Atlanta Archives - Page 2 of 126 - Rolling Out

On the night of Saturday, May 30, 2020, Messiah Young, a recent graduate of Morehouse College, was driving home with his friend, a classmate who attends Spelman College, near Centennial Olympic Park. Minutes before they made it to an intersection that divided protestors and police, the city of Atlanta had issued a citywide curfew for…

Nearly a week after the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis, protests have erupted across the country. Starting Friday, May 30, and continuing throughout the weekend, thousands of people congregated in cities across the country to protest police brutality. Many Americans peacefully demonstrated with Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery…

Two police officers have been fired after brutally arresting students from Morehouse and Spelman College last night. On May 30, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced a 9:00 p.m. curfew. About 15 minutes after the curfew went into effect, the situation at the site of the protests deteriorated quickly. Video of police arresting two college…

The city of Atlanta burned on the night of May 29, 2020. In response to the death of George Floyd, hundreds initially marched peacefully in downtown Atlanta to shed light on police brutality and racial injustice. However, the protest turned violent as some set police cars on fire, destroyed property at the CNN Center, College…

What started as a peaceful protest to bring attention to police brutality turned violent in Atlanta. On Friday, May 29, 2020, hundreds of protestors marched through downtown Atlanta to help shed light on the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died four days earlier in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after a White police officer, Derek…

Rapper 2 Chainz’s popular Atlanta restaurant was shut down by the Georgia State Police late Monday night, May 25, 2020, for violating social distancing mandates handed down by the governor. It appears from the photos captured by TMZ that the many patrons inside the Georgia-born and bred rapper’s Escobar Restaurant & Tapas were mere…

Sam Pollard is an award-winning director and documentary filmmaker who gives a voice to the voiceless and shares the rich stories of our community. His most recent project is the five-part documentary series, “Atlanta’s Missing And Murdered: The Lost Children.” In the documentary, Pollard investigates the mystery behind the killings of Black youth in Atlanta…

Dennis Williams and Jesse Martin of Clout

The 18-minute short film Clout follows a group of college kids intent on making it in the music industry. In addition to the usual promotion, the group stages mini-concerts in the parking lots of the nation’s largest music festivals. Rolling out recently caught up with the two brilliant minds behind Clout — writer-director Dennis Williams II…

Bridging the gap between Africans on the continent and those in the diaspora, is the work that has brought two seasoned artists — one from the United States and the other Kenya — to collaborate. It is a collaboration that has been in the making for 10 years, finally bearing fruit with “Nu Africans.” Maurice Evans…

T.I. and Killer Mike continue to give back to the community during the global pandemic. On May 6, the Atlanta natives teamed up with PAWkids, which offers social and emotional support to children and families that have been affected by the global pandemic crisis. Over 500 families received meals that consisted of chicken fried rice,…

With many people out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, real estate agents have remained in the trenches, helping their clients buy and sell homes. Armed with masks, gloves and hand sanitizer, these professionals are risking being infected with the virus to close the deal. With a high-profile client list and almost a decade…

If you’ve ever taken a stroll down the natural hair care aisle in your local store, then you couldn’t miss the bold ’90s-inspired packaging for the product line The Doux. The brand was created by veteran hairstylist Maya Smith, a 20-year beauty industry veteran. She developed the products when she was a salon owner in…

Georgia made national headlines after Gov. Brian Kemp decided to reopen the state during the global pandemic. But with Georgia’s COVID-19 cases expected to rise, testing has become a priority. Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey said that the state had a goal of testing 100,000 people in a span of 10…

Ashley Ross, better known as Ms. Minnie on the hit reality TV show “Little Women: Atlanta,” died Monday, April 27, 2020, from injuries she sustained in a serious car crash. She was 34. Information from police has been sparse, but CNN reported that the accident happened about 11 p.m. Sunday evening, April 26, and Ross…

On Friday, April 24, 2020, Georgia became the first state in America to reopen during the global pandemic. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp decided to reopen the state without consulting with city leaders, and while ignoring the guidelines from scientists and medical experts that Georgia should follow stay-at-home orders until the state has had a steady…

The impact of the global pandemic continues to go beyond just being simply a health issue. Political ideologies have turned a public safety matter into a racial issue. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms revealed that she was called a racial slur after encouraging her citizens to stay home after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp decided to…

Two days after Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms initially spoke out against Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to prematurely allow some businesses in the state to reopen, she was met with hate. Kemp announced Monday, April 20, 2020, that the state would begin to relax social distancing and stay-at-home regulations for gyms, barbers, nail salons,…

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp continues to catch flack for his decision to lift restrictions for businesses on April 24. Kemp announced that the state would begin to relax social distancing and stay-at-home regulations for gyms, barbers, nail salons, bowling alleys, massage parlors, tattoo shops, and hair salons. On April 27, movie theaters and private social…

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she and other state officials are “at a loss” to understand Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to partially reopen the state on Friday, April 24, 2020. Bottoms defied the governor when she implored Atlantans to “stay at home” for the time being to continue to thwart the spread of…

An online version of The Cali Picnic, a historically successful festival with roots that go back to the early ’90s, was held on Saturday, April 18, 2020, via Zoom video conferencing, Facebook Watch Party and Instagram Live. Dubbed “The Virtual Cali Picnic,” the party streamed for upwards of five hours, boasting four DJs – Big…