot of constituencies, rural and urban, and others, where you have to broker deals. The governor has to play a significant role. You put all that together, and the job of governor is important, and I feel like I have got a really good head start on understanding how that operates.
AV: Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, State Rep. Jason Esteves, and former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond are also running to represent the Democratic Party in this race. All have high levels of name recognition with Democratic voters in two of Georgia’s largest counties, Fulton and DeKalb counties, respectively. Do you believe your level of name recognition will help you as well?
GD: I think more important than name recognition is my platform. I think my platform meets the needs, meets those individuals, meets those counties where they are.
AV: Please explain.
GD: I know I keep talking about affordability, but it’s a reality folks are facing. There are folks who are going to read this who are scared about just paying rent next month. They are worried about being able to afford groceries when they go to the store. My platform is laser-focused on meeting folks where they are at.
I think amongst Democrats, my name ID is high because I have been willing to stand up to Donald Trump, even when it wasn’t politically popular.
Former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan (above, left, at The Black Coffee Co. on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025) and current Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger have joined the long list of Democrats and Republicans running for the state’s top spot. Photo by Julia Beverly/The Atlanta Voice
AV: Was the visit to The Black Coffee Company an attempt to begin reaching out to the Black voter base in Atlanta?
GD: One of my areas of focus has been on the Black community, for sure. Such an important part of the election, but more importantly, part of the state. The importance is to learn perspective, to understand what people need, where people’s hearts are at, and where their concerns are at.
On Sunday, Duncan and his wife attended service at Allen Temple AME Church, one of the city’s oldest Black church communities.
AV: Why do you believe Democratic voters should trust you? Why should they believe you have similar Democratic values now?
GD: Those are great questions. Two parts: One is that I do have a track record of working across the aisle on an overwhelming majority of the issues. Two, some Republicans want to point fingers and call me names, saying ‘Geoff Duncan has lost his mind’. I haven’t lost my mind, I found my heart. I want to love my neighbor, that’s my mission each and every day. I want to look for ways to use the state of Georgia as that vehicle for us to love our neighbors.
Duncan, 50, married and a father of three, admitted that he “got guns and abortion wrong” as a “young Republican legislator.”
“I fell into that trap of thinking the NRA and other groups had people’s best interests at heart. They don’t,” he said.
He added, “I was wrong to think a room full of legislators knew better than millions of women in this state. I have taken the time to talk to them, hear their horrific stories, and tough circumstances in situations. I believe they deserve the right to choose and day one as governor, “I’ll sign an executive order that allows doctors to practice medicine with pregnant women without the fear of prosecution. Secondly, I’ll introduce legislation that repeals the six-week ban and returns us to Roe v Wade.
Breakfast at Croft on Saturday morning offered a view for the ages. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
RISING FAWN, GA. – Drive a couple of hours north of Atlanta into the North Georgia mountains, and there are many awe-inspiring sights to see. From the gorgeous mountain views to the winding roads through small towns, you’re bound to witness God’s artistry at work. But up in the city of Rising Fawn is a resort that combines the beauty of North Georgia with the amenities of a first-class stay. For Atlantans, Cloudland at McLemore Resort might be the staycation destination you didn’t know you needed.
Cloudland at McLemore Resort is part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, and since I have experienced stays at multiple Curio Collection properties in Georgia, I believe I can state that this is one of the best. Tucked away in a small town and far enough away from Atlanta’s traffic and congestion, Cloudland was the perfect weekend getaway. The fact that my family and I didn’t need to catch a flight or drive more than three hours to be at a resort made the staycation even better.
The Cloudland library offers books to guests who might want to kick back with some of the classics in a relaxing environment. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Upon entering Cloudland, a library open to all guests without an opening or closing time, sits to the right of the lobby. Large with plenty of comfortable places to lounge, the library quickly became the place I rested every night of our stay. The library wasn’t just for show. There were copies of classic novels such as Ian Fleming’s “Goldfinger,” John Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath,” and what library would be complete without F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Beautiful and Damned.”
“I think this sets the tone for the kind of resort we are,” LeAnn Johnson, the concierge, said.
