BY DONNELL SUGGS
Michael Glover no longer uses the word “owner” on his business cards. Instead, Glover’s card says he’s the “steward” of the breakfast franchise Grits & Eggs. A native of Harlem, New York- it is rare to see him without a New York Yankees cap- Glover began a four-decade-long career in the restaurant business at a busy McDonald’s in Brooklyn. Glover references one of his favorite Bible verses as why the word “steward” is a better way to describe his leadership style as one of the ownership group at Grits & Eggs.
Read Matthew 25:14- 30, and you will better understand his reasoning for not calling himself an owner. The verse reads in part: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
On Monday afternoon, Glover told The Atlanta Voice that he believes it is better to share the success of the Grits & Eggs franchise. Along with two other business partners, Chef Rasul York also has been given a small percentage of the business. An experienced personal and corporate chef, York joined the company three years ago and has been a staple at all locations ever since. On Tuesday afternoon, he was on his way to one of the Grits & Eggs when he stopped to talk to Glover, who was sitting at a table and taking part in the interview for this story.
There are five Grits & Eggs locations in Metro Atlanta, including Vinings, Marietta, Midtown, and Buckhead, and the Summerhill location, the newest of the bunch, will be the last, according to Glover. “This is the last one before we decide to do any franchising or accept any public offers,” Glover explained.
Grits & Eggs is the only Black-owned and operated dining option in Summerhill, which was once an all-Black neighborhood and home of the Atlanta Braves. Today, it is a tiny, upper-middle-class enclave for white people and Georgia State University students fortunate enough to be able to afford student housing or one of the apartments in the area. The opening of a Publix supermarket in the summer of 2023 signaled a new day in Summerhill. The neighborhood could have easily been described as a food desert before the popular Florida-based supermarket chain moved in.
Grits & Eggs brings a different dining option to the neighborhood. Glover wants to be clear about the difference between a breakfast restaurant and a brunch spot as a Black-owned business. “We call ourselves a breakfast restaurant because people will have breakfast with us. They won’t always have brunch with us,” Glover said, a smile creasing
fries, and a choice of bacon, turkey bacon, or pork sausage. There are also Ms. G’s coconut pancakes, which are topped with a coconut glaze and coconut flakes.
“Our trademark is grits, and you have to taste our catfish, shrimp, and grits,” Glover said.
across his face. “Our performance will dictate whether a customer comes back or not.”
The music inside Summerhill Grits & Eggs was a heavy dose of Motown’s finest hits. That is by design, says Glover. He wanted the atmosphere to be comfortable for all who entered. Grits & Eggs even uses Halal products to better accommodate Muslim customers.
The menu at Grits & Eggs features some of its well-known grits + protein dishes. The
salmon and grits plate can be grilled, blackened, or fried. The fried catfish, shrimp, and lobster tail and grits offer an interesting twist on the popular shrimp and grit entree. The fried chicken and buttermilk biscuit sandwich combines a piece of fried chicken and scrambled eggs smothered in white chicken sausage gravy. The two pancakes and eggs breakfast is served with strawberries and blueberries, two eggs any style, grits or home
Asked what makes the chicken and waffles at Grits & Eggs different from the many chicken and waffles on menus across Atlanta, Glover said it was the chicken. “The flavor of our chicken will always be the difference,” he said. “If you like the fried chicken, you’re always going to go somewhere where the chicken tastes good on top of that waffle.”
Grits & Eggs Summerhill is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
BY ISAIAH SINGLETON
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) hosted a special bus unveiling to honor the legacy of civil rights icon and global diplomat, Ambassador Andrew Young, at the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center on the Morehouse College campus.
MARTA has highlighted other important civil rights leaders and icons on their buses such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, Congressman John Lewis, Juanita Jones Abernathy, Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, Evelyn Gibson Lowery, and now Ambassador Andrew Young, the only living honorary left.
Ambassador Young was a key organizer in the Civil Rights Movement, a close advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and is a prominent advocate for public transit.
His leadership extends beyond Atlanta, having represented the U.S. as Ambassador to the United Nations, and serving as Mayor of Atlanta, where he championed infrastructure projects that expanded MARTA and promoted fair development. His legacy is a testament to the power of public service and international leadership.
Young thanked everyone who attended the event and discussed how the Atlanta Public School system is the “foundation of the progress in the South.”
“In the public school system, all of these teachers were bright but weren’t let into the University of Georgia and they started going to schools all over the country and paid their way back here,” he said. “Nobody wanted to hire teachers with a master's degree, but back then, they all came back to public schools and that’s why we’re the city that we are today.”
He also told everyone at the event they all felt like family, and he prays for them.
“I feel all of you are my family. I think and pray about you, and it’s what’s kept me going,” he said. “It also means I don’t see a way in stopping.”
Additionally, Ambassador Young said Atlanta is a beautiful, blessed place, but there’s still more growing to do and MARTA is a blessing.
“We need to see MARTA as a blessing because after all these years, people depend on it,” he said.
MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood said the bus unveiling and honoring Young is a “very monumental moment.”
“All of these important people came out to pay homage to the ambassador. Ambassador Young, this really is for you,” he said. “Ever since moving here as a young man in 1961, the ambassador has been shaping himself and shaping this nation, this city, and from MARTA’s perspective, he’s been shaping our agency.”
He also said the importance of the buses is a “beacon of hope.”
