The Atlanta Voice E-Edition 012624

January 26-February 1, 2024 • Vol. 58 Issue 38 • FREE

IN THIS ISSUE

Accessible Design Studios, Fayetteville’s first Black-owned interior design firm.

PAGE 10

AROUND TOWN

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Dream Chaser Davonne Reaves went from working behind the front desk at hotels to owning them. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice

Page 2 • January 26-February 1, 2024 • theatlantavoice.com

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Davonne Reaves looks to teach others how to invest in hotels

BY DONNELL SUGGS

T

he lobby of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta was buzzing with activity when Davonne Reaves entered through the massive glass revolving doors. She stopped to say hello to familiar faces, hugging some, and joking with others. Reaves, 36, was once one of them. At heart she still is. She started working at the 1,260-room Hyatt Regency in 2007 and a dream of wanting to one day own a hotel began. During her six-and-a-half years as an employee at the Hyatt Regency, primarily assisting guests at the front desk, Reaves picked up the necessary knowledge and insight to one day make that dream come true.

“I just wanted to always have the top position no matter what I was going to do,” Reaves told The Atlanta Voice during a recent interview. “What’s the top position at a hotel? The owner.”

Today Reaves owns three hotels, two in Indiana; a 145-room Staybridge Suites in Fishers and an 86-room Hampton Inn & Suites in Scottsburg; and an 85-room Home2 Suites location in El Reno, Oklahoma. Success aside, it wasn’t an easy journey to ownership. The first hotel that Reaves purchased, the Home2 Suites in Oklahoma, had to have a team effort in order to raise the capital necessary to purchase a hotel, according to Reaves. She had to go to family and friends for contributions. That experience led her to want to make the process easier for others.

A mother of a five-year-old son and published author, Reaves has managed motherhood, her career, and operating the hotels while also starting a new company that she believes will help teach others how to invest in commercial real estate, which includes hotels. “Anybody can invest,” said Reaves. “A lot of time in our community, people think we don’t have the money to invest.”

Reaves founded Vesterr.com, a commercial real estate crowd-funding portal, to help pass along the knowledge and make investing easy. Along with the company’s CTO Anand Patel, Vesterr was launched in July 2022, a special date for Reaves because it was her late father’s birthday. “It was something to honor and celebrate him with,” she said.

The goal of Vesterr is simple, according to Reaves, the platform should make investing in commercial real estate easier for people to do. Easier than it was when she decided to buy her first hotel. ‘There has to be a marketplace for this,’ Reaves thought. “I was thinking, ‘How can we automate this process?’”

The future is bright for Reaves, along with plans to continue growing her hospitality

Reaves, 36, grew up in Clayton County and studied hospitality at Georgia State University. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice portfolio, there is an eight-city Vesterr.com tour scheduled to begin in March. Alongside her business partner Mike Ealy, the “From Broker to Millions” Tour will visit Miami, Detroit, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and Indianapolis, along with two shows in Atlanta.

“The goal is to raise $24 million on our platform,” said Reaves. “That’s our big goal.”

Inspirations from near and far Davonne Reaves was a band member, but not a member of just any band, the Jonesboro High School Majestic Marching Cardinals. As a high school student, the band was a place where she could carve out an identity for herself while remaining a part of a team.

Reaves played the clarinet and the bass clarinet in the school’s concert band. The eclectic group of bandmates taught her how to deal

See DREAM on page 3

Reaves with her son outside one of the three hotels that she owns in the Midwest. Photo submitted

theatlantavoice.com • January 26-February 1, 2024 • Page 3

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DREAM

said Reaves. “How she constantly pays homage to Black women, I just love how she is her own woman and I love that about her.”

Continued from page 2 with people from all walks of life. “A lot of my leadership skills come from being in the band,” she said. “Our band was diverse.”

There have been many other inspirations in Reaves' life. There have been Women, some she knows personally and others she has never met, who demonstrated strength, intelligence, and skills that have continued to inspire her today. Beginning with her late grandmother Elizabeth Smith, who grew up in a sharecropping family in Georgia. And despite having only had an eighth-grade education, Smith was a driving force in Reeves' life and educational journey. “She taught us about being a woman and keeping your word,” Reaves said. “Her motto was to always keep a paid-off house in the family and now I’m going to have a paid-off hotel in the family.”

Reaves considers Sheila Johnson, the founder of Salamander luxury hotels, Erica Qualls-Battey, the general manager of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, and Valerie Ferguson, the first Black general manager of a full-service hotel in the United States.

Of Johnson, Reaves said, “She was so transparent in her story about how she had to hire the right people because when she started she didn’t know the hotel business.

Reaves founded a commercial real estate investment and funding portal, Veterr.com, in July 2022. Photo submitted And today her brand can compete against the Marriotts and Four Seasons of the world.”

Reaves considers Qualls-Battey a friend and calls her “an amazing woman that I look up to.”

The biggest inspiration however doesn’t

have a place in the hospitality space. At least not yet. Reaves said her five-year-old son, whom she is fiercely private about, is her North Star. “He keeps me going,” she said.

Beyonce also made the list of inspirations.

“Her work ethic and creativity is insane,”

The Next Decade Reaves gives the photographer a big smile while posing for a photo at the top of a staircase. At her back is floor after floor of activity in one of Atlanta’s largest and busiest hotels. The idea of her owning a property like the Hyatt Regency Atlanta one day doesn’t feel too far-fetched. “I didn’t realize when I started this journey that it would end up this way,” Reaves said. “I can’t wait to see what the next 10 years look like.”

She likes to tell stories of meeting people at networking events and them sharing with her that hotel ownership and commercial real estate investment is now a topic of discussion at the dinner table these days. The girl who started working at the front desk so many years ago while simultaneously earning a degree in sociology from Georgia State University is now a mogul who holds a seat on the Georgia State University Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration Board of Advisors.

“I wouldn’t be where I am if I listened to the people who said I couldn’t do it,” Reaves said.

It’s a good thing there were so many that said she could.

First AABJ meeting of the year may set the tone for 2024

BY DONNELL SUGGS

T

he third Saturday of the new year brought forth the first meeting of the Atlanta chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). The Atlanta Association of Black Journalists (AABJ) conducts a regular meeting once per month inside the headquarters of WSB-TV. The meeting was well attended in comparison to many that took place during 2023.

Chapter president Craig Allen Brown acknowledged the strong attendance a number of times during the hour-long meeting.

Some of the objectives that were discussed were raising the chapter's social media presence, looking to host more industry-focused events for working journalists, and having the chapter be better represented at NABJ events other than the annual national convention, which will take place in Chicago from July 31-Aug. 4. This year's regional conference will take place in Tulsa, Oklahoma from April 12-13 and will include a Black history tour, job fair and award ceremony. The NABJ's Political Journalism Media Institute will take place at Google D.C. and on the campus of Howard University next month.

Mental health and wellness were also discussed with Dr. Patrice Little, a family nurse practitioner, content producer for Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Lawmakers show, and AABJ member. Little suggested panels and wellness events that focus on how professional journalists can look to decompress

There were more than 25 journalists, editors, public relations professionals, and college students at the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists meeting on Saturday, Jan. 20. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice from the work that they do day after day.

