This is a weekly feature called Community Notebook, filled with snippets of information, conversations, and reporting about the communities where we work. Canopy Atlanta Fellows and other community residents may contribute to this weekly reporting. The Community Notebook is featured in our newsletter Voices — sign up to find this in your inbox every week.
No kings; new hope
By Jack Rose, Norcross Fellow
The morning of June 14th, a pessimist woke up unconvinced but curious about the effectiveness of protests. That same morning, amidst more than 5,000 Atlantans gathered in Liberty Plaza before the Georgia State Capitol building, I felt some cracks growing in that opinion.
What I expected was an upswell of justified outrage and chants pin pricked with homemade signage. Though there was outrage and signs aplenty, I also found organization refining feeling into action.
Children blew bubbles while a microbiology professor and state lawmaker listed grievances. Folks handed out sunscreen and water while a veteran and organizer emphasized the importance of institutions that saved his life. A mother and daughter held signs in stoic solidarity that said, “Here in Atlanta, the only king we honor is Dr. Martin Luther King.” All the while, Americans used community and the First Amendment to encourage action and demand change.
Though it’s hard to gauge the effectiveness of any one protest, it’s even harder to argue with the strength and utility of Atlanta’s symbolism that day. Through cooperation, organization, and unexpectedly catchy chants, they—at the very least—gave one pessimist something to think about.
Clarkston housing summit
By Audrey Hamm, Intern
The City of Clarkston hosted its inaugural housing summit on Thursday, May 27. This event came in partnership with the Atlanta Regional Commission, which selected the Clarkston Housing Summit as one of its seven recipients for this year’s Community Development Assistance Program.
The summit was designed to inform future city planning efforts, present housing data, empower community members with knowledge, and receive feedback.
According to a post on The City of Clarkston’s Facebook page about the housing summit, user Brian Medord commented: “This was an extremely productive meeting. The small groups and facilitators helped make sure everyone’s voices were heard in equal measure.”
The ARC plans to recommend applications for both the 2026 Housing Assessment and the 2026 Livable Centers Initiative Plan for Clarkston.
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