“These buses are a rolling billboard reminder to our communities to demonstrate hope, courage, charisma, and continuing the work towards the principles of Ambassador Young so embodies,” he said.
Additionally, Greenwood said there’s no better connection to MARTA’s history than Ambassador Andrew Young. With Young’s
connection to the late Martin Luther King Jr. and considering the bus system was not desegregated until 1959, less than 15 years later, he became the first African American elected to Congress from Georgia since the Reconstruction era.
“That’s history in the making,” he said. “You were the 55th mayor of Atlanta in an extensive line of successful, productive mayors that we can all be proud of. Even after
your term as Mayor, you were instrumental in bringing the Olympic Games to Atlanta, so we thank you for that”.
Mayor of Atlanta, Andre Dickens, said the buses will continue to inspire future generations.
“This is a celebration of history, the courage, resilience, and hope reflected through MARTA and the series of tribute buses that have been created,” he said. “They pay homage to the tightness of the civil rights movement.”
Dickens also recalled growing up in Atlanta and wanting to be mayor at 16 while watching Young.
“Born and raised in Atlanta, I looked up the Ambassador Young,” he said. “When you walked into the schools, you would see the President of the United States, the governor, and then I’d see this Black man in a suit that I also saw on TV doing inspiring things, pushing the envelope, and moving Atlanta into an international space.”
Dickens told Young he’d been woven into his life since the early days and thanked him for being inspirational and touching his heart.
The Ambassador Andrew Young bus is the final in a series dedicated to Atlanta’s Civil Rights icons as part of MARTA’s yearlong celebration of Black History.
The Dr. Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King bus was unveiled in January to mark the King Holiday, a bus honoring longtime MARTA board member Juanita Jones Abernathy was dedicated in April, a special Congressman John Lewis and Lillian Miles Lewis bus was dedicated in September, and a bus celebrating Joseph and Evelyn Lowery was unveiled in October.
gives nothing to those who keep their arms crossed.
BY CHARLENE CROWELL
Many Americans continue to find it challenging to keep up with the rising cost of living. Despite economic reports attesting to a growing broad economy, the majority of Americans’ household finances feel insecure – especially people who live paycheck to paycheck with little or no savings.
The financial marketplace has responded to this ongoing consumer cash crunch with an emerging predatory lending product designed to take full advantage of consumers’ financial mismatch: earned wage advances (EWA). These cash advance products are small, short-term loans, typically ranging from $40 to $200, that are repaid on the consumer’s next payday either directly from a bank account or as a payroll deduction. They’re also conveniently available with a few clicks on borrowers’ smartphones.
But as with other predatory loans, wage advances also create a deceptive and highly profitable cycle of debt built upon repeated reborrowing with interest equivalent to 300 percent annual percentage rates or more. In most cases, these cash advances also lead to frequent overdraft fees. The combined repeat borrowing and high costs result in unsuspecting consumers learning the so-called convenience brought more – not less – financial hardship.
This summer, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shared its early analysis of this growing market segment, including key data points:
• The number of transactions processed by these providers grew by over 90% from 2021 to 2022, with more than 7 million workers accessing approximately $22 billion in 2022;
• The average transaction amount ranged from $35 to $200, with an overall average transaction size of $106, and the average worker accessed $3,000 in funds per year.; and
• The average worker in their study had 27 earned wage transactions per year, and a strong growth in frequent usage of at least once a month rising from 41% in 2021 to nearly 50% in 2022.
More recently, the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), released a new policy brief entitled, Paying to be Paid: Consumer Protections Needed for Earned Wage Advances and Other Fintech Cash Advances
“By offering predatory credit with just a few taps on your cell phone, cash advance apps are a loan shark in your pocket. This report shows many cash advance app borrowers are trapped in a cycle of debt like that experienced by payday loan borrowers,” said Candice Wang, senior researcher at CRL. “Cash advance app companies issue loans with triple-digit annual interest rates in nearly every corner of America – even where those rates are illegally high – inflicting financial pain on a growing number of consumers.”
CRL’s analysis of EWA harms wrought in 18 states from January 2021 through June 2024, led to three key findings on its impacts on low- tomoderate-income consumers:
• Many cash advance app borrowers are trapped in a debt cycle and the heaviest users drive the business model. Repeat use of advances is common and high-frequency users accounted for 38% of users and 86% of advances. Many users borrowed from multiple apps simultaneously. Nearly half of all borrowers had used multiple companies in the same month.
• App use is associated with increased overdraft fees and payday loan use.
• Consumers across states are experiencing similar harms. The eighteen states analyzed had similar patterns of repeat borrowing and overdraft use.
States studied included: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington.
An earlier and related CRL report released this April, cited the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) finding that the share of users earning less than $50,000 a year ranged from 59% to 97% across four different advance companies that separately provided these percentages. A survey of low-income workers receiving government benefits found that 51% had used or downloaded direct-to-consumer apps and 16% had used them once a week.
Most importantly, this report included comments by consumers who used cash apps to
make ends meet.
“I usually use them every time I get paid because they take out their payment and usually my check is short because I use the apps and I have to go back and re-borrow almost every time I get paid. It has been harder to save money, because I often find myself paying back more than what I borrowed every time and that sets me back for paying off other things.”