Amongst the AABJ members at the meeting were a dozen newcomers and first-time

attendees. Student journalists from Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Louisiana State University, the University

of Tennessee, and Georgia State University, along with freelance journalists looking to network.

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Voices

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I was walking through [Harvard] Yard in the evening, and a Black woman I did not know was passing me on the sidewalk ...

She leaned over as we crossed and said, ‘Persevere.”

— Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

Collaboration and Fresh Thinking Required to Address East Point’s Healthcare Challenges

T H E AT L A N TA

VOICE FOUNDED May 11, 1966

FOUNDER/EDITOR

BY DR. DAVID WILLIAMS

MD, President/Chief Executive Officer, Southside Medical Center

We recently announced the expansion of Southside Medical Center’s East Point location, which took effect on January 12. Unfortunately, however, some of the initial commentary and news coverage about our announcement downplayed or omitted our role in serving our neighbors.

Our growth is the result of over a year-long partnership with Wellstar to expand our facility and services and to transition urgent care that they have been providing to our team of healthcare providers. Simply put, we provide much more than urgent care, and this transition will enable Southside Medical Center to offer people in East Point and surrounding communities continued access to quality, convenient urgent care in addition to an array of services such as primary care, women’s health, pediatric, dental, mental health services, discounted pharmaceuticals and many others.

Since we started working with Wellstar to coordinate treatment for urgent care patients just over a year ago, the number of people seeking care at the urgent care clinic which is next door to Southside’s clinic dropped almost 65%, from nearly 80 patients per day in October 2022 to 28 patients per day

by November 2023. Many of these patients have been connected with a medical home with Southside and now are seeking services in one of our centers instead of using the urgent care. In other words, through this cooperation, we’ve been able to keep many of these people healthier and out of urgent care through personalized primary and pre-

Wellstar is investing in Southside Medical Center because of our 55-year history of success, enabling us to increase the services we offer and expand the size and capacity of our East Point facility. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice ventative care. By arranging for preventative care, we are helping to improve their quality of life and prevent subsequent urgent care or emergency room visits.

The Atlanta and East Point communities have a critical need for preventive and primary healthcare services, especially those focused on treating chronic illnesses and our expansion in partnership with Wellstar is a step forward. Like others, we believe the community should have a hospital. We also understand the challenges of providing healthcare services in communities with higher percentages of people who are uninsured or under-insured compared to communities with greater financial resources.

We applaud the efforts of our elected officials who are working to find ways to bring a hospital back to East Point.

We’re doing our part by continuing to cooperate with Wellstar about the future of the site and by developing a new model for acute care that meets the needs of the community.

As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC),

Southside has been providing quality healthcare for the people of East Point and South Fulton, including economically challenged communities, for more than 50 years. Southside Medical Center, Family Health Centers of Georgia and other FQHCs play a critical role providing quality healthcare in East Point, Atlanta and throughout Georgia. Southside alone was 13 locations that reach from Lawrenceville to Butts County.

Our teams of talented, dedicated professionals take great pride in caring for our neighbors by providing quality medical care that they might not otherwise be able to afford. We provide urgent care, primary care, women’s health, pediatrics, immunizations, mental health and other services in an environment of dignity and respect, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. In addition to accessing a full suite of medical care, patients also can receive pharmaceuticals at a lower cost and free transportation to and from their appointments.

We have several recent success stories that began

at our East Point urgent care center. One person with high blood pressure began receiving regular care at one of our Centers and is no longer in and out of the hospital. We helped another person who visited our urgent care for tooth pain get a dental extraction the same week in one of our sites even though other dentists had told her it would be months before she could be seen. And a third person, with diabetes, was able to see our staff podiatrist and is now enjoying life without foot pain.

This is what we mean by establishing a medical home for the people we serve.

Increasing access to primary/preventative care while offering urgent care, regardless of the ability to pay, helps to increase quality of life and decrease unnecessary and costly hospital visits.

This is also why our partnership with Wellstar is so important to the people of East Point, and why we’re excited about the opportunity.

It’s a difficult and challenging situation. Collaboration and fresh thinking are critical to our success.

As care providers and a community, we must focus on the opportunities. Wellstar is investing in Southside Medical Center because of our 55-year history of success, enabling us to increase the services we offer and expand the size and capacity of our East Point facility. With their support, we will be able to provide more quality care for more people in need through a model that is sustainable for years to come.

It’s partnerships like this will enable us, as a community, to develop the solutions that we all desire.

Ed Clayton Immortalis Memoria

PUBLISHER/EDITOR J. Lowell Ware Immortalis Memoria The Atlanta Voice honors the life of J. Lowell Ware.

PUBLISHER Janis Ware jlware@theatlantavoice.com PRESIDENT/ GENERAL MANAGER James A. Washington jaws@theatlantavoice.com EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO PUBLISHER Chia Suggs csuggs@theatlantavoice.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Donnell Suggs editor@theatlantavoice.com GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER Isaiah Singleton isingleton@theatlantavoice.com EDITOR AT LARGE Stan Washington swashington@theatlantavoice.com MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL Itoro Umontuen iumontuen@theatlantavoice.com

ADVERTISING, SALES & CIRCULATION ADVERTISING ADMINISTRATOR Chia Suggs advertising@theatlantavoice.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Terry Milliner SALES R.D.W. Jackson rdwadman@gmail.com SUBMISSIONS editor@theatlantavoice.com DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS Martel Sharpe msharpe@theatlantavoice.com

CONTACT INFORMATION 633 Pryor Street, S.W. Atlanta, GA 30312 Office: 404-524-6426 info@theatlantavoice.com

theatlantavoice.com • January 26-February 1, 2024 • Page 5

Voices SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING

The church is not a perfect place either

BY JAMES A. WASHINGTON

The Atlanta Voice

They say no one can ever lead a perfect life. Flaws, faults and mistakes are the unavoidable consequences of being human.

God lets us know through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that how we handle our imperfections is about as important as acknowledging that we do indeed have them.

Allow me to call upon spiritual insight for a moment and declare that humility is an essential ingredient of any Christian’s makeup, or at least it should be given our understanding as the byproduct of personal imperfection.

A truly humble person would never look down upon, or somehow rationalize the thought that he or she is better than someone else.

The reason, I imagine, must be their personal recognition of that old saying, “there but for the grace of God, go I.” Throughout the bible there are countless references to living a life devoid of ego and pride.

As a matter of fact, according to Paul, humility is a prerequisite for the presence of the Holy Spirit.

“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Matthew 23:12 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (Galatians 5:22-26) Now I don’t know about you, but conditioning yourself to live humbly is pretty difficult, particularly nowadays.

As I have so often said, on many occasions, we live in a world that measures the substance of a person by the accumulation of money, things, position, and status, even if we think it’s unwarranted.

To obtain a humble state of mind as a matter of fact, of course, can seem impossible, but in order to live according to the word of God, it is mandatory.

“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles

himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12) I believe this is serious stuff and can only be comprehended, let alone adhered to, if one can look deep inside oneself and see the personal character flaws that each of us has. You see I think this is the reason Christ said, “He who is without sin cast the first stone.”

