Onstage atlanta7/31/2023 ![]() July 1st, 6 pm to 9 pm Night of Healing for BIPOC Theatre Makers Only June 30th, 6 pm to 9 pm Town Hall for Racial Reckoning* June 29th, 6 pm to 9 pm Town Hall for Racial Reckoning* In an effort to make sure those voices are heard, The Coalition for Racial Equity in Atlanta Theater (CREAT) and Inclusion Diversity Equity in the Arts Atlanta (IDEA ATL) have partnered to host a three-night virtual town hall: When we are able to make theatre again, we cannot return to “business as usual.” We cannot return to theatre companies that will not acknowledge and respect the voices of the BIPOC community. A seismic shifting of the status quo is threatening to rock the foundation upon which so many theaters in this community have built their legacies. The global effects of the pandemic, and now the civil unrest in our communities, are highlighting the disparities between white lives and the lives of People of Color- especially Black people. Said the mayor: “I don’t understand why people think change can’t happen.Our community is experiencing a reckoning. They built the mojo that the city must now capitalize on. He and Jones both credited the businesses that have arrived in recent years for forging their own paths. Property and rents in the village are already relatively cheap, and the city boasts an existing street grid that many other communities have to try and recreate, said Linder, the development authority chairman. Updates to the facades of some historic storefronts couldn’t hurt either, the plan said. It suggests building new gateways and hanging new signage to create a better sense of place. To make progress, she says, everyone has to be pulling in the same direction.Ī new master plan approved in late 2020 calls for creating a new identity that doesn’t “marry” the city to Stone Mountain Park - but also for considering the creation of a shuttle or trolley line between the two. Jones - who replaced Patricia Wheeler, a woman who served as mayor at various points across four decades - votes on issues only in the event of a tie and is largely a figurehead.īut the new mayor, whose day job involves working as a behavioral and mental health counselor, sees her role as trying to unite an often divided City Council. ![]() To be clear, Stone Mountain’s local government places most administrative powers with the city manager. Otherwise it’s just gonna be remembered for what it’s always been remembered for.” “So I’m really excited and hopeful, I’m hoping that this new mayor could implement a lot of programs or something to help this community thrive. “I think the missing element was just the city leadership,” Brown said. He admits its been a bit of a struggle, but is encouraged by other recently arriving businesses. “I think we’re at a place where we can definitely see things go to the next level, but it’s still kind of in that incubator stage.”ĭaniel Brown, the co-founder of Gilly Brew Bar, is not from Stone Mountain but said he felt a calling to help build the community. “I think Stone Mountain is in a real interesting place,” said Jelani Linder, chair of the city’s Downtown Development Authority. The Vibrary, a unique wine shop and bookstore combo, opened last year and has garnered positive press. Stoned Pizza Kitchen and Cherokee Rose, a sort of upscale barbecue joint, draw regular crowds, as does Outrun Brewing Company, a new ‘80s-themed spot for craft beer. The shop’s arrival helped lay the groundwork for other new businesses to move in. ![]() Gilly Brew Bar - a trendy, Black-owned coffee shop - opened a few years ago in what’s still known as “the Mayor’s House,” a two-story structure built by enslaved people for Stone Mountain’s first leader. A prominently placed gazebo, at some point converted to an ATM, sits in disrepair. Lightpole signage promoting the city is a mishmash of old and new. There are shops, but many historic storefronts sit vacant. The downtown area - known as Stone Mountain Village - has certainly seen better days. ![]() There are about 6,700 residents, more than three-quarters of which are Black. It sits just to the west of the mountain and the well-visited expanse of parkland. Stone Mountain is, in fact, a city that’s existed since 1839. ![]()
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