The Atlanta Voice E-Edition 102723 by theatlantavoice633

October 27-November 2, 2023 • Vol. 58 Issue 25 • FREE

IN THIS ISSUE

Faces of Survival: Nicole Anderson PAGE 10

AROUND TOWN

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No Parking

There are currently hundreds of cars in the south economy parking lot at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Signage around the parking lot informs owners that the cars will be relocated. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

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Metro

ONLINE

50 years ago Maynard Jackson was elected Atlanta’s first Black mayor. Purchase this limited edition commemorative shirt today! www.theatlantavoice.com

As of October 23, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is shuttering access to its South Economy parking lot to start construction on a seven-level replacement parking deck. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

Airport’s south economy lot closed till 2026 BY JANELLE WARD

eginning on Monday, Oct. 23, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was short of roughly 3,000 accessible parking spaces. The world’s busiest airport is shuttering its South Economy Lot to the public for the next few years to start construction on the latest phase of its multistep expansion project: a new South parking deck. The new deck will stand seven levels tall and feature approximately 6,700 parking spaces once completed. Construction will officially begin on Nov. 1. Jan Lennon, the airport’s deputy general manager for operations, said the South Parking Deck is the “most significant parking endeavor” that Hartsfield-Jackson has ever

attempted. “In terms of enhanced parking assets at the airport, the construction of the ATL West Deck was huge. But the new South Deck is even larger by about 20 percent,” Lennon said. “We think our customers will be very pleased with the technology included and how user-friendly the experience will be.” The new deck’s technology will allow passengers ticketless entry and exit and will be able to digitally track parking availability. A pedestrian bridge will connect the seven-level deck to the airport’s domestic terminal. ATLNext, the initiative behind Hartsfield-Jackson’s revitalization project, credits the decision to replace the airport’s existing North and South parking decks to deterioration and the need to increase parking options to better serve the airport’s growing demand. “These decks are currently filled to capac-

ity at times during more than six months of each year,” ATLNext’s website says. “The construction of new North and South decks, along with the additional ATL West deck and Sullivan Road Park-Ride lot, will allow ATL to accommodate more passenger volume and provide significantly improved access to the airport.” According to official airport statistics, the Domestic North and South Economy lots offer a combined 7,300 parking spaces to the more than 275,000 passengers that Hartsfield-Jackson serves on a daily basis. More than 10,000 additional spaces are dispersed across the airport’s existing covered decks and another 9,100 spaces across its ParkRide and Park-Ride Reserve lots. With nearly 10% of Hartsfield-Jackson’s official parking to be rendered unavailable for the next three years, airport representa-

tives say to expect traffic patterns and flows to shift around the 4,700-acre complex as customers adjust to the temporary closure. Representatives also recommend that passengers driving to the airport make use of other available parking options surrounding the terminals during the period of construction, particularly the ATL Select lot, the park-ride lots and the ATL West parking deck. Customers can reserve a parking space at least 24 hours prior to arrival inside the airport’s International Hourly and Park & Ride lots, ATL Select and the ATL West deck. MARTA trains also transport flyers to and from the airport, with Hartsfield-Jackson serving as the final stop on the light rail’s Red service line. The first phase of the South Parking Deck is scheduled to be completed in December of 2026.

theatlantavoice.com • October 27-November 2, 2023 • Page 3

Metro

City of East Point provides seniors with free tablets

BY NOAH WASHINGTON

n a collaborative effort with Standup Wireless, a provider of the program supported by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the City of East Point aims to make communication services more affordable for low-income consumers and ensure their access to 21st-century broadband services. This event represents the second time the City of East Point organized a giveaway of free Android tablets for seniors. The brainchild behind this initiative is councilmember Sharon Shropshire, who expressed her desire to empower seniors with technology, fostering a more interconnected and all-encompassing community, and aiding them in thriving in today's digital era. "This is what we are tasked to do - to give back to the community. Anytime that we can give back to the residents, we are also up for it," Shropshire stated. A significant number of senior citizens flocked to the city hall Tuesday morning. Among the seniors looking to secure a tablet was J.D. Trump, a local resident who arrived at the initiative around 8:45 a.m. and shared his insights on the substantial impact

In a collaborative effort with Standup Wireless, a provider of the program supported by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the City of East Point aims to make communication services more affordable for low-income consumers and ensure their access to 21st-century broadband services. Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice

these tablets could have on his life and the lives of many senior citizens. "I only have a cell phone, so having the tablets will provide

more assets to go online. I don't have what they call too many megabytes on my phone," Trump said, emphasizing the event's value. Deeming the event a "good idea" and encouraging participation, Trump emphasized the significance of keeping up with the times, as technological literacy holds increasing importance in the contemporary world. "Well, most require computer illiteracy. So if you don't try to keep up with your time, you'll be left behind," Trump continued. To be eligible for this initiative, senior citizens were required to present a valid ID and demonstrate their low-income status through programs such as SNAP (EBT), Medicaid, Section 8, or Veteran Benefits. While tablet recipients were subject to a one-time activation fee of $10.01, they were entitled to complimentary monthly data. Even in their golden age, the older generation received guidance from the younger one, with Aiden Jai, a 24-year-old sales representative from the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), among the staff members aiding in the application process and offering support related to the tablet devices. Collaborating with Shropshire, Jai expressed immense satisfaction in assisting

people, particularly in providing senior citizens access to technology, and emphasized the user-centric approach employed in the initiative. "It's a great experience, being able to help people. Just having the feeling of handing somebody that tablet and being able to give them that feeling of having accessible accessibility to technology," Jai told. The initiative extended beyond tablet distribution by partnering with Bridging Technologies, which will be offering classes and workshops to educate recipients on device usage, starting on an undecided date in November. "It's been a great experience for me. I really just like helping people. So if I'm able to in any way, I'll just try it," Jai told The Atlanta Voice. While most attendees sought a way to stay informed about the world, Dolores Searcy, a 70-year-old resident of East Point the past 20 years, came with the intention of using her tablet to maintain a birthday list and connect with people. "To do my birthday list, which I can use to put people's birthday dates in and call them, and to also receive information and learn a few things that are going on in the world right now," Searcy shared with The Atlanta Voice.

