Atlanta: Then & Now — Lightning: Gone In a Flash_01Atlanta: Then & Now — Lightning: Gone In a Flash_01Here we see a grim reminder of the cost Atlanta incurred for years of development and gentrification. Countless downtown Atlanta communities have been relocated and demolished in the name of progress. Photo: Rusty Miller Story: Eric Naccarato Read full story on Bokeh Focus
Atlanta: Then & Now — Lightning: Gone In a Flash_02Atlanta: Then & Now — Lightning: Gone In a Flash_02For those who lived in Lightning, their homes and a part of their identities have been swept away. Lightning was a working-class African American community that was one of the city’s earliest established neighborhoods, dating back to the early 1900s. Story: Eric Nacarrato Read full story on Bokeh Focus
Atlanta: Then & Now — Lightning: Gone In a Flash_03Atlanta: Then & Now — Lightning: Gone In a Flash_03In 1964 the city of Atlanta made a map (see link in full story) marking the city’s notable black communities... segregating the black communities from the white ones. Maps such as these were used by city planners to identify prospective zones for urban redevelopment. Credit: www.atlmaps.org Story: Eric Naccarato Read full story on Bokeh Focus
Atlanta: Then & Now — Lightning: Gone In a Flash_04Atlanta: Then & Now — Lightning: Gone In a Flash_04The Purge: Lightning residents were driven away, pressured to sell their land for less than it was worth. The threat was if they didn’t sell, they would lose their land through eminent domain. The Georgia Dome was coming. Lightning was“totally obliviated.” It was removed from maps; streets were renamed and the city removed Lightning from the official list of Atlanta neighborhoods. The purge was complete, and Lightning was gone. Story: Eric Naccarato Read full story on Bokeh Focus
Atlanta: Then & Now — Lightning: Gone In a Flash_05Atlanta: Then & Now — Lightning: Gone In a Flash_05“In a city where resources are limited and needs are great, we should be asking of every project this fundamental question: "Who do we want Atlanta to be for?” The Kronberg Wall Report (see link in full story) Story: Eric Naccarato Read full story on Bokeh Focus
Atlanta: Then & Now — Lightning: Gone In a Flash_06Atlanta: Then & Now — Lightning: Gone In a Flash_06This story is part of a class project directed by Kennesaw State University journalism professor Burton Speakman. Eric Naccarato's story was featured at our annual fundraiser & part of Atlanta Celebrates Photography. BOKEH FOCUS — ATLANTA: THEN & NOW EXHIBIT November 15, 2019. Photo: Google Maps Read full story on Bokeh Focus
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