Atlanta Through the Archives

About

Data Collection

Using the historic archives of the Atlanta Daily World, a historically Black middle-class newspaper published in Atlanta, we aimed to collect data points representing racialized public policy and planning events over the past century. The World was selected as it is the oldest Black newspaper based in Atlanta, which provides the most extensive accounts of the civil rights struggles of the Black middle class (Odum-Hinmon 2005). The ADW archives were systematically searched to create a master list of articles using keywords surrounding public siting decisions and racial markers. With the list of articles in place, events that were mentioned multiple times were coded to create a more refined list of events – these would be the stories. Additionally, other data sources, Atlanta Housing Authority’s list of public housing sites and Georgia State University’s list of Urban Renewal Projects, were searched to provide more contextual information and provide more direction to our search terms. Finally, using the various articles found, we were able to relay the narratives constructed around each event and code them into relevant categories – public siting decisions, zoning fights, or public housing demolition. Stories were then quantified and placed in chronological order to tell the story of Atlanta through the years. By highlighting a few archetypal stories in each category, the aim was to represent the larger story – redlining was not an individual occurrence that created residential segregation or disparate access to resources; rather, redlining was just one piece in a long history of racial motivations behind spatial decision making in Atlanta that has impacted and continues to impact Atlanta and its people to this day.

SOURCES:

Odum-Hinmon, Maria E. "The Cautious Crusader: How the Atlanta Daily World Covered the Struggle for African American Rights from 1945 to 1985." PhD diss., 2005.

Looking Forward / Contribute

Our core group learned so much in our academic year of working on this project. We are excited for other folks to get involved and continue the vast research on the City of Atlanta and its complicated history (and present). We hope that all who come next have a similarly educational, exciting, and powerful experience. We realize that in our short time, we did not have the capacity to research every important story, but certain neighborhoods, time periods, issues, and data sources stuck out as areas we hope will be pursued in the future.

Neighborhoods to Focus On

  • Buttermilk Bottom
  • Thomasville Heights
  • English Avenue
  • Grove Park

Time Periods to Focus On

  • Civil Rights Era
  • Reagan Era
  • 1990s-2020s

Issues to Focus On

  • HOPE IV & Public Housing Demolition
  • Black Community Resistance & Political Power

Data Sources to Investigate:

  • Sweet Auburn Oral History Archives
  • Georgia Historical Archives

Organizations to Support

Data Geocoding

Geocoding each event mentioned in the articles was an iterative process based on the information provided in each article. First, the article was searched for a street name or address, then that information was put into Google Maps to see if it would come up. If the address were valid, the geocode was recorded. If the street was valid, the article was again searched for a cross street to identify a more specified location. If either street name did not show up, a database of Atlanta historic street names and name changes, provided by Dr. Jamie Chung at Georgia State University, was cross-checked, as well as a Wikipedia page – List of former Atlanta street names. If no explicit address or street name was mentioned, we searched the article for any keywords that might indicate geographic location: a neighborhood, area of the city, or establishment that might provide a reference. If found, we researched the relevant reference to see where it might have been. If more than one location was provided, both were researched and located. If the locations were related, a polygon was drawn to include both locations. Additionally, if the article did not specify a point location but referenced an area (such as a full block or a few blocks), that location was recorded as a polygon rather than a point location.

The analysis conducted is sensitive to spatial location. While this approach worked well for locating the general areas mentioned in the data, the archival nature of the data does not give the level of scale that might be necessary. For further research, a recommendation would be to access more historical archives and maps, as well as look into oral history that might give clearer and more precise location information for various events.

Meet the Team

Brian An

Dr. Brian An is an assistant professor of public policy and finance in the School of Public Policy and an adjunct assistant professor in the School of City and Regional Planning, both at Georgia Tech. His broader research agenda examines how governance design and institutional choice affect policy and planning processes and outcomes at all levels, from neighborhood/local and regional organizations to national governments across the globe. Dr. An is particularly interested in studying how urban policy and planning can be better designed to make our neighborhoods more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable places.

Gabby Oliverio

Gabby Oliverio is a Master of City and Regional Planning candidate graduating in early May, 2022. She has spent most of her life in Georgia and attended Georgia Tech as an undergraduate in the Ivan Allen College studying Economics and International Affairs. After graduating in 2019, she moved to Washington D.C. to do federal work, but her love for Atlanta brought her back for graduate school. She is specializing in economic development and is passionate about finding ways for it to be more equitable, especially in the context of Atlanta. During her free time, Gabby loves to bake, read, and hike.

Grace Roth

Grace Roth is a Master of City and Regional Planning candidate slated to graduate in early May, 2022. Originally from Crystal Lake, Illinois, Grace received her undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas in Civil Engineering and went on to do civil estimating work with Kiewit Power Constructors. Grace left Kiewit to serve as an Americorps Construction Site Coordinator with Habitat for Humanity in Tacoma, Washington, where she became increasingly interested in the built environment as a social determinant and the intersections of planning, policy, housing, and justice. Upon graduation from Georgia Tech, Grace hopes to pursue a career in social and environmental justice, focusing on alternative economies, power structures, and housing systems. In her free time, Grace enjoys camping, crossword puzzles, KU basketball, and ultimate frisbee – she currently plays with the professional women’s team in Atlanta, Atlanta Soul. Check out her website here!

Megan Conville

Megan Conville is a PhD student in City and Regional Planning at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), based in Atlanta, Georgia. Megan holds a B.A. in Business Administration, International Business from Seattle University (2016) and her M.S. in Global Economic Governance and Policy from SOAS, University of London (2019). She has worked in a data team at a community-based nonprofit in Seattle, Washington, and as an analyst in London, UK. Currently, Megan works as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at Georgia Tech. Megan’s research interests focus on discrimination in access to affordable housing spaces.

Amy Kim

Amy Kim is a first-year industrial engineering major from Atlanta, Georgia. Amy is interested in economics and urban and education policy, and on campus, she is involved in Student Government Association and the Collegiate Panhellenic Council. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys playing cello and getting involved in local politics.

Noelle Lambert

Noelle is a third-year Public Policy and Economics double major with concentrations in Environment and Energy Policy, and Social and Urban Policy. She is also a Stamps President's Scholar and member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority on campus. Noelle is passionate about policy analysis and community development, and will be working this summer as a CRA Analyst intern at MVB Bank. Originally from Pennsylvania, Noelle enjoys painting, yoga, and walking her two goldendoodles.

Noelle Pickard

Noelle Pickard is a fourth year undergraduate double majoring in History, Technology, and Society and Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Tech. Noelle is interested in the overlap between environmental history, social justice, and narrative construction. She has previous research experience working with professors of both fields, has spent time as an editorial intern for Lucky Jefferson, a poetry magazine, and currently works as an environmental activist in Atlanta with the Sunrise Movement. Outside of academics, Noelle plays on the Yellow Jacket Roller Derby team.

Nicholas Polimeni

Nicholas Polimeni is a computer science undergraduate with an interest in the intersection of public policy and technology. Originally from New Jersey, the sprawl where he grew up first inspired him to consider the implications that planning can have on people and the environment. On campus, he leads the GT chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby, which has involved students in lobby meetings with Georgia's representatives and senators. He hopes to continue research in adjacent fields and work with movements that aim to create a sustainable future.