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Voices

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Children learn more from what you are than what you teach.”

— W.E.B. DuBois

Why Mass Incarceration Still Has Mass Appeal BY HIRAM JACKSON

merica’s love affair with incarceration unnecessarily deprives people of their freedom. It also comes with enormous social and economic costs for formerly incarcerated individuals, their families, and their communities. More than 10.2 million people are held in penal institutions throughout the world, mostly as pre-trial detainees, remand prisoners, or sentenced prisoners. Although the United States is home to just 5% of the world’s population, the nation has 25% of the world’s imprisoned population. Data compiled by the Prison Policy Initiative shows roughly 1.9 million people are incarcerated in the U.S. in 2023 — in state prisons, federal prisons, or local jails — the highest rate in the Western world. Another 803,000 Americans are on parole, and 2.9 million are on probation. The prison and jail incarceration rate in the United States remains between five and eight times that of France, Canada, and Germany, and imprisonment rates in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma are nearly 50% above the national average. But before delving into racial disparities run rampant in the penal system — like how one in five Black men born in 2001 is likely to experience imprisonment within their lifetime, which is a decline from one in three for those born in 1981 — we must address what is an even larger issue. Why does the justice system, like a game of Monopoly, dole out the “go straight to jail, do not pass go” card so readily? Most incarcerated people, approximately 96% in 2021 and 2022, had sentences of over a year. The demographic distribution of incarcerated people remained consistent over the two years, with 32% being Black, 31% white, 23% Hispanic, 10% multiracial or of another race, 2% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 1% Asian, Native Hawaiian, or other Pacific Islander. According to the experts, the main drivers are (1) changes in laws leading to longer, often mandatory,

There’s plenty of profit to be made by exploiting Black people in America’s system of punitive laws, privatization, and systemic racism. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

sentences, (2) “truth-in-sentencing” legislation requiring individuals convicted of violent crimes to serve at least 80% of their sentences, and (3) increased use of incarceration for non-violent crimes, and (4) prison privatization. Behind that legal lingo lies a deep-rooted and much more intrinsic reason, layered in unnecessary and discretionary punishment and a system’s unwavering resolve to make the least capable pay. Cash Rules Everything Around Incarceration “It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones,” Nelson Mandela said. But many people who are arrested are trapped in dismal local jail conditions waiting, no, hoping for deliverance. Local jails have become modern-day quasi-debtors’ prisons because many of those being held are there simply because they cannot afford cash bail. So they languish and wait for a day in court, which, depending on where you live, might be a months or years-long process. The wheels of justice grind to a near halt for those without the funds to make them turn more quickly. Consider the profitability side of the prison equation, and things get clearer. Thousands of private corporations rake in $80 billion a year in profits from America’s carceral system. Bail bond businesses alone

make $1.4 billion a year from folks who can pony up the cash to get their loved ones out of jail. Some of the biggest winners in the mass incarceration scheme are the for-profit prison companies whose business models essentially depend on the number of inmates held in these private institutions. Currently, the government sends $3.8 billion in federal grants to states and cities for criminal justice purposes. Unfortunately, these grants largely go out on autopilot, pressuring states to increase the number of arrests, prosecutions, and people put in prison without requiring a public safety reason. The reluctance evident in correcting sentencing excesses, particularly for violent crimes as supported by criminological evidence, prolongs the harm and futility of mass incarceration. The Jobs Opportunity Task Force, a nonprofit advocating for improved skills, jobs, and incomes, recently drew attention to the wide-reaching effects of incarceration. They revealed that approximately 113 million adults in the U.S., or roughly 45%, have a family member with a history of imprisonment, and 79 million individuals possess a criminal record — greatly impacting opportunities for meaningful employment for the formerly incarcerated, regardless of guilt or innocence. An even sadder reality, though, is that one year of housing a prisoner is comparable to the cost of a year of college.

Black and Behind Bars, Possibly for Life But back to the racial disparities, another scourge of mass incarceration. In 2021, Black adults were five times as likely to be incarcerated as white adults, and Black youth were just over four times as likely to be locked up in the juvenile justice system as their white peers. In seven states — California, Connecticut, Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, Maine, and Wisconsin — Black adults are incarcerated nine times more often than their white peers. Twenty-eight states exercise some form of a “three strikes” law, which automatically sentences individuals convicted of a third offense to harsher penalties and, in some cases, life sentences. Yes, life in prison for offenses ranging from an indiscretion as marginal as failed custody cases, low-level drug possession, and non-violent misdemeanors. In California, which has had a three-strikes law since 1994, more than half of the people incarcerated by the law are doing time for nonviolent crimes. Due to the work of activists, in 2012, Californians voted to amend the law, eliminating life sentences for nonviolent crimes. It’s estimated the change will save the Golden State $1 billion over the next decade. The three strikes you’re out rule should be for baseball, not life-long deprivation of freedom. The bottom line is that the American penal system doesn’t value human life. Instead, our courts prefer to address individual transgressions and crimes by imposing bigger and more brutal infringements on hapless citizens who encounter the criminal justice system’s peculiarly punitive measures. These measures operate as intended: to cause longterm suffering and pain. In this country, the punishment rarely really fits the crime. Meanwhile, Black people keep suffering while prison profiteers laugh all the way to the bank. Hiram Jackson is the CEO & Publisher of Real Times Media, which includes The Michigan Chronicle, a partner in the Word In Black collaborative

