Atlanta has long been the scene where Black creatives could thrive both behind and in front of the camera. Since the 1970s, when then-Gov. Jimmy Carter launched the Georgia Film Office, the opening of Tyler Perry studios and other large-scale production facilities over the past twenty years, and a favorable film tax credit, the state […]
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Posted inCulture, Economic Development
Georgia’s Highest Court Sides With Sapelo Island Residents to Put Land Battle on Ballot
In a win for Black landowners, Georgia’s highest court unanimously sided with Gullah Geechee communities in a long-standing zoning battle on Sapelo Island. On Tuesday, the state Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling that had stopped a referendum to consider repealing a revised zoning ordinance passed by McIntosh County officials two years ago. A […]
Posted inClimate Change, History, Rural Issues
The Army Took Their Land. Decades Later, This Black Community Still Wants It Back.
HARRIS NECK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, Ga. — Over the course of what was a scorching, yet typical May day across Coastal Georgia, Willie Moran made it a point to stop and take a deep breath at every sight of water. Looking out across the estuaries and salt marshes teeming with wildlife, he repeatedly reminded his […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Incarceration
Largest ICE Facility Planned at Georgia Private Prison With Deadly Record
While much of the outrage over the rising number of immigration detention facilities is focused on Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz,” Georgia is quietly working on building the largest ICE facility in the country, thanks to the passage of President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” Charlton County, located 10 miles from the Florida border and 274 miles […]
Posted inHealth, Maternal Health, Partner Content
A Brain-Dead Pregnant Black Woman Was Kept Alive in Georgia. It’s Unclear if State Law Required It.
Originally published by KFF Health News A Georgia woman declared brain-dead and kept on life support for more than three months because she was pregnant was removed from a ventilator in June and died, days after doctors delivered her 1-pound, 13-ounce baby by emergency cesarean section. The baby is in the neonatal intensive care unit. […]
Posted inHealth, Maternal Health
Baby Born to Brain-Dead Mom Spurs Lawmaker’s Push to Protect Women’s Rights
Adriana Smith, the Georgia woman declared brain-dead in February and then kept on life support, has a new son. Chance, weighing just 1 pound and 13 ounces, arrived June 13. Smith’s family announced she was taken off life support on Tuesday. In the wake of the controversy surrounding Smith’s complex situation, U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams […]
Posted inMaternal Health, Politics & Policy, Reproductive Health
Her Daughter Died After a Fatal Delay in Reproductive Care. Now, She’s Fighting for Justice.
Shanette Williams has become one of the most vocal advocates for restoring federal protections for abortions. When Shanette Williams speaks publicly, she holds the obituary of her 28-year-old daughter, Amber Nicole Thurman, in her hands. She says it gives her comfort and the strength to continue to tell the story of how a Georgia hospital […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Why Holding Prosecutors Accountable Is as Hard as Prosecuting Police
As the five-year anniversary of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder approached, his family had been awaiting the final stage in their pursuit of criminal accountability — but the trial of a former prosecutor took an unexpected turn. Just before the jury was set to receive instructions on Feb. 5, the presiding state court judge dismissed the indictment […]
Posted inEminent Domain, Rural Issues
This Black Family Won’t Back Down After Court Allows Railroad to Take Their Land
Blaine and Diane Smith were hurt but unsurprised when a Georgia superior court judge ruled last week that a railroad company could seize their land, despite their refusal to sell. For nearly two years, they have been fighting to stop Sandersville Railroad Co., a 130-year-old, white-owned business, from building a 4.5-mile rail spur through a […]
Posted inHistory, Money, Politics & Policy, Rural Issues
The Battle for Land, Identity, and Survival of Gullah Geechee Communities
Whenever Nikki Williams’ feet touch the soil on Sapelo Island, Georgia, memories of her youth flood back vividly. Every fall, her grandfather had her work at the drink booth during Cultural Day, where hundreds gathered to celebrate “the heart and soul of Gullah Geechee culture” through arts and live entertainment. It’s a time to “touch […]