The real meaning behind this is once you do it, then real forgiveness must follow. Who would dare be arrogant enough not to humble himself in the eyes of God by not forgiving his fellow man’s transgressions?

That brings me to the role of the church in this regard. If there was ever a place where the concept of forgiveness is guaranteed, it’s supposed to be the church. But you have to remember that the church is not a perfect place either.

The key to all of this is what happens

after you fall after you sin after you backslide. Falling and failing are inevitable. Getting up is not.

As long as you ask the Holy Spirit for a helping hand, I’m told you’ll get one.

You see I’ve got to believe God is a God of another chance because I’ve blown so many chances myself.

I’ve ruined so many opportunities and yet so many blessings still have come my way. Hell, I woke up this morning! Or should I say, Heaven, I woke up this morning?

The least I can do is to show up in church on Sunday to let others know this is a place to come and bring an imperfect life in search of the perfect truth.

Flaws and all, God loves me and every now and then that’s something I need to be reminded of. Church is probably the best and only place where that can happen.

The challenge is to remember you can never feel comfortable about casting that first stone.

May God bless and keep you always.

Dexter Scott King, civil rights activist, dies at 62

BY OLIVIA LABORDE, CNN

C

NN —Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has died, according to statements from his family and the King Center.

The King Center confirmed in a statement the 62-year-old civil rights activist died Monday after a battle with prostate cancer.

The third child of Dr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King was married to Leah Weber King since 2013.

Weber King said in a statement from the King Center, “He transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu.” She added, “He gave it everything and battled this terrible disease until the end. As with all the challenges in his life, he faced this hurdle with bravery and might.”

King’s older brother Martin Luther King III said in a statement, “I am deeply saddened to share that my brother, Dexter Scott King, has passed away. The sudden shock is devastating. It is hard to have the right words at a moment like this. Please keep the entire King family in your prayers, and in particular Dexter’s wife, Leah Weber.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton said he was “heartbroken to hear that Dexter King left us this morning, but I was comforted by the knowledge he is reunited with his parents and sister.”

Dexter’s mother, Coretta Scott King, died

Dexter King, son of the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., in Jackson, Tennessee on August 29, 1997. Credit:Helen Comer/Pool/The Jackson Sun/AP

in 2006. His sister Yolanda Denise King died in 2007.

A graduate of Morehouse College, King worked as chairman of The King Center and

president of the King Estate, according to King Center representatives.

Dexter King had no children.

King was just seven years old when his father was assassinated. He told CNN he had been watching TV with his older brother when a news flash interrupted, announcing his father had been shot in Memphis.

“It was a very chaotic and traumatic period,” he said.

King previously told CNN bearing his revolutionary father’s name could be both a blessing and a curse.

After his father’s killing, some people would tell young Dexter they expected him to follow his father’s path, he said in 2003.

“People would say, ‘I want you to be just like your father,’ or ‘You should be a minister,’” he said.

King’s career has intertwined with his father’s legacy, cowriting a book, “Growing Up King: An Intimate Memoir,” and even acting as his father in a 2002 film, “The Rosa Parks Story.”

In addition to continuing his father’s civil rights work, King was a vocal vegan and advocate for animal rights throughout his life. In a 1995 interview with The Vegetarian Times, he said his diet was an extension of his nonviolent beliefs. “There is a connection between how you live life and how you treat others,” he told the magazine. “It starts with the individual.”

Page 6 • January 26-February 1, 2024 • theatlantavoice.com

Metro

Some residents face defeat despite millions in paid settlements

BY LENTHEUS CHANEY

T

he City of Atlanta's claims procedure resulted in a loss for some seeking reimbursement.

Nonetheless, the city council voted in favor of over $4 million in bodily injury and personal property damage settlements this year.

The city council holds a full council meeting approximately twice a month. Their meeting minutes detail claims against the city, how the city council voted on each claim, and the settlement amounts.

Quinton Washington, a civil litigation attorney and former judge, said that a successful settlement sometimes depends on adhering to procedures the city has established.

“If you don't comply with the checklist, your claim can be denied,” Washington said.

“And so, that means that the first thing you have to do is see how to file and appropriately file what's called ante litem notice.”

Ante litem, which is a Latin term meaning before litigation, is the notice the City of Atlanta requires that a person or entity file before proceeding with a lawsuit.

Washington said that most large cities have sovereign immunity, and the ante litem process allows them to waive their immunity in some cases.

“Cities can't necessarily be sued for or don't have to be responsible for certain things because of the immunity that they have,” Washington said. “And so, to be able to get them to waive it, that's where the whole ante litem process comes into place.”

In response to an open records request, the City of Atlanta Department of Law identified 169 ante litem notices in their possession in which settlements had received Atlanta City Council approval. These settlements were approved between Jan. 1, 2023, and Nov. 27, 2023.

Personal Experiences City infrastructure allegedly caused damage to the vehicles of Georgia residents Ernest Duncan and Jerry Baker. They had different outcomes after filing claims.

Duncan said he filed a claim because his vehicle was damaged after running over a large hole in the road.

"A set of large steel plates covering some roadwork the city was repairing moved during an evening rainstorm,” Duncan said.

“I didn't see the large hole in the road and busted two of my tires going over that section of the road.”

Throughout the claim process, Duncan faced several challenges including delayed communication and a lack of clarity on who was responsible for maintaining the road.

"Once I completed the paperwork and submitted my claim, I didn't hear back from anyone for several months,” Duncan said.

The City of Atlanta's claims procedure resulted in a loss for some seeking reimbursement. Nonetheless, the city council voted in favor of over $4 million in bodily injury and personal property damage settlements this year. Photo by Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice “Months went by, and I reached out to the agency to learn that the employee assigned to my claim no longer worked for the city."

Duncan said he abandoned his efforts to recoup the cost of repairs to his vehicle when the city denied his claim.

“I emailed the city every two weeks to determine the status of my claim. Approximately 18 months later, I was told that the road was maintained by the state, and I would need to file a claim with the state,” Duncan said. “After several months of trying to make contact with the state, I gave up on my attempt to get reimbursed.”

Duncan said he was disappointed in the way his claim was handled and the delays he encountered in receiving updates from the city.

Baker said a gap in the pavement that spanned across all lanes left his car inoperable after he ran over it.

“I pulled out of the roadway as much as possible and returned to the hole in the street. I took pictures of the cutout in the road and the absence of signage warning of roadwork,” Baker said. “I returned to my vehicle and noticed that my wheel was bent."

Baker said his claim process began with

reporting the issue to the Atlanta Department of Transportation. He was contacted by a representative who pointed him toward the company which had neglected to cover the cutout.

“I asked to have my claim escalated, and the next day I received an apology and was told that my claim would be approved," Baker said. “The following week, I was sent a paper check in the mail.”

Room for change Dustin Hillis, an Atlanta City Council board member and chair of the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee, did not respond to a request for an interview.

However, despite having his claim approved, Baker said the city should work to effectively communicate with its citizens and introduce methods to streamline the claim process.

"The city department that handles these types of claims should immediately take responsibility and not pass blame," Baker said. “The claim process could be improved with a direct wire transfer of funds to lessen the inconvenience of dealing with a paper check."