T H E AT L A N TA

VOICE FOUNDED May 11, 1966

FOUNDER/EDITOR 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 Janelle Ward jward@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

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theatlantavoice.com • October 27-November 2, 2023 • Page 5

Voices SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING

Go back, read Paul’s letter to remedy a tough day

BY JAMES A. WASHINGTON

The Atlanta Voice

In reviewing the letters of Paul (I recommend it for everyone), I was constantly reminded that one cannot look at Paul without really seeing Jesus’ amazing handiwork. Now you need to know that I think Paul is an awesome person when it comes to the story of his life. I haven’t found a biography or autobiography of anyone in or outside of the “good book” who comes close to my admiration for Paul; Jesus notwithstanding. Because the two are so closely associated with one another, I can’t help but consider the impact of this tandem on human history. Just in case someone wants to debate me on this by bringing up the lives of the 12 apostles, I have considered them as well as the prophets and I’m just one of those who is in awe of Paul. A very large part of the bible is devoted to Paul’s building of the early church at a time when who you worshiped was a life and death decision. Paul himself says in his letters to the church in Corinth, there was indeed a point to his suffering and per-

“For when I am weak, then I am strong” secution and the basis for most, if not all, of what he went through was a by-product of his faith in Jesus Christ. “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I (Paul) will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10) This kind of thinking and belief led to the eventual proliferation of the church worldwide. It also makes the point of how the lives of so few have impacted and influenced so many in the world then, and the world as we know it today. Forgive me if I find this a rather fascinating fact. Paul is who he is

because of his unique one on one encounter with Christ. That encounter changed him and ultimately the world in which we live. If that be true, then our individual encounters with Christ should also have a profound effect on us and the world in which we currently live. It is not unusual for new Christians to come under attack by old friends. It is also not unusual for new Christians to come under the attack of the world, since it is in the world where Satan has power. I think Paul’s good news is there is a place of refuge when this happens. He uses himself as an example to follow. If I surrender my weaknesses to the power of Christ and subjugate my will to that of the Lord’s, then I become empowered to deal with whatever is thrown my way. Life, the Christian life, is funny that way.

It places what I have described as a bulls-eye on your back, designed to distinguish you from those non-believers around you. It, your faith, also sets you up and apart to do great things in the name of Jesus Christ, my personal Lord and Savior. I guess what I’m really saying is when the going gets extremely tough, check the human being Paul. Like Christ, he’s been through and has experienced the worst that life has to offer. But because of his belief system, he’s experienced the best of God’s promises. It’s like a refresher course and I just wanted to let you know where I go during difficult times. You might also find some answers there. The point I’m trying to make is that in the eyes of God, one’s weaknesses are welcomed opportunities for God to show up and show out. Have you ever wondered why those who have been through so much are able to stand and witness for Christ? Reexamine the reality of God’s grace and you just might get your answer. May God bless and keep you always.

“YOUR VOICE”

When it comes to pay transparency, do you want to know what your co-workers make and they know what you make and is it good for business?

JAMOA SARAPOU College Park

QUEEN ALEXANDER Tucker

CHRIS JACKSON Atlanta

NATALIA HILTON Atlanta

“Honestly, I feel like it would be a good thing because I always want to know what people like that's above me... But when it comes to the other people in the workforce,I feel like it would cause friction because if he gave more to him, than what I'm getting, they might cause a little confusion. But when it comes to my age group, I think that's something that we would look at to know what they did. I'm 23. So the younger generation, we don't look at it as being nosey. I just want to know what's going on. Like 'what is my boss getting? Let me see if I can get that.' Speaker 1: [00:00:59] I don't think it would benefit anybody, honestly. I just feel like, to each his own. People older than me may feel some type of way. Me, I don't mind..”

“I feel like pay transparency should not be a thing only because it can be discouraging to some people. It can cause envy within the workplace. It can cause disharmony within the workplace based on who makes what. So I think it brings more problems than solutions.”

“I think what they're doing in New York is great because it allows people to know whether or not when they first come into a job, if it's worth it or not. So if you get paid a certain amount here in Atlanta and you go into another state they will want to know, Hey, is this job you want me to fight for? Was it worth my time? Because certain jobs pay differently. Of course, the pay grade in different states. But, yes, I agree with pay transparency..”

“I feel as though transparency is extremely helpful in the work environment because it would encourage employers to be transparent with all of their team about why certain people make certain amounts of money. And I think it would be helpful overall to increase productivity.”