A night view of the pool at Cloudland at McLemore Resort. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Outside near the pool and heated jacuzzi, a fire pit helped keep guests warm on a cool night. The image of sitting by the fire pit or in one of the comfy love seats or rocking chairs stayed with me after I had gone upstairs to our room. One of the best parts of staying at Cloudland was that it wasn’t difficult to navigate the grounds. The fitness center (which includes a Peloton studio), library, and cafe (The Pocket, which offers guests complimentary cocktails from 5-7 p.m.), are all on the main level along with the lobby. The rooms are very comfortable, and the view from our room on the fourth floor offered a look at the pool area below and the Georgia mountains above. The views alone are worth staying at Cloudland, seriously.
The spa, Selah, offers all of the comforts of full-service spas in Atlanta, but there was something peaceful about getting a massage in the mountains. My masseuse for the day, Anela, was wonderful and patient. After the one-hour massage, I felt light and rested. Anela said that was normal.
“It’s called massage-brain,” she joked. “One of the girls came up with that, and I love it.”
The on-site spa, Selah, can be booked by guests and non-guests. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
She was right, I had massage-brain and it was wonderful. After the massage, I received a guided tour of the property from Johnson. Despite only having worked at the hotel since May, Johnson was well-versed in the ins and outs of the property, which opened for business in May 2024. She and her husband live 10 minutes away and watched the project go from idea to 245-room luxury hotel and resort.
The on-site dining options make a stay at Cloudland a one-stop stay. Cloudland has four restaurants: Auld Alliance, Croft, Skyside, and The Craig.
Croft’s fried cherry pie (above) can be served with or without vanilla ice cream. The writer preferred the former. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Dinner at Croft was excellent. The salmon was good, but the side of roasted mushrooms stole the show. There’s a fried cherry pie on the dessert menu that I would recommend to anyone who asks me. I might recommend it even if they don’t ask. Our server, Stephanie, recommended the pie be served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. She was right, because the two paired perfectly.
Skyside, located next to the outdoor pool, offers a dining experience that offers guests an even closer look at the mountains.
“It’s like dining in a tree house,” Johnson said.
From interior designs, which include a large wooden topographical map of the North Georgia mountains, to large framed photographs done by local photographers like Kim Hubbard, Cloudland at McLemore Resort is a wonderful getaway from the hustle and bustle of Atlanta. It’s within a couple of hours’ drive of the city, but a world away.
The great room at Cloudland at McLemore Resort includes a topographical map of the North Georgia mountains made of wood. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
A former employee at The Athens Voice, a long-since closed newspaper within The Voice Network, Thurmond (above, inside the conference room at The Atlanta Voice) was hired right out of Paine College to work for The Atlanta Voice’s founder, J. Lowell Ware, the father of the paper’s current publisher, Janis Ware. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Former DeKalb County CEO and 2026 Georgia gubernatorial candidate Michael Thurmond visited The Atlanta Voice on Monday, Sept. 2, to discuss why he believes he should be the Democratic nominee next November. A former employee at The Athens Voice, a now-closed newspaper that was part of The Voice News Network, Thurmond was hired right out of Paine College to work for The Atlanta Voice’s founder and current publisher’s father, J. Lowell Ware. He calls himself a “newspaper man” and has warm memories of working in the newspaper industry for a Black-owned and operated publication.
Thurmond, however, left the journalism field for local and statewide politics and found success as a Georgia State Representative and Georgia Commissioner of Labor. Now he wants to make a run for the state’s top spot.
“This is beyond party politics,” Thurmond said.
The Atlanta Voice: Good morning, Mr. Thurmond, and welcome to WAREHOUSE Studios on the campus of The Atlanta Voice. Let’s get right to it. Why did you decide to run for governor?
Michael Thurmond: We are at a pivotal moment in the history of our state and of our nation. At this moment in time, we need leadership that can push back against some of the more damaging aspects of the new federalization in the Big Beautiful Bill.
AV: Can you elaborate on that?
MT: Here in Georgia, if we have the right governor, not one Georgian will have to lose his or her Medicaid. If we have the right governor with the right type of leadership, not one Georgian who deserves it and is eligible will have to lose their SNAP benefits. If we have the right leadership, we will not go back, but I think we can achieve a level of greatness that we have dreamed about but have not been able to grasp.