Duncan said he wants the city to make it easier for people to obtain claim status.

“More automation into the claim process would be helpful so that I could track the progress of my claim,” Duncan said.

Washington said that there should be clear communication regarding the complexity of the claims process for citizens who plan to represent themselves or file a claim directly with the city.

"The greater communication that can be given and the greater education that can be given to the citizens who are in that situation, I think, would be helpful for everybody," Washington said.

Washington said the claim process may seem difficult to navigate due to misunderstandings or incorrectly submitted information.

“Just recognize that it may be an adversarial system, but it does not have to be adversarial,” Washington said. “I think a huge part of the adversarial nature comes from people who don't have an understanding of the checks and balances the city has internally before they get to the point of resolving something, especially if it involves writing a check.”

theatlantavoice.com • January 26-February 1, 2024 • Page 7

Business

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‘Church Talks’ take place at Ebenezer Baptist Church on MLK Day weekend

Black Men Smile celebrates Target Launch

BY NOAH WASHINGTON

“W

e're gonna get that PS5 now right?”

13-year-old Isaiah Mackey asked his father, Carlton Mackey. The pair, along with Manu Sackey, son of Mackey’s girlfriend Naeesa Aziz, made their way down an aisle towards a section of clothing inside a popular department store.

Moments later the three of them found what they came for and began embracing in front of the newly released “Black Men Smile” collection, a part of the Black History Month collection currently running at Target stores.

Launched on January 21, “Black Men Smile” section features nine new pieces including the "Black Joy Is Revolutionary" hoodie, children’s apparel, and a “Black Men Smile" logo bucket hat, which is the brand’s first-ever accessory item.

“Black Men Smile” was conceived after the death of Mike Brown in August of 2014.

Mackey, 45, yearned to do something positive for the Black community and subsequently launched the clothing brand. A decade later the idea that was born out of pain and tragedy has turned into a national franchise in Target.

Mackey s journey to creating “Black Men Smile” began with a project called "50 Shades of Black," which explored the role of sexuality and skin tone within the Black community.

This project evolved into a book, and Mackey recognized the need for positive representations of Black identity. Trayvon Martin's death and subsequent tragic incidents like it sparked a realization that positive imagery was crucial for combating negative stereotypes.

The idea was further formed while Mackey was researching the phrase, “Black Men Smile”. He conducted social media research and saw that the #BlackMenSmile search on Instagram yielded zero results making Mackey the first one to take and utilize the phrase.

Mackey invited people to share positive images of themselves using the hashtag, his aim was to create a space where Black men could see themselves in a healthy light amid societal challenges. The campaign gained momentum, especially when comedian Felonious Monk started the #BlackMenSmiling campaign on social media which connected the two men and further amplified the “Black Men Smile” brand.

Over time the campaign grew into a na-

Mackey takes a step away from a “Black Men Smile” advertisement at Target in order to fully take in the moment his brand went national. Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice

13-year-old Isaiah Mackey (left), his father Carlton Mackey (center), and Manu Sackey, 7, share an embrace in front of the “Black Men Smile” section at a local Target store. Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice

tionally recognized clothing brand and community conduit, focusing on mental health, positive black masculinity, and self-love.

The hashtag garnered over 115,000 images, and the Instagram page is now nearing 100,000 followers. Mackey’s wish of having the “Black Men Smile” brand become a platform for empowerment and affirmation has turned into a reality.

Additionally, in February of 2022, Mackey was contacted by a senior buyer for Target in preparation for the following year’s collection. Expressing admiration for the brand's mission and sought to include “Black Men Smile” in its 2024 collection.

On launch day, Mackey along with a collection of his friends and family gathered at

the Target location at Atlantic Station to see the full collection in stores for the first time.

On display were the gray and black “Black Men Smile” t-shirts accompanied by a banner of a young Black girl in a “Black Joy Is Revolutionary” sky blue hoodie, which left Mackey staring in awe.

Joining Mackey was Jeremiah Griffin, 25, Mackey’s mentee, videographer, and consultant who first became acquainted with Mackey after meeting at a “Black Men Smile” sponsored event in 2019. Griffin flew to Atlanta from Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he lives to take part in the celebration.

“Black Men Smile” clothing is now in 1900 Target stores across America for purchase.

The collection will run in stores until the sec-

ond week in March of 2024.

“It's humbling and wildly inspiring to see how far we’ve come,” Mackey said. “The journey began with a simple hashtag shared on Instagram and an invitation for Black men to reflect on a single question that most say they’ve never been asked before: ‘“What makes you smile?’

Dionte Boyd, 29, said he didn't even know about the Black History Month collection at Target until his friend told him about it.

“Seeing it, I do like everything I’ve seen so far and my friend was telling me everything here is Black-owned, so that’s dope,” said Boyd. “I’m glad they put it out early and I was just poking around and seeing what was available. I was checking out this ‘Black All Day Every Day” shirt. There isn’t anything missing to me, I think what’s more important is what’s here like Black-owned clothes, black-owned designers, so I’m glad it's here so whoever buys it, it can go back in the pockets of Black people.”

The importance of the collection being in a major franchise like Target “is dope,” said Boyd.

“Anything that is majorly distributed for people of color is dope because they don't get a chance to experience the benefits of everyone else that’s not of color,” Boyd told The Atlanta Voice .

Page 8 • January 26-February 1, 2024 • theatlantavoice.com

Entertainment Alvin Ailey dance company returns for anniversary tour

BY JANELLE WARD

T

he Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will travel to Atlanta next week to showcase a collection of familiar and unreleased pieces to both new and returning audiences.

The company will put on four public performances at the Fox Theatre in downtown from Jan. 25-27 as part of its 2024 national tour celebrating the 65th anniversary of its founding.

Each show will feature an assortment of individual productions brought to life by internationally acclaimed choreographers, including the return of a modern company classic originally choreographed by the late founder himself.

Artistic director emerita of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Judith Jamison, said that the company’s performers and choreographers have prepared a show that combines traditional elements of Ailey’s signature performance style with fresh, updated concepts capable of shifting the company into future programming.

She also said that creating art like Amy Hall Garner’s piece “CENTURY,” which honors the life of the Ailey artist in residence’s 100-year-old grandfather, is critical in that it acknowledges the contributions of previous generations and helps keep cultural traditions in performance alive.

“We extend ourselves through our ancestors,” Jamison said. “We are who we are because of them.”

Among the week’s performances, a contemporary piece by Kyle Abraham called “Are You in Your Feelings?” will explore love, relationships and Black culture on stage while featuring music from influential artists like Kendrick Lamar and Lauryn Hill.

Another piece, choreographed by Ronald K. Brown, will pay tribute to Judith Jamison’s impact and illustrious career, named after her 1993 autobiography, “Dancing Spirit.”

Jamison, who danced with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for 15 years before becoming the company’s artistic director in 1989, said the ensemble has expanded since her debut in 1965 but has nonetheless remained focused on the company’s mission to hold the Ailey name in high regard, as well as the art of dance in general. “(The company’s) grown, but we are still connected,” Jamison said. “That’s the important thing that differentiates this company from other companies. It’s a big family.”