Compiled by Vincent Christie

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ONLINE

Education

The Child Tax Credit Cut Poverty. Then Congress Ended It Read more at www.theatlantavoice.com

Last opportunity to apply for Disney Dreamers Academy STAFF REPORT

merica’s teens have a couple of more weeks to try to dream big next year at Walt Disney World Resort. On October 31, applications close for Disney Dreamers Academy, a fourday career workshop designed for Black teens and students from underrepresented communities. Anyone interested in applying or nominating a student can do so now at http://www.DisneyDreamersAcademy.com. Students selected for the program next spring will attend in-depth workshops in a variety of disciplines led by well-known celebrities, educators, business executives, community leaders, and Disney cast members. These workshops introduce Disney Dreamers to diverse career paths within business, entertainment, sciences and more, including career opportunities within The Walt Disney Company, as well as provides them with valuable life tools, leadership skills, effective communication techniques and networking strategies. The Disney Dreamers Academy program is an important part of Disney’s commitment to supporting diverse communities by

Established by Walt Disney World in 2008, Disney Dreamers Academy’s mission is to inspire teens from Black and underrepresented communities to dream beyond imagination by providing life-long access to personalized support for the Disney Dreamer, their caregivers and community through insightful content and uplifting experts, mentors and sponsors. Photo By Todd Anderson

encouraging the next generation to think big and to use what they learn in their relentless pursuit of their dreams in hopes of making a difference in the lives of others. “We’re gearing up to bring the next generation of big dreamers to Walt Disney World for this life-changing program that has been inspiring students across America to reach for their dreams and providing with some of the tools they need to make those dreams a reality,” said Disney Signature Experiences vice president Tracey D. Powell, who is the program’s executive champion. “Any who hasn’t applied for this program already should apply or be nominated today so they can join the hundreds of former Disney Dreamers who have moved one step closer to their futures.” Applications are open to U.S. high school students, ages 13 to 19. A distinguished panel of leaders will evaluate the applications and selected participants will be announced in early 2024. The 100 selected students will receive an all-expense-paid trip along with one parent or guardian to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida to experience a combination of inspiration, education and fun at The Most Magical Place on Earth.

Health

Kaiser Permanente pledges $1.75 million to shrink maternal care equity gap BY JANELLE WARD Health care consortium Kaiser Permanente is contributing a combined $1.75 million in grant funding to two Atlanta-based beneficiaries working to close the socioeconomic equity gap in maternal and infant care. The Morehouse School of Medicine and the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia will receive $1 million and $750,000, respectively, to research solutions and expand pre existing programs that increase public access to medical resources and assistance and improve the chances of safe pregnancies, childbirths and postpartum experiences. According to a statement announcing the grant, the Morehouse School of Medicine will use its share of the funding to conduct a study documenting the near-death experiences of birthing mothers of color, as well as the repercussions of maternal near-miss experienced by loved ones, health care providers and communities at large. The results of the study will be used to readjust maternal care practices and enhance health care techniques for people of color as they give birth. “Our collaboration with Kaiser Permanente signifies our commitment to amplifying the voices of the community, fostering community education on maternal near misses

Kaiser Permanente is investing $1.75 million into advancing maternal and infant care practices through contributions to the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia and the Morehouse School of Medicine. Photo by Janelle Ward/The Atlanta Voice

and severe maternal morbidity, developing and implementing insightful case studies for health care professionals, launching impactful public health awareness campaigns and influencing policy strategies,” said Dr. Natalie D. Hernandez-Green, executive director of the Morehouse School of Medicine’s

Center for Maternal Health Equity. “Our ultimate goal is to ensure that women and their families receive the indispensable support and resources needed for not just survival, but for thriving in every aspect of their lives.” The Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia will utilize its share of the

grant to further develop its Building Perinatal Professionals program and Perinatal Care Package project, two initiatives created to offer free postpartum support to low-income mothers and mothers of color, who, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are disproportionately affected by the lack of accessible resources and assistance that promote safe and healthy childbirths. “We are truly honored to work alongside Kaiser Permanente in prioritizing the health and well-being of women and birthing people across Georgia,” said Ky Lindberg, CEO of the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia. “When families have access to the education, resources and support to make informed health care decisions for themselves and their little ones, we all win.” Kaiser Permanente is investing in advancing maternal and infant care for the second consecutive year, following its contribution of nearly $200,000 to the Georgia Family Connection Partnership and the Center for Black Women’s Wellness in 2022. The largest nonprofit health plan in the state will also distribute an additional $1 million to the Georgia Charitable Care Network and the Georgia Association for Primary Health Care to expand medical care access to uninsured and underinsured residents.

theatlantavoice.com • October 27-November 2, 2023 • Page 7

THANK YOU REP. LUCY MCBATH FOR BEING A HERO FOR HEALTHY KIDS AND COMMUNITIES. For decades, the tobacco industry has targeted Black communities and kids with menthol cigarettes, profiting while cigarettes kill 45,000 Black Americans each year. Menthols are more addictive and easier for kids to start smoking. Your support to eliminate menthol cigarettes will protect kids, advance health equity and save lives.

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Page 8 • October 27-November 2, 2023 • theatlantavoice.com

Diversity In Clinical Research Means Better Treatments for All

There is a critical need for more inclusive participation in clinical research. Learn more from a diverse and inspiring community of clinical trial volunteers at medicalheroes.org.

Together we can make a difference.

A sincere thank you from these sponsors to everyone who participates in clinical research:

theatlantavoice.com • October 27-November 2, 2023 • Page 9

Advertorial

Community Trust:

THE FOUNDATION FOR FOSTERING DIVERSITY IN CLINICAL TRIALS A

s an industry, we must recognize and address a complex problem: racial and ethnic minority populations have historically been underrepresented in clinical trials. Over time, it has become widely recognized that this issue is a systemic problem, not a participant one. What does that mean? It means there have been limitations in clinical research that aren’t isolated, but deeply embedded in our processes and systems. These limitations can include anything from protocol complexity to a lack of diversity in the clinical research field, which can create barriers to ensuring participation. This can have long-term implications for equitable access to medicines.

