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Tag: Marci Collier Overstreet

  • ‘Atlanta Must Work for Everyone’: Atlanta Leadership Swears In

    The Georgia State University Convocation Center was packed with supporters during the inauguration ceremonies for City of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens (above), Atlanta City Council President Marci Collier Overstreet, and municipal judges.
    Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    As the City of Atlanta navigated a morning fog advisory, the city’s leadership, the Mayor, City Council, and Municipal Court judges, prepared to be inaugurated into office. The inauguration ceremonies took place on Monday inside Convocation Hall in the city’s Summerhill section.

    For City of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, this would be the day he officially took office for his second term. For many members of the Atlanta City Council and the city’s municipal court, this was a routine occurrence in their careers of civil and public service. For newly elected Atlanta City Council President Marci Collier Overstreet, this inaugural ceremony would be different. It was the beginning of her time as the leader of the city council.

    “I’m honored to be surrounded by neighbors and partners who love this city as much as I do,” Marci Collier Overstreet (above) said. “I’m grateful to be a child of our great city, Atlanta.” Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Collier Overstreet was joined on stage by former State Court Judge Penny Brown Reynolds, who administered the oath, as well as her husband and children. Collier Overstreet was born and raised in Atlanta and often mentions her elementary and high school connections to the city, as well as the lessons she learned about working with people while working as a Delta Air Lines flight attendant. 

    “I’m honored to be surrounded by neighbors and partners who love this city as much as I do,” Collier Overstreet said. “I’m grateful to be a child of our great city, Atlanta.”

    Collier Overstreet spoke about campaigning during the previous year and hearing citizen complaints about accessibility issues they face when attending city council meetings, and the lack of town hall meetings. Collier Overstreet said she plans on doing something about that.

    “Town halls are back,” Collier Overstreet said. “You won’t have to wonder what’s happening at City Hall because City Hall is coming to you.” 

    “Atlanta must work for everyone,” Collier Overstreet (above) said. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    The vision for her time as city council president will be to continue helping Atlanta be what she called, “A model city for America,” Collier Overstreet said.

    During her address, Collier Overstreet was also complimentary of the job former Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman did while in office, particularly during his only term. Collier Overstreet had the same energy for her colleagues, many of whom she had worked with for years while a member of the Atlanta City Council. 

    “Every member of the city council has something to offer,” she said. 

    Atlanta Municipal Court Chief Judge Christopher E. Ward spoke for his colleagues during the ceremony. 

    “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to our 61st Mayor of Atlanta, Andre Dickens, and our President of the Atlanta City Council, Marci Collier Overstreet. We looked forward to working with you all in moving the City of Atlanta forward,” Ward said.

    Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville administered the oath of office for the municipal court judges, and Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney administered the oath of office for the city council.

    Collier Overstreet concluded her remarks by asking the audience to imagine what her hometown would look like one day.

    “Let’s take a moment to imagine the future of the city,” she said. “Atlanta is not just the place I live; Atlanta captivated my heart. Atlanta is my home.” 

    Right outside the doors of the convocation center, directly across Capitol Avenue, high in the air, the street stood golden Olympic Rings and the words, “Atlanta 1996”—the past, present, and future of Atlanta in one place at the same time.

    “Atlanta must work for everyone,” Collier Overstreet said.

    Donnell Suggs

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  • ‘Soul of Atlanta’ Rally Brings City’s Mayors to Pulpit

    Crowded pews inside of Big Bethel AME Church on Auburn Avenue, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanat Voice

    The pulpit at Big Bethel AME Church has always been filled with public speakers of note. On the morning of Thursday, Oct. 30, the church welcomed all but one of Atlanta’s living Black mayors to speak on the “Soul of Atlanta.” 

    Former Atlanta Mayor’s Ambassador Andrew Young, William “Bill” Campbell, Shirley Franklin, Kasim Reed, and current Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, along with Big Bethel AME Church Rev. Dr. Jonathan C. Augustine, spoke about how to further defend Atlanta’s legacy of “equality and inclusion.” 

    “This is only the kickoff; this is not the end,” Augustine said.

    Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

    Days before the City of Atlanta and Fulton County will elect or re-elect a mayor and a city council president, the pews inside Big Bethel were full of people looking to hear what luminaries like Young had to say about Atlanta’s legacy. 

    “This is where it all began,” said Young, a preacher in many ways. “I think we have accidentally, with the guidance of God, and the officials you all have elected, we have become one of the best cities in the world.”

    Young, the second Black mayor in the city’s history, shared stories about how Atlantans, both Black and white, got together to make the city better. Those stories included the first Black Mayor of Atlanta, the late Maynard Jackson, who broke business barriers by securing citywide contracts. Young also used the city securing the 1996 Summer Olympics bid in 1990 as an example of everyone working together for a common goal.

    “I want to thank you for believing in God’s message that was put in your heart and mine,” Young said. 

    Atlanta City Councilwoman Marci Collier Overstreet and gubernatorial candidate Jason Esteves were also in attendance. 