Jamison also said that Ailey’s cast of art-

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Caroline T. Dartey and Constance Stamatiou in Alvin Ailey’s The Mooche. Photo by Dario Calmese ists always strives to leave a lasting impression on its audiences around the world and that those who attend a show should be mindful of the intimacy and importance of live theatre as they watch the performances.

“Have some fun, have a good time, go on a journey, enjoy what you see, absorb what you see,” Jamison said. “We’re there to entertain, we’re there to enlighten, and to make you feel uplifted when you leave the

theater.”

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will perform each evening at 7:30 p.m. and perform an additional Saturday afternoon show beginning at 2 p.m.

theatlantavoice.com • January 26-February 1, 2024 • Page 9

Business

Hammond & Associates celebrates 35 years as largest Black-owned MEP firm

BY ISAIAH SINGLETON

H

ammond & Associates, one of the largest Black-owned MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) engineering firms in the Southeast with offices located in Atlanta and Florida, recently celebrated its 35th anniversary.

What began as a dream for Eric Hammond after immigrating from Jamaica has grown into a thriving firm known for its commitment to a client-first mentality, innovation, diversity, and community impact.

In early 2023, Eric passed the Presidential baton to his son, Nate.

This transition not only marks a pivotal moment for the firm, but also highlights the importance of generational wealth and the unique challenges and opportunities it presents. With a background in Mechanical Engineering and business development, Nate brings a fresh perspective and wealth of experience to lead the firm as a successful, innovative MEP engineering firm in the Southeast and across the country.

The Atlanta Voice spoke to Nate to discuss his vision on moving forward with the firm, future business goals, the journey, and more.

The Atlanta Voice: What created the inspiration for Hammett and Associates?

Nate Hammond: As my dad has put it in the past, survival. Back in 1988, someone with my dad started the firm. He was just trying to find a way to provide for his family in a sustainable way. We had an interview back in February, and then I learned that's what his motivation was and wanted to provide for us. So that was the initial motivation. My dad had been an engineer for several years leading up to that. Starting his own business was just about survival and making sure he provided for his family.

AV: Was there a moment that inspired you to take on this new role at Hammond & Associates?

NH: Yes, the motivation for me was around. So, prior to joining the company, I was working for different corporate companies in and around Atlanta. I had gotten laid off from one of those firms in 2017, and I didn't have a backup plan. My dad, right around that time, was on the back end of his career and was looking for a bit of a succession plan. Leading up to that, I was never part of the business. I had not worked in it, and I had known about it all my life, but never had any interest or understood being involved in the business. However, as you grow older, you mature, you start thinking about something different. My dad called me and said he's looking to retire one day, and I was looking to do something different as well. So that is how the conversations about me coming into the company started.

AV: Hammond & Associates is one of the largest black-owned mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering firms in the

Eric and his son Nate Hammond. Eric passed the baton to Nate last year to take over Hammond & Associates, one of the largest Blackowned MEP Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing engineering firms in the southeast. Photo submitted southeast with offices located in Atlanta and Florida. How does it feel to have that status and what does that mean to you?

NH: It's humbling. In the MEP industry, it’s a majority-dominated industry. You don't find many firms that are black owned/ minority owned in this industry. If you do, they're one to two single digit size firms and to be a double-digit size firm, in our case, as a fleet. So, it means a lot and that our clients are trusting us in a big way to really contribute to some very transformational projects across the southeast. To have a seat at the table is exciting because, again, the industry was not geared for us, and it stems back to the fact MEP is not taught in schools nor pushed. Regardless of your race or your cultural culture. It's not pushed to pursue their professional engineering license, and few people know about that as an option coming out of school. So, that's one of the major prerequisites to being in this industry. So therefore, there's always a bit of a hole and then that's even further accentuated within the Black and brown community. So, when you look at the number of keys that are in the nation, only 1 to 2% of them are black and brown folks, to the country. To be able to stand out amongst the few is very humbling, and we don't take it lightly.

AV: Now tell me a little bit about why that is, why is the work that you guys do important?

NH: It’s important because it's all about life safety. MEP is an acronym for mechan-

ical, electrical, and plumbing and what we specifically do is we are the ones who design those specific systems for buildings. So, we'll design the HPC system for buildings, we'll design the electrical systems for buildings, the plumbing systems for buildings, etc. So, when you're feeling hot and you want to turn the AC on, we're the ones who design and size and select the equipment that provides that cooling and heating for that building.

AV: Early last year, your father passed the baton to you. What does this firm and your father’s hard work mean to you?

NH: Obviously legacy is what comes to mind. It's not every day anybody can pass something down to their sons or daughters.

The fact my father has been able to build, grow, and sustain a business for 30-35 years, to now be able to pass the torch on to have a go for another 35 plus years, that's the epitome of legacy. As a Caribbean raised child, legacy means a lot in that community. To be able to pass something down is a blessing because my dad came from very little. It’s very humbling and it really helps solidify the company. Many people say what matters the most on your tombstone is not when you were born but when you die.

AV: Is there a mentor in your life that inspired or inspires you as a business owner other than your dad?

NH: There are a couple people that I pay attention to. I know it's not an official mentor/mentee relationship with those people that I think I pay attention to. So, there's one

gentleman who runs another Black-owned engineering firm in Decatur, Albert Edwards. I just pay attention to a lot of his style, his approach, how he is thoughtful of people, thoughtful of how to advance people's agendas, whatever that may be, individuals or businesses, and how he runs his company.

He's a friend, I know him, he knows me, and I let him know every time I listen, I am paying attention to this.

AV: Now the firm is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. What kind of new perspective do you bring to this new pivotal moment in the company?

NH: I would say the perspective. I don't even know if it's my perspective, my friend. I think it's more so the perspective of the team.

I do lean on the team to bring new ideas and thoughts about what they're experiencing. I hold in high esteem the experience an employee and a client had with us, and I want that experience to always be a positive one.

AV: What kind of advice would you have for someone who wants to start a business?

NH: If you were sitting on the side of the road with your hat and if you took the hat off and put it in front of you, somebody would throw some money in it, even though that's not your purpose. Somebody will do something. They'll connect the dots, and they’ll give you money because you put your head down or, and the other adage, is a clock is right twice a day.

For more information, visit http://www. hammondengineers.com.

Page 10 • January 26-February 1, 2024 • theatlantavoice.com

Business

Accessible Design Studios offers virtual reality experience for clients

BY ISAIAH SINGLETON

J

oscelin Mackey, an author, principal designer, and founder of Accessible Design Studios celebrated the grand opening for Fayetteville’s first and only Black-owned commercial interior design firm.

Mackey invited the Atlanta metro community to celebrate the studio’s grand opening which included appearances from notable representatives including Fayetteville’s Mayor Edward Johnson, and World Changers Church International CEO and Minister Vernon Harrison.

Attendees also had the chance to participate in a virtual reality experience demonstrating the evolution of technology within the interior design industry.

Accessible Design Studios is one of the roughly 400 registered interior designers in the state of Georgia to receive a license from the Secretary of State to stamp their own non-structural construction drawings for building permits which represents a very small percentage of professional minority women commercial interior designers in the state to hold this designation.

