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Tag: WAREhouse Studios

  • The Atlanta Voice 2025 Year in Review: A Year of Legacy, Leadership, and Looking Forward

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    In 2025, The Atlanta Voice reaffirmed its place as a cornerstone of Black-owned media in Atlanta, honoring nearly six decades of legacy while embracing innovation to meet the moment. The year stood as a powerful reflection of where the paper has been, where it stands, and where it is boldly headed.

    From launching new storytelling platforms and opening creative community spaces to earning major civic recognition and expanding its newsroom, 2025 marked a pivotal chapter in the publication’s ongoing mission to inform, uplift, and advocate for Atlanta’s Black communities.

    Preserving Black History Through New Media

    This year brought an expansion of storytelling through the launch of In The Black: Legacy of Legends, a video series dedicated to capturing and preserving the stories of Black leaders, pioneers, and cultural figures whose impact has shaped Atlanta and the nation.

    The series reflects a long-standing commitment to honoring elders and documenting lived experiences that too often go unrecorded. By embracing video storytelling, the newsroom bridged generational gaps, ensuring Black history is not only written, but seen and heard. At its core, the initiative reinforces a belief that Black communities must continue to control their own narratives.

    Strengthening the Newsroom

    The reporting team grew in 2025 with the addition of journalist Tabius McCoy, further strengthening the paper’s commitment to rigorous, community-centered journalism.  McCoy brought fresh perspective and a deep respect for the mission, contributing coverage that informs, challenges, and reflects the realities of Atlanta’s Black communities. His arrival underscored continued investment in the next generation of storytellers while upholding the standards that have defined the newspaper for decades.

    A Historic Honor for a Lasting Legacy

    The Atlanta Voice Publisher, Janis Ware (left) and her sister, Dr. Rhonda Ware (right). Photo by Jazmine Brazier/The Atlanta Voice

    One of the most significant milestones of the year came with the induction of Publisher Janis Ware and her late father, J. Lowell Ware, into the Atlanta Press Club Hall of Fame.  The honor recognized their enduring contributions to journalism and the preservation of Black-owned media in Atlanta. J. Lowell Ware’s leadership guided the paper through eras of profound social change. Janis Ware has carried that legacy forward—navigating the modern media landscape with vision, resilience, and a deep commitment to community accountability.  The dual induction symbolized a bridge between generations and reaffirmed the publication’s lasting influence in Atlanta’s media history.

    In another first, a Midday Open House welcomed community members, partners, and supporters into the organization’s space for a celebration rooted in transparency and connection.  Guests engaged directly with staff, learned more about the work behind the headlines, and celebrated the paper’s role as a trusted voice in Atlanta. The event reflected a long-held belief by the publication: journalism is strongest when it is accessible, relational, and grounded in the communities it serves.

    A New Creative Chapter: WAREhouse Studios

    The year also marked the opening of WAREhouse Studios, a creative and production space designed to support multimedia storytelling, collaboration, and community engagement.  The studio represents an investment not only in the future of the publication but in the broader ecosystem of Black creatives and storytellers. WAREhouse Studios positions the organization to expand its digital and visual storytelling capabilities while creating new opportunities for innovation, partnerships, and cultural preservation.

    Recognized as a Legacy Business

    Recognition came in the form of the Invest Atlanta Legacy Business Grant, honoring the newspaper’s longstanding economic and cultural impact on the city.  The designation highlighted resilience, adaptability, and the importance of one of Atlanta’s historic Black-owned institutions. The grant serves as both recognition and reinforcement—acknowledging the continued role the paper plays in shaping civic dialogue and sustaining Black entrepreneurship.

    Leadership Honored on a Citywide Stage

    Photo By Trarell Torrence Credit: Photo by Trarell Torrence

    Publisher Janis Ware was also named a 2025 Salute to Women of Achievement honoree by the YWCA of Greater Atlanta, recognizing women whose leadership and service have made a lasting difference in the community.  The honor reflected decades of dedication not only to journalism but to equity, representation, and the preservation of Black-owned media in an era of consolidation and change.

    Investing in Black Entrepreneurship: In The Black-Black Business Directory

    Economic empowerment remained a key focus with the expansion of the In The Black- Black Business Directory, a growing digital resource designed to spotlight, support, and sustain Black-owned businesses across metro Atlanta.  More than a listing, the directory serves as a tool for visibility, connection, and the circulation of Black dollars—making it easier for readers, residents, and institutions to intentionally support Black entrepreneurship. Integrated into the publication’s digital ecosystem, the directory reinforces a role that extends beyond storytelling to active community investment.  The initiative aligns with a long-held belief that storytelling and economic justice are deeply connected. Highlighting Black-owned businesses alongside coverage of civic leadership, culture, and history reflects a holistic approach to community advocacy, one that recognizes ownership, access, and opportunity as essential parts of progress.