    Dickens also spoke, as did Valerie Jackson, Mayor Jackson’s widow. Mrs. Jackson said she knows the late mayor would be proud of the direction the city has taken since the three-term mayor passed away. 

    “We will not allow the principle of fairness and justice to be blown back,” Mrs. Jackson said.

    “We will not allow the principle of fairness and justice to be blown back,” Mrs. Valerie Jackson (above) said.

    After telling a story about Mayor Jackson’s decision to steer more airport contracts to Black vendors, Mrs. Jackson said, “Maynard’s policies of inclusion became a model, not just for the state, but for the nation.” 

    Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was not in attendance.

    Donnell Suggs

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  • City Council, APS School Board Candidates Speak on Forum Ahead of Election Day

    Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice

    The Poised Peaches, an official interest group of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority (AKA), held a candidates’ forum for the City of Atlanta elections at The Cascade United Methodist Church in Midtown on Monday. The forum featured candidates confirmed for Atlanta Board of Education District 8 At-Large, Atlanta City Hall Council President, Atlanta City Hall Post 1 At-Large, and Atlanta City Hall District 2.  

    The forum took place during the last week of early voting for the general municipal election, with the final day being Friday, Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 4, and some of the races are predicted to go to a runoff election, which is scheduled for Dec. 2.

    Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice

    Atlanta City Hall District 2 candidates in attendance included Kelsea Bond, Alex Bevel Jones, and Courtney Smith. Michael Julian Bond and Matthew Rinker were the Atlanta City Hall Post 1 At-Large candidates in attendance. The forum’s APS School Board candidates included Kaycee Brock, Royce Mann, and Aisha Stith. The forum ended with a discussion with Atlanta City Hall council president candidates Rohit Malhotra and Marci Collier Overstreet. 

    Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice

    The forum began with a question to District 2 candidates on the unhoused community in Atlanta, specifically the encampments on Freedom Parkway and the Downtown Connector. Candidates touched on the impact of the incoming World Cup games and incidents surrounding people such as Cornelius Taylor, who was killed after a city front loader ran over his tent while clearing out a homeless encampment. 

    “Prioritize people first, over the tourism industry, over development interests. I think we need more of a strategic system because right now, many of our shelters are highly restrictive. They’re concentrated in specific geographic regions. We need a more compassionate approach,” Kelsea Bond said. “We need wrap-around services that work for people, not profit.”

    Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice

    Several candidates said their main committee focus was transportation and emphasized the importance of more reliable public transportation, including bike lanes, bus access, rapid bus lines, and addressing potholes. Candidates across all four panels also touched on policies needed to achieve making Atlanta the No. 1 place to raise a child, climate resilience, energy costs and housing affordability, as well as extending the tax allocation district, addressing childcare costs, students with special needs, accountability, and public policy to maintain diversity in the city.

    I would like to see something around literacy that includes more than just anyone who has a child in APS schools,” Kaycee Brock said. “We do need community right now around the students.”

    The night ended with a call to action for Atlanta residents to go out and vote, noting that only 15% of the community voted in the last general election. To learn more about the candidates, visit ballotpedia.org and stay up to date with reporting on The Atlanta Voice.

    Laura Nwogu

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  • Atlanta City Councilmember Overstreet announces plans to run for City Council presidency

    Overstreet (center) is a native of Atlanta and an alumnus of Atlanta Public Schools. Photo by Isaiah Singleton/The Atlanta Voice

    In a press conference on the steps of City Hall, Atlanta City Councilmember Marci Collier Overstreet announced she is running for City Council president. Overstrteet, an Atlanta native, represents District 11.

    “I am so excited to be your next president in Atlanta because I am exactly what the city needs right now,” she said. “We’re doing the work and I’ll be the only one on the ballot that is ready. Ready is important in the city of Atlanta. Our mayor said he needs a partner ready to go on day one and that’s me.”

    A supporter of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens on the steps of Atlanta city Hall on Tuesday, August 19, 2025. Photo by Isaiah Singleton/The Atlanta Voice

    The qualifying period for mayoral candidates in Atlanta is Aug. 19-22. However, individuals raising funds to run for office are required to declare their candidacy earlier. As of now, seven candidates had officially declared their intention to run, including Andre Dickens (incumbent), Helmut Domagalski, Kalema Jackson, Marcus Lamar, Eddie Meredith, Walter Reeves, and Larmetria Trammell.

    Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has also formally qualified to seek a second term as Mayor of the City of Atlanta. Dickens said he filed his official paperwork at the City of Atlanta Municipal Clerk’s Office.

    The next Atlanta mayoral election is scheduled for Nov. 4. If necessary, a run-off election will be held on Dec. 2.


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    Born and raised in Stockbridge, GA, Isaiah always knew he wanted to become a voice for the voiceless. He graduated from Savannah State University in 2019, and since then, he’s worked for The Marietta Daily…
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