This certification is a major accomplishment for Mackey due to the statistic of there being less than two percent of Black interior designers in the United States, and only a handful of Black interior designers in the Atlanta metro area as of 2023.

Mackey has also been a member of the Fayette County community for over 24 years, is the Director of Community Service for the Rotary Club of Fayetteville, a member of the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, a Professional Member of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and a Member of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW).

Mackey said she is proud to have her first

Joscelin Mackey (second from left), principal designer and founder of Accessible Design Studios with her husband Rick, and daughters Kelly and Valerie outside Accessible Design Studios. Photo by Isaiah Singleton/The Atlanta Voice brick-and-mortar location in her beloved city where she’s lived for more than 20 years and completed some of her first projects, including the interior design of a local barber shop, pharmacy, and retail showroom over the past 15 years. Mackey’s projects expand to commercial buildings in the Atlanta metro area and beyond, including medical spas,

salons, medical offices, corporate offices, and more.

Joscelin’s husband, Rick, with their two daughters Kelly and Valerie said they are all very happy for Mackey’s accomplishments and hard work.

“I feel extremely proud and happy of my mom,” Kelly said. “This is a big accomplish-

ment for her. I'm just super excited for this new coming for her finally with opening her business to the community and to the world.”

“I'm just super proud that we are another minority of minority business, because not only is she a black woman, but she is also black,” Valerie said. “In an industry that can't do what everybody in this industry can do, she's a very small percentage of people, even in the state of Georgia, that can stamp her own plans, which is a huge deal, which is even a smaller percentage of black women that can do that period in the United States of America. So, I'm just excited to be able to bring that into Fayetteville where we're the only ones in the city of Fayetteville that has that capability. I’m happy to give that to the community and she can share her talents with everyone.”

“That's my wife and I support everything that she does. I feel like there are so many things, but I'm specifically proud of the fact that this is her baby, and I watched the entire process and entire iteration of how she brought this to life,” Rick said. “I'm proud to say that she's doing something great, not just for herself, but for the city of Fayetteville and for black women across America.”

Additionally, to help up-and-coming and experienced interior designers continue to grow in the industry, Mackey has developed a book titled “Designing for the Senses, a Neuroscientific Exploration of Interiors”.

Mackey wrote this book to enlighten designers and design enthusiasts on the influence the built environment has on the mental, emotional, and physiological well-being of its users. She also recognizes that the design of spaces is not merely an aesthetic endeavor but a powerful tool for shaping human experiences.

Economy

Atlanta area prices, unemployment saw short-term downs at end of 2023

BY JANELLE WARD

C

osts of food, energy, and other related necessities around Atlanta saw modest decreases over the final few months of 2023, prompting consumers to start 2024 with comparably lower prices, particularly for clothing, dairy products, and gasoline.

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Atlanta metropolitan statistical area ended last year with con-

sumer prices about 3.6 percent higher compared to prices from the year before, but seven-tenths of a percentage point lower than those seen four months prior.

Prices on a national scale, however, have increased steadily month-to-month all throughout 2023, only staying the same from September to October.

2023 marked the first year since 2019 where prices for goods in the metro area declined continuously from August to De-

cember, dropping six tenths of a percentage point during the first two months and another tenth of a percentage point by the end of the year.

Labor percentages in Atlanta adjusted by similar means last year, rising long-term while falling marginally over the past few months.

Unemployment rates increased slightly in the city over a 12-month time span, rising from 2.7% in November 2022 to 3.1% last

November. Local unemployment reached its 2023 peak in August, reaching 3.7% before dropping to 3.4% in September.

Contrarily, national unemployment rates increased by just a tenth of a percentage point over the course of the same 12 months, from 3.4% to 3.5%. Unemployment for the civilian population aged 16 and older reached 3.7% nationwide in December, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

theatlantavoice.com • January 26-February 1, 2024 • Page 11

Community

ONLINE

Killer Mike to Georgia Voters: ‘Run to the Polls’

Cam Kirk hosts community cleanup, ‘Spin The Block’

BY NOAH WASHINGTON

E

quipped with gloves and masks, volunteers gathered on Sunday, January 14, 2024, to participate in the "Spin The Block'' event.

A community service project aimed at cleaning the streets of downtown beginning at the Forsyth and Brotherton intersection, “Spin the Block,” began that morning.

"Before I had the studio, I was just a photographer,” said founder and owner of Cam Kirk Studios, Cam Kirk. “But when I opened up the studio six and a half years ago, I just met so many young creators, I met so many real people from the city, and it just inspired me to want to build a community around our business.”

“Spin the Block” serves as a predecessor to the studio's "Yesterday’s Tomorrow" conference on MLK Day, which has featured comedian D.C Youngfly, Ryan Wilson, CEO & Co-Founder of The Gathering Spot, and artist-musician J.I.D. Entry to the conference is now facilitated through community cleanup participation.

Spin The Block first came into action in 2019 and has been a regularly recurring event happening every quarter since, with Cam Kirk adopting Forsyth and Brotherton streets. "All the blue and black trash cans and recycling bins, we put those out there.

We put 25 different recycling bins and trash cans. The first recycling to exist on the street, just encouraging people to know the difference between trash and going green,” said Kirk.

Volunteers, including Ebony Watson from Stone Mountain, a psych coordinator from the Sync Community Learning Center in Decatur, who decided to volunteer after seeing Shelly Nicole Andrews' Instagram post, the president of the Cam Kirk Foundation. "I love cleaning up our community, cleaning up trash. People live on the streets and if we make it cleaner for them, it’ll do something to make the world a better place,” said Watson.

Larger groups, such as the "New Look" Leadership Academy, Usher's youth-oriented leadership organization, also engaged with the community. DeniséAnn Malcolm, assistant program coordinator for the New Look Foundation, emphasized the importance of disconnecting from technology and fostering a sense of ownership in the city through activities like cleaning up trash.

Malcolm praised Cam Kirk's unique impact on the community, stating, "There's something special about Cam Kirk, something

“Spin The Block” event. A community service project aimed at cleaning the streets of downtown beginning at the Forsyth and Brotherton intersection. Photos by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice

special about what he's doing in the city.

That's why we chose this particular event to come to."

Reflecting on the significance of community leaders giving back, Malcolm expressed appreciation for Kirk's humility and involvement, "It's great to see when people like Cam Kirk are doing something positive in the community. He's super connected with the community. He's super humble, really big

about connecting and making sure that people get opportunities," said Malcolm.

The event, sponsored by Athlete's Foot, was attended by executive Darius Billings, Vice President of Marketing and Community Engagement, who spoke about the company's commitment to community involvement. "Athlete's Foot is all about being a part of something bigger than sneakers, participating in initiatives like 'Spin The Block,' and keeping our communities clean aligns with our values," said Billings. He continued by stating what sets Athlete's Foot apart

from other corporations is their tangible commitment to action and emphasizing that community care goes beyond mere sponsorship, “People think philanthropy, you have to be rich, right? It's not about that. It's about time, it's just as important as money. So for these young people to be out here and donating their time, all the while, wanting to do better in the community and wanting to do things,” said Billings.