Learning never ends. Every engagement helps improve our understanding of how an organization operates, the unique needs of a particular community, or what approach would be most impactful. We need to listen. Start with the community-based organizations. They are the most knowledgeable about what their community needs. In addition, they are connectors and can be a bridge to valuable resources, insights, and additional partners.

Each community is unique, with its own set of challenges and strengths. For example, the needs of an African American community in the Bronx are different from one in rural Alabama – we cannot retrofit strategies from one to the next. It is important to listen We’re making progress. In the past few years, and learn about the particular needs of the community. Merck has increased participant diversity in our trials. Much of our progress is thanks to our community collaborators, whose engageBuilding trust ment is vital in helping us understand and solve the complex issues at play. Being a good collaborator starts with trust. Without that, we can’t build a path forward. It’s the foundation to everything else, but it Defining community collaborations can be the hardest part to get right. For me, community is synonymous with I’ve found the best way to earn trust is by home. I grew up in Selma, Alabama. Many listening. We want to ensure our partners consider it the seat of the Civil Rights movefeel heard – especially because we use inment, but it is also the small southern town sights from them to build our approach. It’s that taught me the power and importance of also important to ensure we’re not guided by community. preconceived ideas about what they need. If you ask what needs to be done, the communiAt Merck, I’m a Diversity Program Lead for Clinical Trials, and part of my job is working ty will tell you. directly with community-based organizations At Merck, we recently established a U.S. and leaders to provide valuable resources Community Advisory Panel, with patients, about clinical research. I also help our comcaregivers, health care providers, and company and communities make connections to try to improve trial access. An important step munity members from diverse backgrounds for increasing clinical trial participant diver- who – along with our existing Patient Advisory Panel – share insights that help us incorsity is helping to ensure everyone can make porate the patient perspective in our site and informed decisions about their health, no matter who they are or where they live. That patient engagement methods. We listen to them, and we learn a lot. starts with education. Over my years in the industry, I’ve learned something valuable from every person, project, and community. Some of my takeaways include:

The best part is that we are seeking their guidance early, when it can have the greatest impact. For example, they are helping us design our protocols to be patient-friendly by reviewing the number of in-person site visits and inclusion/exclusion criteria for trials. That way, we’re able to address potential bar-

riers as early as possible in the process.

Putting people back into collaborations Too often, we forget that collaborations are about relationships, and those are built between people who trust each other. People are also the focus of our trials. When we make our efforts more about people, we must also think bigger than trials and focus on wraparound care like disease education and screenings. There are still many who are not aware that they may be eligible for a clinical trial. It’s important that we prioritize education and awareness, long before there is a study to enroll in. We can only earn trust as a collaborator in the continuum of a community’s health care. Our support can’t be exclusive to one-off projects. We must be present and active in what we help build. Most importantly, we must remember the thread that runs through it all, the real definition of the word community: people.

Written by: LaShanda Gordon

Page 10 • October 27-November 2, 2023 • theatlantavoice.com

Faces of Survival

Remembering your purpose BY ISAIAH SINGLETON Nicole Anderson, 33, Atlanta, Georgia Almost two years since being diagnosed with Stage II Breast Cancer, Nicole Anderson stands in her warehouse, where her company “HER Wine” is housed, with a vibrant smile reminiscing her journey. The year was 2021 and Anderson was 31-years-old living life working a nine-to-five, building a career, and having a hustle, which is now known as HER Wine. HER Wine officially launched in September 2020, so in 2021, Anderson was getting the ball rolling on the company. “It [HER Wine] honestly took off faster than I expected it to, so around this time, I’m operating my hustle like a full-time job on top of a fulltime job. So, I was focused on everything else that I wasn’t even taking myself into consideration,” she said. Around September/October 2021, Anderson noticed a lump, or a “dent” on her left breast as she described it, however she brushed it off. “I didn't pay attention to it. I honestly was so consumed with life doing its thing like being at this event and working on this thing and just not giving myself time,” Anderson said. “So, I just disregarded it until it hurt. The saddest thing is you see these things, we notice when things are abnormal with our bodies, we can tell when stuff is coming, but we choose to ignore it because something else takes priority.” The moment the lump began to hurt, Anderson said she remembers calling her mom saying she might have “sprained her breast”, to which her mother said it wasn’t a thing. “I remember her telling me, ‘You need to call the doctor and go ASAP’,” she said. Even still, Anderson said she let other things in life take priority over her health. “It was like a sharp pain and would come out of nowhere. I didn’t want to move, but after a while, I started to normalize this weird sensation in my body instead of addressing it,” she said. Her mom, she said, kept calling to see if she made an appointment, but with a busy schedule, she didn’t get around to making the appointment until she couldn’t take the pain anymore. When she finally made the appointment to her doctor weeks later, Anderson said she didn’t have any family history of breast cancer, she was relatively healthy, so they thought nothing of it, but to take

Nicole Anderson (above) was diagnosed with Stage II Breast Cancer in 2021. The owner of HER Wine, Anderson has been cancer free since July of this year. Photo by Kerri Phox/ The Atlanta Voice

the necessary precautions to get the lump checked out. “When my doctor called me in December, she was in shock. She was like, ‘I'm so sorry’, but it came back cancerous,” Anderson said. When she received the news, Anderson said everything stopped. Anderson was diagnosed with Stage II Breast Cancer (Triple positive), which was an extremely aggressive form. It spread to both breast and her lymph nodes. “In my head, I’m like ‘Do I really have cancer?”, I was just fine two weeks ago. It was the last thing I needed, and I went into this weird survival mode. I'm a planner by nature, so I’m like, what’s next,” she said. So, I call my mom and I'm hysterical, I can't even really get the words out. My mom is like ‘It's going to be okay; we're going to get through this’. When she was diagnosed, Anderson did not have any children yet, but she desires to, however she said at the time, doctors were making plans for the rest of her life, specifically near future plans. “They're like, ‘Well, you don't have kids yet, you should probably go and get some fertility treatments because you need to start this treatment ASAP,” she said. Anderson said she was terrified because all she knew from cancer was death. “My grandmother had pancreatic cancer, that’s the only extent of cancer I knew, and she passed away from it, so you start thinking about all the things you haven’t done yet and that you wanted to do. You start asking yourself, ‘Is this the end?’ like why me?” she said. Anderson said she took a moment to process all her emotions and cry. “My mom was with me, and she looked at me and I was trying not to look at her because I knew if I did,

