You may think you know your Atlanta history but you have no idea!

The City of Atlanta, once predominantly black and recognized as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement, has become more affluent and less Black over the last decade, resulting last November in the closest mayoral race between a black and a white candidate since the 1970s.

VIDEO: The Atlanta Way Documentary ~ (Official Trailer)

Other cities think of us as “Blacklanta” or “Black” Hollywood, but that’s not really an accurate depiction of our inner city…. not anymore.  In all actuality it’s not a Black/White thing… it’s a status thing.  And it’s all due to “Gentrification”.

Gentrification and urban gentrification are terms referring to the socio-cultural displacement that results when wealthier people acquire property in low income and working class communities.

Atlanta was the first major city to have public housing projects and in contrast, as of 2009 it earned the title of becoming the first major city to eliminate ALL of it’s public housing projects.

I was privy to seeing it first hand during my days at The City of Atlanta’s Development Authority and actually bought into it when I exchanged my South Atlanta diggs for a downtown location.

A new documentary, entitled The Atlanta Way covers Atlanta’s gentrification process from many differing perspectives  within the city.  There are claims that Atlanta is no longer the “Black Mecca” while others say it will always be —even with the white influx— but truth be told, the City itself is just no longer affordable to poor and working-class African Americans.

It’s a very enlightening documentary!

Make sure you make some time to watch the 34 minute “rough cut” of “The Atlanta Way” below: Continue Reading…