Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens sheds a cultural spotlight on Atlanta and Black journalists

This is a transcript of the following video shown below.

Natasha S. Alford, Vice President of Digital Content and a Senior Correspondent at theGrio, meets Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens on the red carpet of the “A Seat At the Table” D.C. Gala.

Natasha S. Alford [00:00:07] Hey, Grio Fam! It’s Natasha Alford. We’re here at our red carpet of “A Seat At the Table.” Mayor Dickens, thanks so much for being with us. What do you think of the meaning of this museum? It kind of feels sacred.

Mayor Andre Dickens [00:00:15] Absolutely. Every time I come into this space, I feel the sacredness of it. I feel the history. And I’m glad that we have this contribution to our legacy as African Americans in this country. And all that’s in this museum helps us to remember our past and to move forward together.

Alford [00:00:32] You’re leading an iconic city when it comes to Black everything: entrepreneurs, journalism. What do you think it means to have Black journalists having a seat at their own table, whether it’s owning their own newspapers or like us being a Black-owned brand?

Mayor Dickens [00:00:46] Yeah, absolutely. I mean, Black storytellers matter, right? So Black lives matter. And the people that tell the stories about Black folks, about Black business, about Black opportunities, about policy and legislation, but also leadership. And so Black journalists are substantial contributors to American culture and to who we are as a people.

Alford [00:01:07] And along those lines, if you were to ask a journalist to cover something about Atlanta, what do you think they should cover? What’s something that maybe is overlooked that deserves a little bit more attention?

Mayor Dickens [00:01:17] Sure. I mean, Atlanta is, you know, basically to everything to me, you know, is the place of the cradle of the civil rights movement. But it’s also where Black talent comes from. Given that we have HBCUs, we have major organizations there. You know, you know, I just think that they can interview about affordable housing, about, you know, about opportunities for our youth, about public safety and the various things that matter to Black people. And also talented TV, entertainment, music, I mean all of the above. *inaudible*

Alford [00:01:51] Sounds like Atlanta is bringing a lot to the table!

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