Billings, accompanied by his 8-year-old son, Baker, expressed the desire to set an example, "I want my son to see everything I do because that's how we develop young men,” Billings told The Atlanta Voice.

Speaking on the importance of taking ownership in the community, Kirk further stated, "This is our community. This is our home. It's important for me to ensure when people come here and when they create at our studio, that they feel welcomed by the environment, the atmosphere, and they feel warm. I can't wait for anybody else to do it.

It's our community, we get together and we do it ourselves,” Kirk told The Atlanta Voice.

Page 12 • January 26-February 1, 2024 • theatlantavoice.com

Community

Sock Drive provides overlooked necessity to homeless individuals

BY NOAH WASHINGTON

I

n commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and mission, on January 15th, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, both clients and employees of Smith & Young Talent came together at the Alpha Bonding parking lot to distribute goods to the less fortunate.

The agency distributed yogurt packs, socks, and an assortment of goods. Established in 2017, Smith & Young Talent, an Atlanta-based agency, initiated the project as a philanthropic mission in collaboration with New York Times bestselling author of "I’m not Dying With You Tonight," and Community Activist Kimberly Latrice Jones, along with Smith & Young co-founder Chris Young.

The intention was to give back to a community that had given so much to them, said Jones. "God’s given me so much and he requires so much for what he's given me,” she said. “I’ve done so much as a creative writer and now what am I doing for my people.’

Jones, a writer signed to Smith Young Talent, revealed the idea of the MLK Sock Drive was born during discussions with her agent, Chris Young. "If we couldn't provide shoes, the least that we felt like we could do is run out and find providers of socks or just simply purchase them ourselves," Young said.

Recognizing the need for more community engagement, the pair brainstormed ideas for impactful projects. Jones drew inspiration from a conversation with a family friend, an emergency room doctor at Grady Memorial Hospital, who shed light on the critical need for socks among the less fortunate. "People don't realize the significance of having dry feet," Jones explained. "Without proper footwear, individuals are susceptible to infections that can affect their overall health."

This led to the inception of the MLK Sock Drive, a project aimed at providing a basic yet often overlooked necessity to those in need.

Individuals facing homelessness frequently navigate the streets for extended durations, at times wearing ill-fitting shoes and worn-out socks. Dr. Hwang cited in a 2015 report written by Homeless Hub highlighted that foot-related disorders, including onychomycosis, tinea pedis, corns, calluses, and immersion foot, often stem from inadequate footwear, prolonged exposure to moisture, extensive walking and standing, and repetitive minor trauma. Moreover, Dr. Hwang's research also states that those living on the streets are particularly susceptible to skin diseases such as cellulitis, impetigo, venous stasis disease, scabies, and body lice. The challenges of limited access to showers and maintaining proper hygiene further compound existing health issues in this vulnerable population.

Growing up in Chicago, Jones attributes much of her inspiration to the legacy of the

Smith & Young Talent held a sock drive for Atlanta’s less fortunate on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice

Smith & Young Talent held a sock drive for Atlanta’s less fortunate on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice Black Panther Party, which she believed went unnoticed for the community development work that they provided to the com-

munity, such as their breakfast program, housing initiatives, and efforts in providing for the community's basic needs. "One of the things that people don't talk about enough, or they do talk about it but not sufficiently, was all of their community engagement," Jones told The Atlanta Voice.

Accompanying Young and Jones were several of their neighbors, family members, and community members. This includes Kenneth Reddick II and his son 6-year-old Kenneth Reddick III, along with his daughter Cameron Reddick, who is a graduate of Hampton University and member of A.K.A. "Part of my organization is sisterhood, scholarship, and service. Service is very important to me. It's not just something that I'm required to do," Cameron Reddick said of why she chose to volunteer. "It’s something I enjoy doing. So I just wanted to make sure

that on today, Founders Day, as well as MLK Day, I was able to recognize that.”

The volunteers walked around the downtown area, meeting individuals living in encampments under the expressway, as well as on the streets.

John Elvis Tindall, also known as "Hustle," an Atlanta resident of sixteen years, and a recipient of the drive has seen MLK Day evolve for the better. Born in South Carolina, Tindall moved to Atlanta to pursue a career in the emerging film and television industry.

A resident of the Welcome House near Memorial Avenue, Tindall praises the evolution of community efforts since being in Atlanta.

"People are coming out here giving out stuff to people. They are helping out the elderly, helping older people, and giving them clothes. I think it's great. It's lovely," Tindall told The Atlanta Voice.

theatlantavoice.com • January 26-February 1, 2024 • Page 13

Health

ONLINE

Delta posts a $2 billion quarterly profit, but shares dip as airline trims forecast of 2024 earnings

Study: Black Women’s Suicide Rates Are Skyrocketing

BY ALEXA SPENCER

A

t the same time that demand for free or low-cost mental health resources is surging, recent research has identified a troubling trend: the rise in suicide rates among Black women and girls.

Indeed, that’s the sobering finding of a recent study from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Published in the American Journal of Psychiatry last month, the study highlights a stark increase over the past two decades — and its findings are a call to action to pay attention to the nuanced ways racism, sexism, and cyberbullying take a toll on Black women.

The researchers analyzed data from the National Center for Health Statistics’ Multiple Cause of Death database. They examined 9,271 suicide deaths by year of mortality, race, sex, age, and U.S. census region.

For ages 15 to 84, suicide rates overall rose from two deaths per 100,000 in 1999 to 3.4 per 100,000 in 2020. One of the highest spikes occurred among Black women and girls ages 15 to 24, whose rates rose from 1.9 to 4.9 deaths per 100,000 in the same 21-year time span.

Katherine Keyes, a senior author and professor of epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School, said in a statement her team’s findings support preexisting research on rising suicidal behavior among minority youth.

“While the reasons why remain under investigation, it could be that cyberbullying and online racial attacks toward Black female youth may be on the rise, in particular, and therefore interventions targeting certain stressors are particularly critical for young Black women,” Keyes said.

Cyberbullying and Suicide in Black Teen Girls Over the past few years, the world watched Megan Thee Stallion get ruthlessly attacked online — and Megan subsequently acknowledged she had suicidal thoughts. But brutal online harassment doesn’t wait until a woman is in her twenties.

While nearly half of teens in the United States experience cyberbullying, older teen girls, ages 15 to 17, are most likely to encounter two or more forms of online harassment, a 2022 survey by the Pew Research Center found.

Similar to in-person bullying, cyberbullying increases the risk of thoughts of suicide and attempts.

The online harassment playbook is diverse: name-calling that cuts to the bone, false ru-

One of the highest spikes occurred among Black women and girls ages 15 to 24, whose rates rose from 1.9 to 4.9 deaths per 100,000 in the same 21-year time span. Photo Credit:iStock/Paolo Cordoni mors that spread like wildfire, being texted or directly messaged unasked-for explicit images, having explicit images of them shared without their consent, constantly being asked about their whereabouts by someone who isn’t their parent, and physical threats.

Black teens who participated in Pew’s survey were five times more likely than white teens and about two times more likely than Hispanic teens to say their race or ethnicity made them a target for cyberbullying. Black teens were also least likely to report online abuse.