AV: And you believe you can provide the “right leadership” you’re speaking of?
MT: I believe so. I believe my background, not my promises, but my performances have prepared me for this unprecedented challenge that we face. My entire life experience has prepared me for this historic moment.
Thurmond said the fact that he has led successful transformations of both public and private agencies is something voters should consider an asset. “I’ve not been afraid to innovate and create new solutions to old problems,” he said.
MT: This is more than a political campaign. If we see this through the prism of traditional politics, then I think you’re missing the moment. I think this is about the future of Georgia and the future of our nation. We now must stand in the gap to protect progress and how we define America.
AV: What do you believe you can bring to the office of the governor that the other candidates cannot?
MT: Georgia is not the worst-performing state in the nation. However, I do believe we are underperforming in many areas. I will continue to work hard to protect and advance Georgia’s ranking as the number one state to do business. Where we have fallen down is in ensuring that families have the resources and opportunities needed to fulfill their goals and ambitions.
If we can be number one in business, we ought to be number one in terms of being a safe place for a woman to give birth to her child. We should be number one in protecting our senior citizens. We ought to have the number one best public school system in America.
AV: You have been campaigning for several weeks now. What has that looked and felt like?
MT: My natural political habitat is the state of Georgia.I have done 80 different events and listening tours around the state of Georgia over the last year and a half. I wanted to go out and actually listen before I announced.
We had a packed house in Lumpkin County. I was thrilled that so many people came together for a common desire.
Before Thurmond left the office, he talked about being willing to go anywhere voters were. He said having strong ties in Atlanta and DeKalb County wouldn’t be enough to get the job done.
“We can’t win this with just Black voters,” Thurmond said. “It has to be a coalition of the willing.”
The Pinky Cole Foundation hosted its annual “Community Giveback” event inside the flagship Slutty Vegan location on Edgewood Avenue on Friday, August 29, 2025. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Pinky Cole, the founder, owner, and operator of the Slutty Vegan franchise, hugged one woman, then hugged another, and shook the hand of yet another. Cole stood in the dining room of the restaurant’s flagship store on Edgewood Avenue on Friday, Aug. 28, at the start of the annual Community Giveback event. Community members were given toiletries such as toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, canned goods, oatmeal, toothbrushes, and toothpaste.
Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member Cynthia Bailey (rear, center) helped out at the annual “Community Giveback” event in Atlanta on Friday, August 29, 2025. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Cole told The Atlanta Voice that the Pinky Cole Foundation enjoys giving back to the people who have supported her businesses over the years.
The community giveback event occurred tonight from 3-7 p.m. or until supplies lasted. Boxes full of supplies ready to be distributed. Cole has been engulfed in news pertaining to her business dealings recently, but on Friday afternoon, she was dealing with the people.
“I just want to show the community all the ways I say thanks to them,” she said. “I want them to know that y’all show up for me and I’ll show up for y’all.”
Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Live music was being played by DJay Amazin inside the Edgewood Slutty Vegan location, which was still open for business at the start of the event. Camera crews were making their way around the location, filming an episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. One of the longtime cast members of the show, Cynthia Bailey, could be seen helping out at a table, while a more recent addition to the cast, Kelli Ferrell, was at another table helping fill Slutty Vegan brown paper bags with giveaway goods.
Cole and her staff served hundreds of people.
“This is important because Slutty Vegan is rooted in the community,” Cole said. “The community always comes first.”
Dr. Terence Lester, founder and executive director of Love Beyond Walls, dropped by The Atlanta Voice on Monday, Aug. 25, to discuss the unhoused and affordable housing and what could be done about both in Atlanta.
Lester has many conversations about how a city growing as fast as Atlanta can ever truly keep up with the number of people living on its streets, in its shelters, and in its motels. His answers can be both complex and quite simple.
Love Beyond Walls founder Terence Lester (center) addresses a crowd of volunteers before a Thanksgiving meal/supplies giveaway in College Park, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
“Accessible housing is how we solve it,” Lester said. “You know many Americans, United States citizens, are one paycheck away?”
