The Bug didn’t fund Collier Heights, not in bricks or mortgages. But it coexisted with those systems, filled in gaps, kept cash circulating, and mirrored the same determination that built the houses on Collier Drive and Baker Ridge.

Leaving something you love is never easy, but I look forward to watching Canopy Atlanta change and grow.

Donata Russell Ross shares what it was like growing up in Collier Heights while attending a predominantly white school across town.

Collier Heights, you have been good, and you have been hard. You have been tender, and you have been merciful. But you have always been ours. And with every memory within your land, you grow into the future we know is possible—and for that, we thank you.

Rising property values, speculative investors, and short-term rental conversions are colliding with restrictive historic preservation rules, creating an uncertain future for this historic Black neighborhood.

Living in Collier Heights provided security and community for Isaac Newton Farris, even as his family were leaders in the fight for civil rights in Atlanta and across the country.

Two childhood friends swap stories about growing up in Collier Heights—from watching homegrown parades to playing in the streets—and talk about what it’s like to drive through the neighborhood today.

As one of the first babies born in Crescendo Valley, this Collier Heights resident says the community nurtured her and defined her.

Collier Heights was designed by and for Black people, with the architectural design of every house telling a story. From American Small Houses, to ranch-style, to mid-century, each home focuses on the symbolic power of the neighborhood.

Black Atlantans experienced redlining and were prevented from buying homes in most Atlanta neighborhoods during the 1940s and 1950s, so they built their own safe haven in Collier Heights. One of those early residents shares memories of growing up in a place he calls Camelot.

History often highlights the men who designed and constructed Collier Heights, but equally deserving of recognition are the women—the trailblazers, caretakers, and champions of their community. Their contributions ensured that Collier Heights was not only a place to live, but a place to flourish.

In this story from the Tri-Cities Community Issue, six artists share their crafts, processes, and purposes. They also share one resounding message: art heals.

“A couple of years ago on Headland and Delowe—
Was the start of something good”

Community members who remember the corridor’s glory days want to see businesses come back to the area. With this redevelopment, though, they say crime must be addressed, too.

Healthcare has felt out of reach since Tri-Cities lost its emergency room. Patients and doctors alike say that even routine visits should be easier to access.

Tri-Cities residents have fought for years to clean up old industrial pollution—and stop new polluters from moving next door. Here’s what one of them has to say.

Traveling across the Tri-Cities area can be challenging without a car. A forgotten river that runs below the world’s busiest airport can fix that.

Norcross, one of the Southeast’s most diverse cities, has a history of division, but city leaders and residents see a future steeped in unity.

Almost half of the city’s residents speak a language other than English at home. In places like the voting booth and the doctor’s office, they may encounter challenges.

Community gatherings can be a lifeline for seniors in Norcross. But limited transportation options keep many from coming together.

“You see more ethnic restaurants because there’s more of a market for it.”

“It’s important for us to keep the tradition going . . . this allows our kids to experience it like we did.”

Canopy Atlanta is participating in NewsMatch, the national fundraising program. We break down the details of the program and how reader support makes our work possible.

GCPS Board of Education announced it would stick with a similar calendar to previous ones for the next two academic years.

Muslim community leaders in Georgia respond to the violence in Gaza, saying they feel “betrayed” by the Biden administration and determined to make their voices heard.

At a youth support group off I-85, Arab American kids describe how war thousands of miles away is impacting their lives.

The West African restaurant feels like home to so many. The tasty turkey tail and cassava leaf soup will tell you why.

Ann Hill Bond honors Floyd Carmichael, who was lynched off Pryor Street in 1906.

Lakewood Heights residents wonder what will replace everything the assembly plant left behind—though there’s no shortage of ideas.

The famed photographer, activist, and teacher has lived in Lakewood Heights since 1976. Here’s how he’s seen his neighborhood change.

While the origins behind those neighborhood signs are mysterious, local businesses aspire to carry on that legacy.

Residents with ties to the south Atlanta neighborhood told us which issues they want to see covered in our next Community Issue. Here’s what they had to say.

The county’s backlog of code violations is well documented. But residents and county officials disagree over who’s actually responsible for these eyesores.

With major developments on the horizon, local entrepreneurs talk about business opportunities they see in the community—and what’s needed for sustained economic growth.

“This isn’t a want or a luxury. We’re talking about produce.”

Redevelopment isn’t driving up housing costs in South DeKalb. Real estate investors are.

For some, mention of the Eastside invokes its rap stars like Future. For one resident, its biggest assets are places like the Michelle Obama Trail

A police officer was a pillar in the Bankhead and Grove Park communities until, one day, he vanished

Canopy Atlanta’s stories center communities directly affected by civic issues.

Atlanta rap wouldn’t be what it is today without the Bankhead area’s contributions. Poole Palace and Toe Jam Studios made the neighborhood a music destination.

With major developments in the works, local entrepreneurs talk about the area’s economic past, present and future.

Forest Park’s students, parents, and administrators grapple with the past and future of their school system

How Clayton County’s largest city finds itself alienated from the produce terminal

A Vietnamese community flourishes in Clayton County

Can Forest Park keep its Hispanic residents? That may depend on police.

The past and future of RDA’s Black-owned businesses

City officials deemed water sales along highway exits a nuisance and a threat. But for one West End teenager, the hustle is a way to make money and to stay out of jail.

How the neighborhood’s artists are adapting to the COVID-19 era

The future for Black farmers in West End and beyond looks just as unstable as the present