–Ayanna
Resolving this growing predatory product would best be addressed by a vigilant combination of more state and federal financial regulation. It took decades of consumer advocacy before 20 states and the District of Columbia enacted payday lending rate caps that made triple-digit lending illegal. Even so, the other 30 states without comparable regulation still drain nearly $3 billion in fees annually.
Fortunately, one state attorney general, Maryland’s Anthony Brown, wrote a related guest column in the Baltimore Sun that reads in part:
“EWA providers claim that they offer an important service. But Maryland workers, many of whom live paycheck-to-paycheck, cannot afford exorbitant interest on these loans which diminish their hard-earned wages. Although my office understands the inconvenience caused by employers who don’t pay workers frequently enough, or bills that come due between paychecks, the answer is not payday and other predatory loans that charge more than permitted by law.”
The quest for financial fairness must go on.
Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.
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.
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James A. Washington 2018-2024
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BY JAMES A. WASHINGTON
The Atlanta Voice
Let’s get real. How many people have what is characterized as a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, a personal relationship with the Almighty, or perhaps a personal experience with the Holy Spirit? It is pretty easy to understand those terms when it comes to experiences in the natural world. We can all attest to personal relationships with other p e o p l e. They are wonderful, painful, and sometimes traumatic, but make no mistake; they are real and personal. In my instances, these relationships shape our character and define us as human beings. Not only do real and deeply personal relationships define us, but they also can set the course for our lives long after they are over . Your relationships with your mother, brother, lover, spouse, or friend can and do leave lasting impressions with life’s consequences not far behind. How we deal with and recover from personal relationships allows us to become who we really are. You’re an extremely lucky individual if you can
How can you have a personal relationship with the invisible, the untouchable, someone who has been dead for over two thousand years?
share these monumental moments with others. Most of us keep them hidden in our secret places to treasure, cherish, or despise alone.
Isn’t it interesting that much of the road to salvation and enlightenment begins with a personal experience that people call being saved, called, and accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? I understand it is puzzling to those who have not had the experience. How can you have a personal experience? How can you have a personal relationship with the invisible, the untouchable, someone who has been dead for over two thousand years? But now, if you had a real relationship with someone who is now deceased or no longer in your life, you too can testify that they
had, have, and will continue to have a profound effect on your being as a human being. Even now, you respond to the knowledge of how that person might look upon certain behaviors you wouldn’t want any of us to know you engaged in. You know if that person would be proud of you or embarrassed for you. That’s reality. That’s personal, and so it is with Almighty God.
We begin this personal trip with faith in Jesus, believing in His Godliness, trying to live by His word, recognizing His deity, understanding His sacrifice, and much more. You can’t have a personal relationship with anyone until you truly understand and then respond to where they’re coming from. That, too, is reality. Only a fool would es-
tablish a deeply personal relationship with a stranger. Only an idiot would submit themselves to the compromise of someone they met yesterday. How often have you spent an ungodly amount of time with someone who turned out to be a total stranger ultimately? I guess I’m saying many of us don’t know God because we seek Him. We study Him not. We get to know Him not. A personal relationship with God is not measured by how often you attend church but rather by the depth in which His will has touched you. If you don’t believe me, ask Saul, “I am Jesus whom you’ve been persecuting…now get up…” Acts 9: 5-6.
May God bless and keep you always.
This column is from James Washington’s Spiritually Speaking: Reflections for and from a New Christian. You can purchase this enlightening book on Amazon and start your journey toward spiritual enlightenment.
Teens and social media: How to balance the good and the bad
BY ISAIAH SINGLETON
Elizabeth Lawson, a fashion student at SCAD Atlanta, is one of three and the only person of color to win the highly coveted Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Design Scholar Award for Sustainability.
Her work stood out among hundreds of applicants, impressing a panel of esteemed judges, such as CFDA CEO Steven Kolb, designer Todd Snyder, Rag & Bone head of menswear Robert Geller, and Esquire Creative Director Nick Sullivan.
Lawson’s innovative approach to sustainable fashion earned her a $25,000 scholarship and honors. Her recognition in the fashion world reflects her brilliance and the exceptional education she’s received from SCAD’s School of Fashion.
Awarded by the CFDA, a nonprofit that supports American fashion designers through scholarships, funding, and events like New York Fashion Week. The organization promotes emerging talent and honors excellence in the industry.
Lawson said she feels “overwhelming and exhilarating.”
“It is all overwhelming and exhilarating in an exciting way. It feels like I am on my way into something I once dreamed of because I could not fathom that I would be here today,” she said.
As the only Black woman to win the scholarship in Georgia, Lawson said she’s “living in this reality” where she can’t fathom the words of how impactful it has been on her thoughts and inspiring career as a fashion designer and as a Black woman.
“It's like coming from a space where we weren't the top ones to be selected as such, like a luxury fashion space,” Lawson said. “There's a lot of people that don't take us seriously, and especially being a woman of color who's also cultural and from West Africa, seeing those ideas like someone seeing who I am as a person, and want to flourish and continue to see those ideas flourish in the fashion industry, honestly, it's an inexplicable feeling.”
When she first started, Lawson said she didn’t begin to read fashion books or know the latest trends. She says that what inspires Lawson as a designer is growing up around her mom and the designers she knows.
“I was like, ‘these are cool people,’ but mostly when I started to get into this space, being exposed to the resources and looking into the designers who have this type of taste, style, and sensitivity to the fashion industry.”