Lester believes the city and state political leaders can help create an environment where there can be luxury apartments and accessible housing (he doesn’t like to use the more popular phrase, “affordable housing”) in the city.
“People who hold or occupy spaces of political power can address some of these issues,” Lester said. “Do we create a task force to think of how to create more housing? Do we put caps on the rising rents?”
Reframing the narrative of homelessness in order to humanize the people who are enveloped in the issue.
“We have to keep the narrative in the forefront of people’s minds,” Lester said. “People strategically make suffering invisible, whether by public policy, public sanitation, or displacement. If people aren’t seen, then people aren’t part of the conversation.”
Having experienced brief periods of homelessness as a young person, Lester said he wants to change what it means to be poor and unhoused in the country, not just in Atlanta. He says this is the type of work he, his wife Cecilia, his daughter Zion, 17, and Terence II, 14, are also involved in.
“I’m really passionate about this. I wish we cared more about building people than building people,” Lester said.
Lester explained that it would be as simple as jumping in a car and riding in any direction in Atlanta to find homelessness.
“Correta Scott King said poverty is violence,” Lester said. “Poverty is not just about economics; it’s social, it’s spiritual, physical, psychological, and environmental. When you see a person standing on the street corner who you know is from this city, you can see the erosion of their soul. Poverty has impacted their whole well-being.”
More discussions involving “the actual people who love the city and the people from here”, Lester said. He wants more local forums on homelessness and “accessible” housing to include the people it directly affects.
“We need to reframe the language of what’s affordable. Affordability doesn’t solve the issue of homelessness because you’re talking about people being able to afford something they can’t afford,” Lester said.
Toshia Tiller (left), and her younger sister, and Cornbread Sisters co-founder Sheila Tiller-Tooks, at the WAREhouse Studios on Friday, August 15, 2025. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Atlanta traffic, notorious for being some of the worst in the country, might be the only thing that can keep the Cornbread Sisters apart. A scheduled appointment in the WAREhouse Studios on the campus of The Atlanta Voice was temporarily delayed due to Friday morning traffic, but when they got on the same page, there was something special about their connection.
Toshia Tiller, 57, and her sister Shelia Tiller-Tooks, 55, are the Cornbread Sisters, the founders and owners of the brand of the same name. When they are in the same room they tend to finish each other’s sentences. Having grown up with three other sisters in Atlanta’s East Lake Meadows houisng projects, Tiller and Tiller-Tooks were forever going to be family, but the Cornbread Sisters business makes them even much more than that. They are partners.
Wearing different green Cornbread Sisters-branded T-shirts and matching white jeans, Tiller and Tiller-Tooks started their business alongside childhood friend Judy. Tiller-Tooks’ daughters, Kristin and Cydnee, also help out from time to time. The Cornbread Sisters is a family business.
“We are representing all women,” Tiller said, owning their own business.
When asked if they planned to wear the branded T-shirts to the interview, they said no, but it never hurts to advertise the business whenever possible.
“It’s loud. Having the t-shirts on, people always ask us about our business,” Tiller-Tooks said. “Having the shirts on starts conversations.”
Metro Atlanta leads the country with nearly 14,000 Black-owned businesses. The Cornbread Sisters are one of the many led by women. Their late mother, Catherine Tiller, inspired the business, and East Lake Foundation’s Start: Me program was the catalyst for bringing that family recipe for cornbread to the masses.
The Start: Me program serves Atlanta’s Westside, Southside, the city of Clakston, and the East Lake neighborhood. The latter was once one of Atlanta’s oldest Black neighborhoods. Tiller and Tiller-Tooks grew up there and spoke to The Atlanta Voice about
“I knew it was going to be serious and beneficial to us,” Tiller said about the Start: Me program.
The Cornbread Sisters (above) say they represent all women entrepreneurs. “It’s important to have a place where we are able to carve out something of our own,” Sheila Tiller-Tooks (left) said. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Tiller-Tooks said she was excited about the program because, “we were going to be around other entrepreneurs. To see how other people were moving, see what things we were doing right, and what things we could tweak a bit.”
“I was all in because I knew it was going to be serious and we were smart enough to know what we didn’t know,” Tiller said.