I’d break. She grabbed me and I just let it all out, I cried and just broke down,” she said. However, Anderson made the decision to not park in negative emotion and instead decided to plan one step at a time. Anderson said she went into remission and had her last surgery in July. Nothing but God: Remembering your purpose Anderson, raised in Atlanta, Georgia, said she had to wash away the negative feelings, but would come in waves. It started with a lot of feeling overwhelmed, scared, and angry she said, and Anderson even went through a phase where she was mad at God. “I went through a phase where I was pissed at God. I was doing everything I was supposed to do, and living life, like I'm trying God, I'm nice to people and you hit me with this? So, you go through those phases of all the emotions, being mad at yourself and having to forgive yourself for not taking care of yourself,” she said. Two things kept her going throughout her battle: God and focusing on her happiness. “I hear people say, ‘It was God’ all the time, and I never understood it, but God got me through it,” she said. “I always thought, ‘Is that just a thing that you say’, but I really had to have moments where I was completely stripped of everything and in your most vulnerable state. I think that's when you really get to have a moment of understanding of who you are and the power source of who's your creator, whatever that may be, for anybody.” For her, Anderson said she looked at it as an energy source of God, and she had to stay grounded and have a compass to say, ‘What

am I here for?’ and ‘What's the purpose of pushing me?’. Additionally, Anderson is big on affirmations and has them all over her mirror at home on sticky notes. For anyone who remembers the hit TV show on BET, “Being Mary Jane”, you know exactly what this looks like. Her favorite affirmation is “Everything is working for your greater good no matter what it is”. “I truly believe that I have no bad days. Every day is amazing, and it doesn't mean that things don't happen that are challenging.” Anderson had to tap in, do the work, and learn the lesson. “I literally taught myself you have to make decisions; you can either evolve or repeat, and that repetitive cycle is going to lead me to my grave, but the evolution of it allows me to grow and expand and see the more beautiful things that are out here,” she said. Also, Anderson said her family, friends, and specifically her mom were there every single moment of her journey calling her “my best friend”. “She was the epitome of strength, grace, and courage when I went through the battle. She was my lifeline, she never missed a beat between every doctor's appointment, every infusion she was at, every surgery, she was making sure that I'm taking my supplements,” she said. “She had to spoon feed me at times like I was a 30 plus year old woman, and you're having to spoon feed your daughter and I get emotional talking about it because I can only imagine how it was for her as a mom to see her daughter go through this.” When it comes to love and support, Anderson said you need to feel the love when you’re going through a hard time. “The love fuels you and gives you a reason. My mom saw me at points where I was going to give up and she told me, ‘You will not. I'm going to feed you, you're going to eat, you're going to be okay’,” she said. HER Wine & HER Passion HER Wine is a brand dedicated to bringing serenity and peace in those small moments when you need to relax. The company gave Anderson a sense of purpose and fulfillment during her battle with breast cancer. “We had so many new wins during that season, like being a part of a distributor. It was like a big win and that was our first store during my process,” she said. “So, it was cool to have something to look forward to

and then also that feeling made me think, ‘Outside of wine, what brings me happiness’ and that's what led me on a journey, and it really helped me with the healing and creating a positive mindset.” Also, after beating breast cancer, Anderson wanted to find a way to help other women on this journey, so she partnered with organizations like “I Will Survive (IWS)” to help provide economic and emotional support for women during their fight and highlight the disease and offer more opportunities for wellness checks and prevention. With the partnership, they donate 10% of each of their Bubbly Rose' wines to the IWS organization. IWS helps to economically put money in the hands of women who are going through this diagnosis because it's expensive. Anderson said she spent $2,000 on something to try and preserve her hair and it didn't even work. While Anderson has a passion for wine, she also has a huge passion for traveling. She traveled to Angola right after her radiation treatment. She also just came back from Greece and will be in the Bahamas in a couple of weeks. “I love to travel and see the world and it’s probably my biggest passion outside of wine. Aside from that, I'm an outdoors girl, I love the movies, walking, and being out in nature,” she said. For advice to anyone battling cancer, Anderson says to embrace the feelings. “I think sometimes we try to force ourselves into these positions of peace and happiness, and we try to adjust like a diet, but you can't. It takes 21 days to create a habit. It's not something that happens overnight, so embrace the moment of what it is and understand,” she said. Anderson said to do introspective work on understanding where you are in the moment and what might God be trying to teach you. Furthermore, Anderson said there’s a lot of reasons why people get diagnosed with cancer, however she did not have the gene for it after getting tested, but she in fact had a very stressful lifestyle. “What I believe for myself is that it was stress induced. I wasn't drinking the water like I was supposed to or exercising. I honestly may eat once a day because I was so busy and so my thing and the message that I really want to help other young people, we got to take a pause,” she said. To check out HER Wine, visit https://www.herwines.com.

theatlantavoice.com • October 27-November 2, 2023 • Page 11

“It’s a time for family.“ However you do Sunday Dinner, share love with those who matter most.