    Digital Reach and Community Engagement

    Digital growth continued throughout 2025, demonstrating expanding reach and influence across platforms.

    Facebook led performance with 5.6 million views and 1.6 million visitors, while Instagram generated 2.4 million views and reached 1.1 million users.  On X, our content received 532,000 impressions, expanding our visibility in real-time conversations.  Emerging and professional platforms also contributed to our digital footprint. , while Threads recorded 23,000 views and LinkedIn achieved 16,000 impressions. 

    Together, these milestones underscore the publication’s ability to connect with audiences across generations while maintaining the depth and credibility that define its journalism.

    Looking Ahead

    As 2025 comes to a close, the year stands as a testament to the power of legacy paired with innovation. From honoring the past to building new platforms, opening doors, and creating space for future generations, the work continues to evolve while remaining grounded in its founding mission.  Nearly 60 years after its founding, The Atlanta Voice remains a trusted voice for Atlanta’s Black communities, telling stories that matter, preserving history, and helping shape what comes next.

    The conversation continues beyond these pages. Readers can stay connected by following The Atlanta Voice on social media, subscribing to our newsletters, and visiting theatlantavoice.com for ongoing coverage of Atlanta’s Black communities.

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    Staff Report

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  • ‘I Want to Do Right By the City’: Kalema Jackson wants to be the next Mayor of Atlanta

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    Former Atlanta Police Department officer Kalema Jackson visited WAREhouse Studios on the campus of The Atlanta Voice to discuss his campaign for mayor. Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice

    Former Atlanta Police Department officer Kalema Jackson wants to be the next mayor of Atlanta, and he is not allowing the fact that he doesn’t know how to do that to stop him. 

    Jackson is one of three men running against the current Atlanta Mayor, Andre Dickens. Last week, he participated in the Atlanta Press Club Loudermilk-Young debate series. The debates, which were not televised live but aired on YouTube and WABE, were Jackson’s first opportunity to speak to Fulton County voters. He was nervous and hesitated to listen to or watch a replay. His mother texted him and let him know he did well. 

    “That’s when I decided to take a look, and I gave myself a B-,” Jackson said with a laugh. 

    Jackson has not allowed his lack of political experience to keep him from believing he can run the city. He believes his time on the street as a police officer helped him understand what the people of Atlanta need from its leaders. Jackson served the city for 13 years, most in Zone 3, and wants to return to continue his service, this time from City Hall, he said.

    “I want to do right by the city,” said Jackson, 50, who is unmarried and without children. “I am proud of my career as a police officer. I wanted to make a contribution to this community, and I want to do it again.” 

    Jackson, 50, has no prior political experience, but believes he can win this election. “I want to do right by the city,” he said. Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice

    Jackson was born and raised in Dothan, Alabama, and moved to Atlanta in 1996 to attend college. He recalled that the city he encountered when he arrived had changed for better and worse. After graduating from art school, Jackson saw an Atlanta Police Department recruitment advertisement in the newspaper and decided to see what it was about. 

    In 2002, Jackson completed his Atlanta Police Department academy training and joined the force. For the next 13 years, he patrolled the streets and cemented relationships, not with major players in the halls of City Hall, but with people who live, work, and play within the communities of Atlanta. 

    When asked if he misses working as a police officer, Jackson, who retired in 2015, said, “Kind of.” 

    “I am proud that the community would call on me, and I’m proud that I had that type of impact,” Jackson said. “I took every case and call seriously.” 

    Voting turnout for the mayoral elections in Fulton County has routinely been low. Just under 50% of the nearly 900,000 registered voters participated in the 2024 general election, so turnout was low among Atlantans, too. Jackson believes voters want a candidate whom they can be excited about.  

    “I have been watching the progress of the current administration, and I think I can do a better job,” said Jackson. “I feel I have a lot to offer.” 

    Jackson told The Atlanta Voice that he wants to bring more development to the city’s southside and provide more job fairs for residents. 

    “Have companies there that are actually hiring,” Jackson said of the job fairs. 

    The underdog mayoral candidate has done little campaigning, with only three weeks until Election Day, November 4. Asked what his campaign plans are, Jackson said it was to get out amongst the people more.

    “I’d like to get a little more exposure, get more support, because I want to just do right for the people,” he said.

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    Donnell Suggs

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  • The Pride of East Lake Meadows: The Cornbread Sisters

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    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.” 

    The three women, and Tiller-Tooks’ adult daughters, do it all. And the business is thriving.

    “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.”

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    Donnell Suggs

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