The program offered the Cornbread Sisters the opportunity to spend time with other business owners who had gone through the Start: Me program. Tiller said it was life-changing.
“It was like a living library for me,” Tiller said. “Literally, you could talk things through in real time.”
Tiller-Tooks said the Start: Me program continues well past their completion.
“Even right now, we are able to pick up the phone and have someone answer our call,” she said. “We know their name and they know us as well.”
That education and enlightenment helped improve the business that is the Cornbread Sisters. The product has always been good; learning how to better get the product out to customers has improved.
A day in the life of the Cornbread Sisters begins with music. Legendary singer/songwriter Stevie Wonder has always been a family favorite, says Tiller, who had moved to Los Angeles before moving back home to Atlanta. Working out of a commercial kitchen space to reduce overhead, the Tiller, Tiller-Tooks, and Judy get started on orders early in the morning.
Tiller-Tooks starts her days by answering emails, checking the status of orders, and taking or returning phone calls. Tiller books the kitchen for the day, goes to the grocery store to get ingredients for the orders, and touches base with customers. Judy, who both sisters describe as a cornerstone of the business and a do-it-all employee, is the general manager. She too, wears a lot of hats for the Cornbread Sisters business.
“She’s absolutely irreplaceable,” Tiller said of Judy. “Her dedication is quiet, but forceful.”
Tiller added, “It feels like all three of us are sisters.”
“We’re everything, ” Tiller said of the five-woman crew. “We are the cooks, maintenance, and the social media managers. It’s important for us to learn all aspects of the business.”
Being a women-owned business was important to the sisters as well. Being a Black-owned and operated business run entirely by women makes the Cornbread Sisters even more of a special enterprise.
“To have a place where we are able to carve out something of our own, that’s important,” Tiller-Tooks said.
“People need more of us,” Tiller said of small businesses run by Black women. “We have the ability to be the boss and a nurturer. Women are needed in all spaces.”
The Cornbread Sisters’ motto for their cornbread, which is sold in 32-ounce batter buckets and as orders of a dozen bite-sized pieces, is “Not just a side piece. Eat with anything. Anytime. Anywhere!”
The words “anytime” and “anywhere” mean something different to the Cornbread Sisters from East Lake Meadows.
“When you come from where we come from, they have already written your story,” Tiller said. “But we were brought up in a family that raised us to go forward.”
“When you come from not having a lot, I always felt like I had to find my own way,” Tiller-Tooks said.
These days, Toshia and Sheila have something that honors the memory of their mother and goes well with a bowl of chilli or your morning coffee.
Looking down at her t-shirt, Tiller said it was about more than just having a successful business.
“It’s important that Black faces are shown,” she said. “We want to represent our people.”
Statue of Carter on the grounds of the Carter Center. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
The entrance of the theater on the grounds of The Carter Center was packed early Tuesday morning. Dozens of people were dressed in suits and ties, dresses, and skirts for what was going to be a very special day. The Carter Center, and for that matter the entire state of Georgia, is celebrating the 100th birthday of former United States President and Georgia native Jimmy Carter. But that wasn’t what the people were crowded outside of the theater for. They were there for a naturalization ceremony scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. with a voter registration to follow. What better way to celebrate Carter’s century on Earth and decades as a humanitarian than to have newly decorated American citizens registering to vote. The last day to register to vote in Georgia is Oct. 7.
The Atlanta Voice asked Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander what it means to have Carter, who has been in hospice for months, live to turn 100 years old? She said, “He has such an amazing legacy and the fact that he has spent a centennial now, giving back to the American public and giving back to the world is something we are so proud of.”
The Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander outside of The Carter Center theater on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
For Georgia, Carter remains an example of a leader and hometown hero similar to the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Congressman John Lewis, and Major League Baseball legend Hank Aaron.
“He’s our hometown guy, so to know he gave in public service to the state, to the country, and then spent 4 0 years giving to the world is a legacy that we all wish we could have,” Alexander said of Carter’s legacy.
The Carter Center library is just $1 (100 cents) to enter today in honor of Carter’s birthday. There is also a digital
The idea that you can see how a small-town boy in Plains, Georgia became President of the United States and a global humanitarian is a trajectory that is really exciting,” Alexander said.