Lawson says fashion has always run in her family. She focuses on the technical side of fashion, like producing clothes. Originally from West Africa, Lawson said that’s where most clothes are produced.
In high school, Lawson was a sports girl, and that’s all she knew about going to college, but around senior year, she realized fashion was her calling. Being the class of 2020, a little before COVID-19 hit, she refocused her Instagram page to posting more fashion content and dressing up more at school.
“I was pulling away from sports senior year, dressing up at school more, and putting my first outfit together,” she said. “Seeing the different reactions and invoking feelings and emotions through how I dressed and expressed myself, I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
Lawson did not head off to school at once. She went to a community college for two years and later left for SCAD Atlanta. SCAD was always her dream school, she said.
She said the experience at SCAD was “extremely great and helpful.”
“It honestly morphed the core of myself as an artist to see
things differently, so my passion began to deepen increasingly,” she said.
She said SCAD was also a gracious awakening instead of a rude awakening. “It taught me my mind was so sheltered to one thing, and going to SCAD completely opened me up.”
With the scholarship, Lawson plans to help people. When she was interviewed by CFDA about the scholarship fund’s sustainability component, she recalled her recent trip in March back home to Africa and the Ivory Coast.
“I remember going to the farmer’s side or the countryside and seeing all of them working in really unhealthy conditions like trash everywhere and living in metal parts,” she said. “This was more than just clothes to me. This wasn’t about what you produce or how, any collection there is, but starting from behind the scheme of how clothes are produced.”
She even contacted the Better Cotton Initiative program to find sustainable ways to make an impact.
Her latest collection is CMYK, which stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. This collection, she says, is a collection of color celebrations for people of color. Starting CMYK in 2023, Lawson recalls learning about assorted color waves.
“I’m a big color person, and I loved how color is mostly emulated on Black people, and that’s how I was starting to learn it evokes different emotions, feelings, and looks on people of color,” she said. “I showcase buttons and shells as well, considered luxury trends back in West Africa.”
She said her biggest inspiration, besides her culture, is designer Robert Wun because of the way he mixes the “threads of his garments and mixing the flow into it,” which she is incorporating for her senior collection.
2025 will be a huge year for Lawson, as she will be graduating from SCAD Atlanta. She says the scholarship has been “a stepping stone” into her career.
“My goal for next year is to graduate and continue my New
York internship,” she said. “As a designer, where you’re at, you have to leave and move forward, not stay in the same place, because this will be the first time I’ll be on my own.”
She also said she wants to continue working on the “sustainability” part of the scholarship she received and return home to ensure people are taken care of, trash is taken care of, and more.
Lawson says her goal is to leave a mark and impact on where she came from and to ensure that people like her are being helped and creatively affected.
“This is about me, my collection, and for me, it’s always been more than just clothes,” she said. “I fell in love with fashion as an idea to go through and express it, but there’s been so many pathways through fashion itself I feel can be implemented in my life and career.”
Lawson also says she wants to be teachable and leave a mark on the fashion industry. Five to ten years from now, she hopes to be a brand’s creative director and make an impact not just in the fashion and creative communities.
To encourage people to follow their dreams, Lawson said to be confident in yourself, especially coming from someone who was very scared to pursue their dream.
“Please believe in yourself. I feel like everyone has a little speaker in the back of their mind that’ll tell them, ‘Hey, this is the path you should go on,’ and I feel like a lot of people are afraid to listen to that voice because they don’t know what’s on the other side,” she said. “When I took that next step, I didn’t know I would come this far in just two years.”
She also said to start putting your mind to your dreams because once she did that, Lawson realized the sky was the limit.
“For me, taking a liking to fashion coming from an African household, it was always ‘we want our daughters to be doctors, nurses, and careers that stick,’ but when you’re going into an artistic pathway, or even a creative pathway of any kind, you have to make a name for yourself,” she said.
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM MEDICARE
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM MEDICARE
Medicare plans change every year, so can your health. Visit Medicare.gov to see all your options side by side and compare coverage, costs, and quality ratings.
New in 2025, all Medicare plans will include a $2,000 cap on what you pay out of pocket for covered prescription drugs. The cap only applies to drugs that are covered by your plan, so it’s more important than ever to review your plan options to make sure your drugs are covered.
Get help with drug costs.
If you are struggling with your prescription drug costs, Extra Help is a Medicare program that can help pay for your drug coverage (Part D) premiums, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket costs. If you make less than $23,000 a year, it’s worth it to apply. Visit ssa.gov/extrahelp to complete an application.
BY DONNELL SUGGS
JONESBORO – The drive-thru line outside of the first Tim Hortons franchise in Clayton County stretched around the building on the morning of Friday, Nov. 15 as staff and Tim Hortons corporate employees posed for a ribbon-cutting photo.
Founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Canada, Tim Hortons isn’t your household name for breakfast sandwiches, donuts, and iced coffees in Georgia like a Dunkin’ or Starbucks, despite having 697 locations in the United States, according to the company’s website. That did not stop the company from moving into Clayton County earlier this month. The Jonesboro store is only the fourth in Georgia, with the midtown Atlanta, Fairburn, and Columbus locations being the first three. Abid Khutliwala, the owner of the Columbus, Fairburn, and Jonesboro locations, told The Atlanta Voice that there are plans for new Tim Hortons locations in Alpharetta, Johns Creek, and in Newnan during the first quarter of 2025. He will be the principal owner of all three of those locations and the Suwanee location, also scheduled to open soon, will have another franchisee running it, according to Sammi Silverman, Tim Hortons franchisee manager.