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Page 12 • October 27-November 2, 2023 • theatlantavoice.com

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Designed to moved Atlanta forward

BY DONNELL SUGGS

ernard McCoy wore a red and black checkered pullover, brown leather boots, jeans and a tan cap. The sleeves of the pullover were pulled up to his elbows as if he were preparing to delve into a design project or peel the vegetables for that night’s dinner. Elayne DeLeo, with white dress shirt, khaki pants and sneakers, looked more like she was ready for the weekend, but could host a presentation if the need arose. The pair make for an interesting dichotomy of business and fashion. The co-founders of the Atlanta Design Festival, a nine-day festival hosted by Modern Atlanta (Ma!), McCoy and DeLeo started working together 16 years ago. McCoy’s love for modern architecture, design and “celebrating creativity” mixed with DeLeo’s skill with making event ideas becoming a reality, has made for the only design festival of its kind in what many consider the southeast’s most important city for business, residential and commercial development and entertainment. The Atlanta Design Festival is taking place all around the city and along with hosting public speakers, designers and creatives, there are also tours of commercial and residential real estate in both Atlanta and Serenbe, a neighborhood in the Chattahoochee Hills section, taking place throughout the weekend. The tours, which began in the early 2000’s through an entirely different venture, are where McCoy began a company with a former partner. The tours remain an important way for Atlanta’s design to be showcased, particularly in a city that’s constantly changing like Atlanta. From the historically Black Chastain Park neighborhood to Old Fourth Ward and beyond, the tours allowed McCoy and his former partner to talk about modern design and the possibilities of what Atlanta could become. “I knew I wanted to do something collaborative, not being a designer myself, but I wanted to be in that culture,” McCoy, a partner at Modern Atlanta’s and the company’s creative director, said. He started a sort of design appreciation group out of the original and now closed Octane Coffee on Marietta Street. He remembers 13 people showing up for the meeting. “They were all architects that weren’t happy because they were doing traditional architecture. Our niche has always been contemporary architecture, that’s our niche and no one was looking at that” McCoy said. The first tour “had like 50 people show

A table exhibit inside the Atlanta Design Festival Design Station exhibition inside Fourth Ward Offices Tower 1. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

up,” said McCoy with a laugh. The tours that he and DeLeo scheduled for this year’s design festival dwarf those in comparison. The possibility of making design more than just a niche subject for small groups of architecture nerds and developers was birthed from those early tours. McCoy began his interest in design culture while in the United States Air Force and stationed in Italy. He eagerly shared a story of how he watched an elderly couple analyze a chair through a shop window in Venice. “I just started getting more and more into the beauty of nature and objects,” McCoy explained. “It’s something that I just related to.” What happened next was putting together something that could be even bigger and that’s where DeLeo, a native of Connecticut and Atlanta resident, came in. The tours got bigger and the idea of a design festival like what takes place in New York and San Francisco, for example, started feeling more like the next step. “What we saw with the interest in contemporary architecture is why shouldn’t Atlanta have that same kind of event,” DeLeo, a partner at Modern Atlanta’s and the company’s business development lead, asked rhetorically. “We expanded it into a week-long event by adding talks, films, and exhibitions,” she said. ‘The City has got to get behind this festival’ With the exception of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been Atlanta Design Festivals taking place every year.

With this year being the 15th overall, there is a call to have the City of Atlanta recognize the need for the festival the way other city governments around the country and the world have done. “Designs solves problems,” said DeLeo when asked why the city should be more involved in the festival. McCoy added that design festivals allow for ideas to be shared in a more creative space and creative way. “Design festivals can address social ills like food deserts,” he said. It’s about going deep into things where design can make a major influence.” DeLeo and McCoy believe the City of Atlanta could be doing a better job of supporting the festival like many design festivals that take place in international cities around the world, such as the London Design Fair, which gets a million-dollar contribution from the city, Dutch Design Week, Milan Design Festival and IMM Cologne, arguably the most important annual furnishing show in the world, that takes place in Cologne, Germany and more locally, Design Chicago. To be more precise, the festival does not receive any support from the city at all, says McCoy, an Atlanta home owner who also resides in Cambridge, UK. “The city has got to get behind this festival,” McCoy said. Inside the numbers Within the festival Modern Atlanta works with nonprofit organizations like Atlanta-based Care on myologies, a project where fashion gets paired with furniture, the High Museum, which hosts events under the Atlanta Design Festival banner, manufacturers that want to showcase their products and companies like Ortus, a Newcastle, UKbased data research company that prepared an Atlanta design economy report for 2023. The numbers don’t lie: According to the report, Atlanta has more than 111,000 people working in occupations with a major design element and Atlanta’s designers generated $39.5 billion in gross domestic product in 2021. Hard copies of the report were made available for festival-goers and DeLeo has presented the data to the city’s Chamber of Commerce. McCoy believes there’s so much more design-related conversations to be had in Atlanta. “The city deserves more, it deserves better,” he said. “We have a brand that communicates the language.” DeLeo says the conversations that still need to be had with the city leaders vary from how to redesign public spaces, to thinking about ways communities can be

transformed through design. “We have challenges as a city when it comes to development, I think good design will solve a lot of those problems. One of the mayor’s biggest initiatives is affordable housing, so who do you work with to do that?” She quickly answered her own question. “Architects, developers, landscape designers. You need to have someone who thinks about the human aspect.” The future of the Atlanta Design Festival Within the festival was the Creative Futures Conference, which took place Oct. 14-15 and began two years earlier. It now includes a number of speakers, including architects, designers, city planners, writers, urbanists and developers. The guest speaker list for this year’s conference included both local, Jim Irwin of Atlanta-based development firm New City Properties and international, Marion Waller, Director of The Arsenal Pavilion in Paris, France, experts. The conference also included the first Design Is Human, the company’s tag line, awards ceremony. “Design informs so much around us,” said McCoy. “This festival is on par with anything you see in Milan or London.”

