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.
From Westside green spaces to the big screen, Canopy Atlanta’s community storytelling took center stage at the 2025 Peaberry Film Festival with the screening of Healing the Land.
The project began as a simple pitch to explore the stories hidden within Westside Atlanta’s green spaces, but grew into something none of us could have fully imagined.
Sitting in the audience next to one of my neighbors, Dorothy Woods, I felt a deep mix of pride, gratitude, and awe. I thought back to my early interview with Donna Stephens, when I first shared my vision for documenting the stories of Westside green spaces and her insight shaping how we connect history, land, and memory. I remembered Kwame Kang’s drone footage, capturing the beauty and resilience of the places we fight to protect, and how Linda Duvoisin brought it all together, stitching it into a powerful story that allowed the land to speak in a way it hadn’t before.
Before the screening, we participated in a panel discussion with Festival Director Brent Lambert-Zaffino on the importance of community engagement and the Canopy Atlanta model of centering community voices.
We shared what it means to truly share narrative ownership—how residents can move from being subjects of stories to becoming the storytellers themselves. The conversation echoed the very heart of our mission: Local journalism, when rooted in trust and collaboration, can help communities see themselves more clearly and advocate more effectively for the future.
I hope this story leaves you inspired by the power of community-focused journalism. Here at Canopy Atlanta, we're driven by a unique mission: to uncover and amplify the voices and stories that often go unheard in traditional newsrooms.
Our nonprofit model allows us to prioritize meaningful journalism that truly serves the needs of our community. We're dedicated to providing you with insightful, thought-provoking stories that shed light on the issues and stories that matter most to neighborhoods across Atlanta.
By supporting our newsroom, you're not just supporting journalism – you're investing in Atlanta. Small and large donations enable us to continue our vital work of uncovering stories in underrepresented communities, stories that deserve to be told and heard.
From Bankhead to South DeKalb to Norcross, I believe in the power of our journalism and the impact it can have on our city.
If you can, please consider supporting us with a small gift today. Your support is vital to continuing our mission.
Floyd Hall, co-founder