Asked why he chose the Tara Blvd. location for his next Tim Hortons franchise, Khutliwala said the traffic and visibility were paramount.
“Clayton County is one of the largest counties in Georgia and this location is very good for visibility,” Khutliwala said. He also mentioned Jonesboro’s proximity to I-75 and Atlanta, and Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport as reasons he chose to break ground in Clayton County’s county seat.
The red and white Tim Hortons sign, with its signature red maple leaf, stands out among the other franchises on a bust stretch of intrastate highway.
Located on Tara Blvd./Hwy 19/41, a few feet from the only Starbucks in Clayton County and a popular Dunkin’ location, Tim Hortons offers commuters and locals another option for coffee and breakfast sandwiches. The Tim Hortons menu includes breakfast burritos, which also come in a meatless variety served with hashbrowns, avocado, scrambled eggs, and MD cheddar cheese inside.
There is a chai latte for non-coffee drinkers, which comes in regular (above), vanilla, peppermint, and gingerbread flavors for the holidays. The regular chai was excellent. If lattes are not your thing, the Tims Boost drinks, which are Red Bull-infused drinks with several flavors, can be a solid drink choice. The Sunrise/Sunset (below) offered a fruity energy drink that I will definitely try again.
There are traditional donuts (which are baked in-house, not to be confused with made in-house, every day) and Timbits, the franchise’s version of donut holes. Tej donut holes can be purchased in variations of 10, 20, and as many as 40 at a time.
The Jonesboro locations offer the first lunch option, a small menu among the Georgia locations. The lunch menu, available from 11 a.m. to close at 8 p.m., includes a grilled cheese sandwich and a chicken melt. “Eventually, we will add more items to the lunch menu,” Khutliwala said.
The general manager of the Jonesboro locations, Dante Black, said he believes having a Tim Hortons in Clayton County “just brightens things up.”
“I do feel like it’s brought more jobs to the community and gives people a fresh food option,” Black said.
BY ISAIAH SINGLETON
Thanksgiving is almost a week away and the Atlanta Voice has created a roundup to highlight events that will be taking place to aid families in the Metro Atlanta area with food insecurity this holiday season.
Amazon: The Choice's 8th Annual Thanksgiving Mobile Food Pantry.
• The annual event will provide families who are facing food insecurity healthy foods during the holidays. Registration is limited to one per household.
• Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Doors open at 9:50 a.m.
• Where: Atlanta Technical College, 1560 Metropolitan Parkway SW, Atlanta
Free Chapel Midtown is giving away free cases of fresh chicken.
• Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 23 from 12 p.m. until supplies last
• Where: Free Chapel Midtown, 173 14th Street NE, Atlanta
Decatur/West End (Wesley Chapel) Planet Fitness
• Planet Fitne ss is hosting its sixth an -
nual turkey giveaway where a total of 500 free, full-size turkeys will be given to community members, families, and club members at nearby West End and Decatur (Wesley Chapel) Planet Fit-
• Date/Time: Friday, Nov. 22 at 11 a.m. (West End) and 2 p.m. (Decatur/Wesley Chapel)
ness locations. The 500 turkeys given to the community will be split between the two locations.
• Where: West End Planet Fitness, 854 Oak Street, Atlanta and 2460 Wesley Chapel Road, Decatur
South Fulton Thanksgiving Meal Giveaway:
• The City of S outh Fulton will host its annual Thanksgiving Meal Giveaway. Ensure you pre-register for a holiday meal, one meal per household, and that you are a City of South Fulton resident. Duplicates will be removed from registration. All non-registrants who are residents in the City of South Fulton, are welcome on a first-come basis at 4 p.m. until all food has been distributed. You can register here.
• Time/Date: Friday, Nov. 22 from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. for registered attendees. 4 p.m. until supplies last for all non-registrants.
• Where: Welcome All Park and Multipurpose Facility, 4255 Will Lee Road, College Park
For volunteer opportunities, visit https://covenanthousega.org, https://atlantamission.org/the-power-of-thanksgiving-at-atlanta-mission/, https://4hosea. org/programs/holiday-dinner-events/, and https://www.acfb.org.
Visit pathways.georgia.gov to learn more and apply today.
BY NOAH WASHINGTON
Nobody said being safe can’t be fun, as well.
On Thursday, Nov. 14, in southwest Atlanta, the C.T. Martin Natatorium and Recreation Center opened its doors as the city’s 11th Good Neighbor Club, a collaboration between the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm to create safe, engaging spaces for Atlanta’s youth. This newly renovated teen center, complete with PlayStation 5s, vibrant lounge furniture, and decor celebrating Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), is designed to serve as a supportive environment for young people to learn, connect, and thrive.
Reflecting on the center’s impact, 17-yearold Jeremiah Hughey, a senior at Benjamin E. Mays High School, who took to the stage to speak to the attending government officials and C-suite executives, described the recreation center as "a place of growth, inspiration, and connection."
“It’s more than just a building for me,” Hughey said while describing how public spaces like this have shaped his journey as a young adult.
“This is an investment in our young people and their future,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said, echoing the young man’s sentiment. Since Dickens came into office, he has stood by one of his key mantras of Atlanta becoming “the best city in the nation to raise a child.”