Those findings seem to confirm the results of a study published in June 2022 in the journal JAMA Network Open. That study found that female and Black youth are more likely than other races and genders to be victims of cyberbullying.

Ran Barzilay, a psychiatrist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia who led the

research, suggested primary care providers “screen for cyberbullying routinely in the same way that they might screen for other suicide risk factors like depression.”

Regional Suicide Rates Among Black Women One finding from the Columbia study published last month is that the rates of suicide among Black women and girls vary, depending on where they live.

Regionally, suicide rates for Black women were highest in the West at five deaths per 100,000 among those ages 25 to 34. Many deaths were also concentrated in the South due to the large Black population in that region.

However, regardless of place, the researchers said racial and gender-based discrimination and violence are likely contributors to rates of suicide among Black women.

Victoria Joseph, a study author and epidemiology analyst at Columbia Mailman School, said, “intimate partner violence, neighborhood violence, and lack of investment into federal and state support systems also contribute to poor mental health outcomes and limited treatment access.”

Keyes said more research is needed to get to the root causes affecting Black women and girls and help end this crisis.

“We encourage future research to fine-tune deeper delineations that take into account and consider state-level trends and analyses among various ethnicities and gender identities,” she said.

If you’re feeling suicidal or concerned that someone you know may be in danger of hurting themself, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. The lifeline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is staffed by trained counselors.

Page 14 • January 26-February 1, 2024 • theatlantavoice.com

Entertainment Nicki Minaj adds more shows to Pink Friday 2 tour

BY ISAIAH SINGLETON

D

ue to the high demand and success of her fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2, Nicki Minaj has added a second round of shows to her largest worldwide outing

to date.

Additional North American dates have been added in Atlanta at the State Farm Arena on March 21, and in Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Nashville, and Toronto. In addition to these North American shows, Nicki will also be performing in Amsterdam, Cologne, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Manchester, Paris, and Stockholm.

Nicki Minaj Presents: Pink Friday 2 World Tour is now her highest-selling tour to date with over 25 arena shows sold out just a few days into the official presale. Minaj sold 30,000 tickets alone for her tri-state hometown performances in Newark, New York City, and Brooklyn; with an additional date being added. Nicki has yet to announce any

support or additional acts for the tour.

With Pink Friday 2 only being out a little over a month, Minaj continues to dominate 2024 with the monumental success of Pink Friday 2, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 upon its arrival.

A review of Pink Friday 2 can be found here.

With this amazing feat, she made history achieving “the most #1’s on the Billboard 200 by a female rapper ever!” Speaking of her enduring impact as one of the world’s most impactful superstars, she stands out as “the first female rap artist to land a #1 album in two different decades.

Pink Friday 2 sold over 228K-plus units and netted “her biggest streaming week ever” with 170 million album streams. Among other accolades, it has earned “the biggest female rap album debut of the 2020s and biggest female R&B/Hip-Hop Album Sales & Streaming Week of 2023” and “the biggest sales week for a female rap album on vinyl in

the Soundscan era,” according to Billboard.

Furthermore, the album went to #1 on the Top Album Sales Chart, the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart, and Rap Albums Chart. It ranks in the “Top 3 Hip-Hop Debuts of 2023” and “Top 10 Overall Debuts of 2023.” Plus, it’s her 7th Top 10 on the Billboard 200, the most top 10 albums for a female rapper in history.

Additionally, the tour will also offer a variety of different VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include premium tickets and access to the Gag City Headquarters, Nicki’s VIP lounge with special pop-up activations, exclusive merch items, and more. For more information, visit vipnation.com.

A total of 13 additional dates have been added, with even more regions expected to be announced throughout the year.

North America Tickets: • Tickets will be available starting with a Citi presale (details below) beginning on

Tuesday, January 16. Additional pre-sales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on sale beginning on Friday, January 19 at 9am local time at NickiMinajOfficial.com. For tickets to the show at the award-winning State Farm Arena, visit Ticketmaster.com.

• U.S. PRESALE: Citi is the official card of the Pink Friday 2 World Tour. Citi cardmembers in the U.S. will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday, January 16 at 1pm local time until Thursday, January 18 at 9pm local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.

Europe/Tickets: • Tickets will be available starting with an artist presale on Wednesday, January 17 at 9am local time. Additional pre-sales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on sale beginning on Friday, January 19 at 9am local time at NickiMinajOfficial.com.

Tickets for all other shows are available now at NickiMinajOfficial.com.

Sports

Atlanta United opens preseason in Birmingham

BY DONNELL SUGGS

A

tlanta’s Major League Soccer team will begin its 2024 season west of its home base in Birmingham, Alabama.

Atlanta United will open a five-match preseason schedule with a road test against United Soccer League squad Birmingham Legion, on Saturday, Jan. 27. The match is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start at Protective Stadium.

Atlanta United will follow its trip to Birmingham with a match in Athens on Saturday, Feb. 3 against Memphis 901 FC (3 p.m. start), before heading to Florida to play a trio of matches against CF Montreal, the Tampa Bay Rowdies, and Sporting KC. The latter match will be played in Miami on Sunday, Feb. 17.

The Red Stripes opened preseason practice on Monday, Jan. 15, practicing in Mercedes-Benz Stadium to combat the cold temperatures that hit Georgia and the southeast last week.

The matches in Birmingham and Athens will be live-streamed on the team’s website and on the radio on 92.9 The Game.

The 2024 Major League Soccer season will begin in Birmingham, Alabama for Atlanta United (above at practice Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024).

Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

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Sealed bids for 23ITB138805C-GS - Carpet, Carpet Tile Installation & Repair Services Countywide for the Fulton County Real Estate & Asset Management Department, will be accepted by the Fulton County Department of Purchasing & Contract Compliance electronically through BidNet Direct at https://www.bidnetdirect.com/georgia/fultoncounty, on Tuesday, February 20, 2024. All bids submitted must be Visit received no later than 11:00 a.m. local (Eastern) time on the stated date.

Scan To Visit Bids will betheatlantavoice. publicly opened and read at 11:05 a.m. on the stated due date via Zoom. advertising@ theatlantavoice.

Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/95821655588 theatlantavoice.com com/donate Bid Bond: N/A com/donate Scope of Work: Fulton County, Georgia (“County) is seeking bids from qualified bidders to perform removal and disposal of existing floor coverings, installation of new carpet tiles or LVT’s in selected Fulton County buildings as identified during the currency of the contract.

The detailed scope of work and technical specifications is outlined in the Scope of Work, Section 4 of this bid document In order to obtain complete information about this solicitation, please click the link below where this document and supporting documents can be dow loaded, https://www.bidnetdirect.com/georgia/fultoncounty.

Fee: N/A Term of Contract: 1 Year with 2 Renewal Options.

A Pre-Bid Conference will be held on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., local time, via Zoom to provide bidders with information regarding the project and to address any questions.

Link: Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/99468623920 If you have any questions regarding this project, please contact Jakeiah Johnson, Assistant We are making a digital transformation Purchasing Agent, at Email: jakeiah.johnson@fultoncountyga.gov. into a multi media company Fulton Countynews reserves the right to with accept or reject any or all bids and to waive technicalities.

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