The 15th annual Atlanta Design Festival is taking place and brings designers, architects, developers and creatives to discuss ideas on how design can help make Atlanta even better. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

theatlantavoice.com • October 27-November 2, 2023 • Page 13

Business The 2023 State of the Beltline took place across the street from MARTA headquarters Tuesday morning and one of the many topics of discussion during the annual meeting was titled “Enhancing Equity & Mobility with Transit” in the program, but could have been summed up in just two words: housing and transit. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice

Housing and transit on the agenda at 2023 State of the Beltline BY DONNELL SUGGS

rendition of what might possibly take place on the Atlanta Beltline appeared on a large screen facing dozens of people sitting on white folding chairs inside Uptown Towers, a mixed-use project at Lindbergh Station. The 2023 State of the Beltline took place across the street from MARTA headquarters on the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 24 and one of the many topics of discussion during the annual meeting was titled “Enhancing Equity & Mobility with Transit” in the program, but could have been summed up in just two words: housing and transit. To transit or not to transit With all of the walkability that takes place on the Beltline, for many the opportunity for a transit system is the next logical step in the ongoing development process. Higgs called transit the “DNA of the Atlanta Beltline” and added that “having transit is something that is really a necessity, it’s not necessarily something nice to have.” While Atlanta Beltline CEO Clyde Higgs was talking, photos of a transit system in France, with its inner city train running through neighborhoods and walking trails, popped up on the big screen behind him. Though there are no definitive plans for transit projects, just ideas and cool renderings at this point, there is a projected starting point. The eastside trail will be where

any transit projects will begin, according to Higgs. He explained that that portion of the Atlanta Beltline is ready right now. “It comes down to what’s ready today,” said Higgs. “When you think about it from a shovel-ready perspective the east side of the Beltline is ready to go in regards to a technical assessment of future transit. You have to think about how we constructed the Beltline, we did not do this in a clockwise perspective. We have to do segments that are ready.” Some of the concerns about transit construction taking place on the Beltline are similar to the concerns that ultimately united many of the city’s residents and many others that do not live and work in Atlanta around the “Cop City” movement: the trees. Will there be a mass removal of trees in the area? Higgs said he hears those concerns. “We are not going to be tone deaf with regard to this conversation,” Higgs said. “The bulk of the challenge that we are having comes down to aesthetics. You can literally have grass tracks underneath streetcars. There are a number of ways to soften this, because what we mean by Beltline transit is something very green, very approachable. We are talking about a 50 mile-per-hour vehicle that will be barreling down the Beltline.” Higgs reminisced about the State of the Beltline event that took place four years ago and how much energy was in that room inside Park Tavern. He remembered there was a lot of enthusiasm about what the Beltline could be. “This is a very reflective time for me,” he

said. “I will tell you, looking forward, this is perhaps the golden year for the Beltline.” Along with the three ribbon-cuttings that have taken place throughout the year, there is another scheduled to take place on the northeast trail on the morning of Wed., November 1, according to Higgs. The Beltline continues to grow without a clear plan of what piece of the Beltline, and subsequent neighborhood or section of town will be next. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who was the first featured speaker to take the stage, spoke of a transit system not disrupting what is currently taking place on the Beltline. “What the Beltline really is doing is connecting us and in many cases reconnecting us,” said Dickens who went on to say the 22-mile trail connects students to schools, people to work and “hopefully people to more jobs.” The mayor said there are “high hopes” for the Beltline and the promise of transit will “serve to integrate with and not disrupt what Atantans have already fallen in love with on the Beltline.” “Affordable” housing is part of Beltline legacy Part of those high hopes for the Beltline are affordable housing, something that is hard to find at the moment. Nearly 90 acres along the Beltline is earmarked for the development of affordable housing, according to Higgs, who was joined by Atlanta Beltline Partnership Executive Director Rob Brawner. The Legacy Resident Retention Program

was one of the Beltline-related programs that has received funding from a number of sources. “The Beltline is this big bold vision for Atlanta and it is powered by the people of Atlanta, and that includes the corporate and philanthropic community here in the city,” Brawner said. He explained that the program is funded through the 2030 tax year and there are still efforts to drum up more funding. There have been philanthropic efforts from major companies such as Bank of America and Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, to name a few, to help cover rising property taxes, according to Brawner. The goal being to help “protect legacy residents” that live in the neighborhoods that make up the Beltline area, Brawner said. “What’s really important is helping them hold on to that home and maintain that wealth,” he added. “We hear that a lot of people choose Atlanta because of the Beltline,” said Brawner who along with Higgs was joined by City of Atlanta COO Lisa Benjamin, MARTA General Manager Collie Greenwood, New City Properties President Jim Irwin and Portman Holdings Chairman and CEO Ambrish Baisiwala on stage later in the morning. Tuesday’s State of the Beltline was the ninth and final “State of” event of the year, according to Council for Quality Growth President and CEO Michale Paris. “As we think about the legacy for the Beltline we want to make sure that all of Atlanta is enjoying the largess of the Atlanta Beltline,” Higgs said.

Page 14 • October 27-November 2, 2023 • theatlantavoice.com

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