Nicholas Clark, Program Director of the Atlanta Teen Leadership Program, whose mission is to equip teens with life skills and service-learning opportunities to empower youth to become empathetic leaders in their communities, highlighted the value of giving teens a dedicated space they can claim as their own. “I think spaces like this just give them hope,” Clark said. “For a teenager to have an identified space for yourself—it's
unmatched. This is our space.” According to Clark, the project was kept under wraps, creating excitement and surprise for the teens.
“They knew something big was happening, but they didn’t know exactly what it would be,” he explained.
Allyson Watts, Senior Vice President at State Farm, explained the origin and purpose of the Good Neighbor Clubs in collaboration with the Atlanta Hawks, emphasizing
that the initiative began in 2019 to support youth and communities across metro Atlanta. Speaking on the partnership’s evolution, Watts highlighted that each club is a testament to the organization’s commitment to the city’s youth, especially with the support of Dickens and his administration. Watts said a focus on the city’s youth aligns closely with State Farm’s mission.
“We take great pride at State Farm in developing stronger and safer communities,” Watts said.
She added that these clubs offer teens a safe space to come, to be themselves, to have fun, and to grow connections with other peers. Following the ribbon cutting, the attending youth participated in activities, which included a gaming tournament and custom bucket hat-making, alongside a food truck provided by Atlanta’s very own, The Varsity. Dickens summed up the impact of the Good Neighbor Club initiative by stating, “Atlanta is a group project, and this is how you form that group.”
BY DONNELL SUGGS
The 22nd annual Jazz at Ebenezer Concert occurred Friday night at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Except for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, the concert series has taken place at the religious home of current Georgia Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock with the consistency of Sunday service.
The event is free and open to the public, so it was no wonder why the pews inside the church filled quickly on Friday night. Standout jazz artist Julie Dexter took the stage a few minutes after 7 p.m. and immediately broke out into song. The house band for the evening, Groove Centric, backed her up as she serenaded the crowd.
Started in 2008 in Atlanta, Groove Centric held down the fort at the concert's scheduled start time of 6:30 p.m. while Dexter was in traffic on her way to the church. Dexter performed songs from her album Deja Vu and took over the stage.
Before Dexter hit the stage, Jimmy Little III, the evening’s master of ceremonies, asked the crowd to “sit back and relax.” He said he remembered when this concert would draw large crowds before the pandemic and was glad that there was a crowd in the sanctuary again.
Friday was Dexter’s fourth performance at Jazz at Ebenezer.
BY NOAH WASHINGTON
The Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, established in 1896 as Atlanta's third-oldest Episcopal congregation, is hosting an event to raise funds for infrastructure upgrades. Titled Hear Us, See Us, Join Us, the showcase aims to modernize the church building to accommodate its largely elderly congregation and improve accessibility. Combining art, community, and purpose, the fundraiser highlights the creative talents of several contributors both from outside the church and its attending congregation.
At the heart of the event is Dr. Vicky Ogunlade, whose vision sparked the marketplace segment of the fundraiser. Reflecting on her inspiration, Ogunlade said, “For me and my husband, Alani, we were blessed with a lot of brand-new African wear that we had never been able to wear”. After approaching church leadership, Ogunlade worked with members to develop a plan to sell the items and donate all proceeds directly to the church. The marketplace allows community members to purchase vibrant garments, knowing their contributions will directly fund much-needed renovations.
In addition to the marketplace, the art showcase features the works of Dr. Yvette Stephens, a physician-turned-folk artist whose journey into creativity began during the pandemic after coming down with what she now knows was probably COVID-19, before the rest of the world knew, “When I got better, that’s when I started drawing,” Stephens said, describing how her illness and isolation became catalysts for her artistic expression. Her exhibit, Rediscover, Remember, and Rejoice in Our History, is currently on display at the Apex Museum on Auburn Avenue. Her work explores overlooked stories and figures in African American history, focusing on celebrating resilience and joy.
At the church’s event, Stephens’ contributions are housed in the Meditation Room, one of two dedicated spaces for the showcase. Her artwork is deeply personal to her, featuring wood carvings inspired by her mother, Kathryn Smith-Stephens, who is currently 90 years old and was a music minister for 50 years at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky. Stevens added a modern twist by including QR codes with her pieces. When scanned, these codes lead to recordings of “Negro spirituals” performed by her mother, adding a multimedia layer to the
experience.
Dr. Catherine Meeks, a long-time member of the episcopal community, current member of Incarnation, and former Executive Director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing, also contributed to the event in her unique way.
Bringing her passion for candle-making, a hobby she began 25 years ago, Meeks donated scented candles and personalized cards for the community, “It’s my way of being an artist. I make candles for my satisfaction and to share with people,” she explained.
The event takes place in the church’s community service building. The tworoom setup allows visitors to move between the marketplace and the reflective Meditation Room, where Steven’s art lives. Each showcase element has been thoughtfully curated to highlight the intersection of art, faith, and community service.
With approximately $600 raised so far, the church has made small strides toward its fundraising goals. Proceeds from the event will go toward making the building safer and more accessible, ensuring it remains a welcoming space for all community members to enjoy.
The experience is open to the public through December 14th and is open on Sundays from 1-4 PM or by appointment. The marketplace and the church are at 2407 Cascade Rd, SW Atlanta, GA 30311.
