Morning, y’all! Punxsutawney Phil (whose name I spelled right on the first try, not to brag) saw his shadow yesterday, which means six more weeks of winter. Whatever, you giant weather rodent. We were all running around in shorts this weekend, and it looks like it will be a pleasant week to come.
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THE AJC CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Nobody does Black History Month like The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, and this year we’re celebrating 10 years of special BHM coverage led by Atlanta journalism icon Ernie Suggs.
This year’s theme is “Atlanta Unveiled: How African Americans Shaped Our City.” Shaped is an interesting word. The first in this year’s series is a story about Black architects, which we’ll talk about in a moment. But a city is more than that, and throughout February you’ll learn more about Black insurance companies, city leaders, philanthropists and working class movements that not only shaped the city we love, but made it a place worth loving.
“What we are doing now is perhaps more important than it has ever been,” Suggs writes in this year’s series introduction. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump and several federal agencies made moves to deemphasize “identity months” and cultural awareness events like Black History Month. In response, Suggs quotes Carter G. Woodson, the founder of the observance that would eventually become Black History Month:
“If you teach the Negro that he has accomplished as much good as any other race he will aspire to equality and justice without regard to race.”
If you haven’t found a way to observe Black History Month on a personal level, there’s sure to be something in the AJC’s BHM archive that calls to you.
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BLACK ARCHITECTURE IN ATLANTA
Credit: Jason Getz / AJC
Credit: Jason Getz / AJC
Every time you look up at the vast rotunda of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, walk through MARTA stations in Dunwoody and Doraville or admire the starlight-dappled towers in Centennial Olympic Park, you are looking at the work of Black architects, designers and engineers. In this story, reporter Nedra Rhone reveals their struggles and inspirations, and you’ll never look at the city the same way again.
How could you, after you learn about William Stanley and his wife Ivenue Stanley, the first male and female Black graduates from Georgia Tech’s School of Architecture? They designed the Horizon Sanctuary that greets people at Atlanta’s iconic Ebenezer Baptist Church, one of the most important historic buildings in the city. If you don’t think a Black architecture power couple weaving together African design and Civil Rights history isn’t one of the coolest things ever, I don’t know what to tell you.
Today’s trivia question: As mentioned before, Black History Month actually began as Negro History Week. Carter G. Woodson chose a particular week in February because two prominent civil rights leaders had birthdays in it. Who were they? (Hint: The two men were contemporaries, and knew each other.)
Not signed up yet? What’re you waiting for? Get A.M. ATL in your inbox each weekday morning. And keep scrolling for more news.
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TARIFF TIME
Credit: File/Judi Bottoni/AP
Credit: File/Judi Bottoni/AP
Trump has followed through with his promise to slap tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and Canada and Mexico have slapped us right back with tariffs of their own.
What is a tariff again?
To step all the way back (because we all need a refresher from time to time,) a tariff is a tax the government sets on imports and exports from other countries, that the other countries are responsible for paying. This is often used to help shore up domestic production, since it makes trade with outside countries more expensive. However, they also increase the likelihood that consumers will have to pay more for those goods.
What is likely to be affected?
🚗 The automotive industry: It’s important to remember that a lot of trade isn’t just sending one finished good elsewhere. There are innumerable supply chains that run through various countries first, and Canada and Mexico are, quite obviously, two critical hubs for that movement. One good example is the auto industry. The U.S. imports billions a year in vehicles and auto parts from our closest neighbors. New tariffs on China could have the same consequences.
⛽ Gas: Canada is by far America’s biggest foreign supplier of crude oil. More than that, they supply a type of crude oil, different from what is produced in the states, that American refineries are designed to process. Economic experts say prices at the pump could rise 30 to 70 cents a gallon.
🥑 Avocados, alcohol, toys and electronics: While less important (usually) than cars and gas, Canada, Mexico and China also give Americans a lot of the things they love. Think clothing, toys, tequila and produce. All of that could get more expensive in the tariff-heavy future.
🔎 More about tariff-affected industries, and what it means for consumers
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MAYOR VS. INSPECTOR GENERAL
Credit: Riley Bunch/AJC
Credit: Riley Bunch/AJC
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and the city’s inspector general Shannon Manigault have been fighting for months about how much power her office should have to investigate corruption in the city government. Atlanta has been rocked by huge corruption scandals at the top of local government before, which led to the creation of the Office of the Inspector General in 2017. Its purpose is to root out misconduct from within. Now, Dickens is spearheading legislation that would curtail the office’s reach and abilities, and the City Council is caught in the middle. Don’t expect this feud to end quickly – or quietly.
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THE WEEK AHEAD
🗳️ ALL WEEK: Early voting is on for Cobb County’s Special Primary Election for districts 2 and 4 on the Board of Commissioners. You have until the 7th to cast your ballot early, and the election itself is on the 11th.
🖊️ MONDAY: Welcome to another week of the 2025 Georgia legislative session. Today, House Speaker Jon Burns will discuss his school safety plan, and the Senate Republican Caucus will reveal its priorities for the session.
Also, happy 155th birthday to the 15th Amendment, which recognized the right to vote for African American men.
🔮 TUESDAY-SATURDAY: We sail the entropic waves of time and circumstance.
🏈 SUNDAY: Super Bowl! Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans. Be there, or Andy Reid will sprinkle his mustache hair clippings under your pillow.
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NEWS BITES
It was, as always, a good night to be Beyoncé.
Jimmy Carter also won a posthumous Grammy for his audiobook narration of ‘Last Sundays in Plains’
An emotional moment capped off by an even more emotional speech by Carter’s grandson.
An exclusive Q&A with Atlanta United’s Miguel Almiron
Featuring a new Miggy-coined word: “footballistically.”
State Farm Arena launches new guest chef program
Just don’t mess with the hot dogs.
The Hawks drop eight in a row, Georgia basketball falls to Alabama, Georgia State loses to Appalachian State, Tech scores a win over No. 21 Louisville.
Congrats, Tech, you get the “We didn’t lose this weekend” star.
You get a star, too!
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ON THIS DATE
Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
From the Feb. 3, 1926 edition of the Atlanta Constitution: U.S. Millionaires number 40,000. One or two considered in billionaire class on basis of latest tax returns.
If I tell you the millionaire/billionaire numbers in the U.S. now you are going to be sad. Are you sure you want to know? Fine. It’s about 7.4 million millionaires, and 750ish billionaires, give or take.
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ONE MORE THING
Frederick Douglass (Feb. 20) and Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12). Sometimes people buy the myth that the U.S. government chose February for Black History Month because it is the shortest month. Nope! This is the real reason. Oh, have I been reading this article on the history and myths of Black History Month? How could you tell?
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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tellus@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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