BY DONNELL SUGGS
The top dog in the SIAC, Clark Atlanta is going to get everybody’s best shot this season. The Panthers lost a couple of key starters from last year’s team, including conference player of the year Chris Martin, twin guards Andrew and Elijah Stewart, and trusty point guard Jalen NeSmith, but a core group of key players from the tournament championship team are back. Forward Shemani Fuller and Xavier Griffith are back, as well as senior center Kharye Cayne, who’s shot-blocking and rebounding were crucial during the tournament run, and junior Dez’Mond Perkins, whose is taking on a bigger offensive role this season. Perkins is averaging 12 points per game through three games this season.
There are several newcomers making their Panthers debuts this season, and Clark Atlanta head coach Alfred Jordan and his staff will count on each of them this season. Guards Ny’Mire Little, Dior Davis, Roderick Jones, and forward O’Zhell Jackson are Division I transfers from University of Albany, University of New Hampshire, Alcorn State University, and Middle Tennessee State, respectively. Sophomore guard Gaddis Heath III, a Westlake High School alum and Charleston Southern University transfer, scored 10 points during an early season loss to Valdosta State University last week.
The defending SIAC tournament champion Clark Atlanta University Panthers are back in action this week. The Panthers hosted Clayton State University at L.E. Epps Gymnasium on Wednesday night. The visiting Lakers won the game 66-57.
Clark Atlanta went ahead 23-12 midway through the first half following consecutive three-pointers from Davis and Little. Moments earlier a dunk by Heath III off a missed Panthers shot brought the capacity crowd to its feet. Jackson, a Bronx native, came off the bench and displayed his versatility and playmaking ability during the game as a point-forward. A three-pointer by Griffith put the Panthersahead 29-28 at the half.
The Panthers were without Cayne, who was on the bench with a boot on his left foot. Cayne was the team’s leading shot-blocker last season and one of its top three rebounders.
Perkins began the second half with a dunk and Jalen Williams followed with a deep three-pointer that put the Panthers up 34-28. A basket and free throw by Lakers sophomore guard Elijah Dates gave Clayton State its first lead of the game at the 14:19 mark. Consecutive baskets from Lakers senior guard Aaron Pitts and five consecutive missed free throws by the Panthers allowed the visitors to maintain a
small lead, 43-38, with 12 minutes remaining in the game.
Interior play from Martez Jones and Jackson kept the Panthers close. Jones scored on consecutive possessions in the paint to bring Clark Atlanta within three points at the eight-minute mark. The Clayton State lead grew to 12 points with just under four minutes to play after 5’9” senior guard DJ Wright connected on consecutive threepoint attempts. Just like Jones, Jackson, Little and others, Wright is a newcomer to the Lakers program and has made an immediate impact.
A fast break dunk and reverse layup from Pitts all but sealed the victory for the Lakers with less than a minute to play.
What’s Next:
The Panthers travel to New York City play Holy Family University on Saturday, before traveling to Lakeland, Florida to play in a holiday tournament at Florida Southern College.
BY CLAYTON GUTZMORE
Blood circulation is how all the parts of the body move. When there is a clog in the circulation, the body parts are limited in the amount of motion they can do. A growing issue regarding blood circulation is Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). This involves a buildup of fatty plaque in the blood vessels, which reduces blood flow to the legs and feet. PAD is a tipping point that leads to more severe health problems like gangrene and amputation. Dr. Olamide Alabi is a vascular surgeon and an associate professor of surgery at Emory University Hospital School of Medicine. She explains why the Black community needs to be aware of this problem and what we can all do to keep our limbs attached.
“Peripheral artery disease is a problem that ravages the black community. I think that if we better understood it, then people could find it earlier. Black patients are los-
ing their limbs at two to four times the rate of white patients, and they don’t even know when they come in. They didn’t even know that they had this disease, which is another problem,” said Dr. Alabi.
The American Heart Association (AHA) released a report about PAD explaining that middle-aged adults who get PAD are at a higher risk of amputation. This medical issue can be developed at any age, and according to AHA, most individuals in the United States who get PAD are 65 or older. PAD is irreversible. Smoking and a sedentary lifestyle are some factors that lead to this result. The risk of this happening is higher if someone has diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease. Amputation becomes an outcome when patients are dealing with chronic limb-threatening ischemia. This is a later stage of PAD where blood flow to the legs is severely blocked, and the individual feels pain in their legs even at rest. Revascularization is a method that can help with PAD. It
is a medical procedure that improves blood flow but not everyone is a candidate for this opportunity. (Explain why).
“When someone has peripheral artery disease but has no symptoms, or only has the symptoms when they walk, the risk for limb loss is quite low. We recommend walking therapy or medication. When someone has peripheral artery disease in an end-stage, like chronic limb-threatening ischemia, we have a conversation about revascularization. You have to be a good candidate for it. You can’t be knocking on death’s door and then wanting an operation to save your leg,” said Dr. Alabi.
Georgia locals should be concerned about PAD because the southeast has the highest rate of amputation in the nation. Dr. Alabi explains that areas in Georgia have a high rate of diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease. The AHA has a heat map that shows which parts of the country have the most activity regarding amputation. The
medical organization also highlights health disparities, such as access to health care and housing, which have played a role in this matter.
Ronald Abney is a Georgia resident who had his left leg amputated in March 2024. Pain in his foot was beginning, and the situation gradually got worse.
Amputation was a dramatic experience for Abney. This procedure affected daily tasks like yard work, which he loved to do. What keeps him positive is the belief that he will be able to walk again. Abney is currently learning how to operate with a prosthetic leg. The Georgia resident encourages all adults with a weird feeling in their leg to get it checked out.
“Amputation can cost you your life. If you have a family or kid, think about what you can’t do with them long term. When you see those small signs like aches and pains, get them checked out. It could save you a limb,” said Abney.
DevOps Middleware Engineer (mltpl pos’s), US Bank, Atlanta, GA to implmnt, integrate, & provide spprt for middleware s/w in a multi-tiered, multi-platform envrmnt. Pos reqs a Master’s deg in CS, IT, or rltd field, & 3 yrs of exp as a S/w Dvlpr or in a rltd occupation.
Experience must incl 3 yrs of exp w/ each of the following:
1. Configuration mgmt & automation tools: Ansible, Bamboo, GitHub, Jenkins;
2. Executing scripts & performing troubleshooting on Linux & Unix;
3. Apache, Bash, DevOps, J2EE, JVM, SpringBoot, IBM MQ/AMQ, & WebSphere.
Teams may work from home & the office.
Pay Range: $127,504.00 - $140,100.00. This position is with Elavon, Inc., a U.S. Bank Company.
Apply online https://www.elavon.com/careers.html or email recruiting.excellence@usbank.com, incl job req 2024-0022340 in subject line.
Spacious 1-Bedroom Affordable!
Rent Based on Annual Income Amenities, Great Location, and Convenient to Marta
Please call for detailed information (404) 586-9098
Associate, Credit Risk w/ GreenSky Management Company LLC in Atlanta, GA. Remote work permitted 3 days/wk w/in commuting dist of Atlanta, GA. Provide analytical support in identification of merchant risks & opportunities & creation of strategic or tactical recommendations. Perform root cause analysis of changing trends to identify performance (e.g., delinquency, loss, profitability) drivers. Req’s: Bach deg in quant field such as Econ., Fin’ce, Stats, Analytics, Math, Operations Research, Engg, Comp Sci or rel. field. 2 yrs of exp in relevant analytical & quant role. Prior exp must incl 2 yrs of exp w/following: utilizing SQL programming to extract, aggregate, & anlyz data; & credit risk strategy dvlpmnt & segmentation analysis for loan delinquency, loss forecast, & portfolio profitability. Prior exp must incl 1 yr of exp w/following: profitability & pricing strategies for home improvement lending bus.; working knowledge in Microsoft Excel, incl creation of pivot tables, use of logic functions (such as vlookup or sumproduct); Advanced Tableau capabilities, incl using Level of Detail expression to create calculated fields; working w/large datasets using Python or another similar programming language (such as R); & communicating complex fin’l concepts to sr. leadership through written, verbal, & presentation skills. Job Code: 8291953. QUALIFIED APPLICANTS: Apply at greensky.com. Select “About” tab & click on “Careers.” NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. ©20062024 GreenSky, LLC. All rights reserved. GreenSky is an equal opportunity employer & will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any classification protected by federal, state, or local law.
Sealed bids for 24ITB1320338C-GS - Modular Workstations and Free-Standing Furniture 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, December 17, 2024. All bids submitted must be received no later than 11:00 a.m. local (Eastern) time on the stated date.
Bids will be publicly opened and read at 11:05 a.m. on the stated due date via Zoom: Web Conference Link: Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91837219213
Meeting ID: 918 3721 9213
Bid Bond: N/A
Scope of Work: Fulton County, Georgia (“County”) is seeking bids from qualified bidders to provide Modular Workstations and Free-Standing Furniture Countywide. The detailed scope of work and technical specifica-
SUMMECH Community Development Corporation, Inc. ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROPOSAL Project For Bid
Sealed proposals for Washington Street Multi-Family Apartments in Peoplestown Community, SW Atlanta, GA 30315 property rehabilitation will be accepted by SUMMECH, 633 Pryor Street, SW, Atlanta, GA 30312 on Monday, November 25, 2024. All proposals submitted must be sealed and received no later than 12:00 pm. local (Eastern) time on the stated date.
Scope of Work: The purpose of this Request for Proposal is to select vendor who can provide Design-Build Services for interior and exterior repairs of occupied multi-family apartments. This project will require all construction, plumbing,
tions 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 downloaded, 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 via Zoom on Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 10:00 a.m., local time, to provide bidders with information regarding the project and to address any questions.
Link:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/92096764510
Meeting ID: 920 9676 4510
If you have any questions regarding this project, please contact Gertis Strozier, APA, at Email: gertis. strozier@fultoncountyga.gov
Fulton County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids and to waive technicalities.
electrical, quality control, etc. The successful bidder will be responsible for providing all labor, materials, tools, equipment and incidentals and completing all work required in the Scope of Work and Specifications.
Rehabilitation of 10 Multi-Family Apartments Fee: N/A
Term of Contract:
Site Visit: Scheduled As Needed, Contact Project Manager
If you have any questions regarding this project please contact Felicia Hicks, Project Manager, at Email:fhicks@ summechcdc.org
SUMMECH reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and the to waive technicalities.
Together, these 10 HBCU students drive the summer internship of a lifetime with Black-owned newspapers
