The Room Where It Happens

As the sun settled over the west wing of Providence Missionary Baptist Church, community stakeholders of Cascade convened. There were business owners, political candidates, neighbors, public officials, and most notably, neighbors. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss grievances and solutions concerning the long and delayed construction on Cascade Road in Southwest Atlanta. It was as if the sky spoke of the mood of the people. A variation of clouds created a lining that made it nearly impossible to see the sun peering through, yet it was there.

At the start, activist Rodney Mullins convened the meeting just minutes after 6 o’clock PM, as people took their seats in the western chapel of Providence. He opened the meeting by greeting everyone and sharing that this meeting would prioritize the people of Cascade. Those of us who have bore the depths of delay, as our streets have torn tires, broken businesses and robbed residents of their fair share of neighborhood enjoyment. He then gave an update stating that there was a more private meeting than they had expected at City Hall. One in which a deal with Atlanta Mayor’s Office would “address the losses of the businesses for seven months.” Seven months seems to have been the most concrete figure mentioned. Mullin also shared that Council members Marci Collier Overstreet (representing District 11) and Andrea Boone (representing District 10) committed and delivered on writing a letter of support. “But what was missing from that letter of support was specifics,” said Mullin. The council women assured the business advocates that they see them, hear them, and that they will get more specific information to the business stakeholders.

Then, the business owners broke their silence as they came up one by one and addressed the community. Angela Ingram and husband Kyssii Ingram of Café Bartique spoke first. “I am very uncomfortable,” Angela said. She and Kysii moved to Cascade because of its legacy. Now it is a struggle to pay her employees who are a part of this community too. Kysii, a Morehouse graduate, shared of his experience in Atlanta and how he still believes in his wife’s vision to do business in this community. Trinket Lewis, a leader in the movement and owner of Morelyfe Juice Co. was markedly frustrated as she shared about her investment of around $100,000 to start her business. She now struggles with once faithful customers calling and asking how they can get to her establishment, with all of the construction going on. Lewis also shared that the people who want a healthy option in her neighborhood will suffer if things don’t change quickly. “It’s just really a painful time for all of us,” she concluded. A board member of historic The Beautiful Restaurant shared that he and his fellow church members worked day and night to get their enterprise up and running in the 1970’s, and that looking at the condition of the current economy on Cascade is saddening. Courtney Rucker, owner of Natalie Bianca’s shared and opened with gratitude for the people in the room, who she recognized as faithful patrons. When people come to her restaurant, they come back; “we just have to get them there,” she concluded. It was a powerful moment for everyone in the room to hear the business leaders speak.

As many of us know, election season is upon us, and six of the 11 candidates for Atlanta’s City Council District 11 (you can’t make this up,… 11 for 11) were in attendance and ready to speak. Toni Ingram spoke on behalf of the current pastor of Providence saying that he wished he could be there, but had a prior commitment concerning his sons. Steven Dingle pointed out that the number of candidates in the race shows how much people care for the area. Andre Burgin shared condolences. Harold Hardnett shared that he secured a meeting with the Mayor, then the Chief of Operations of the City of Atlanta, LaChandra Burks, quickly corrected the information saying that she scheduled that meeting and notice was sent days ago. Nate Jester shared his occupation and offered his phone number. Wayne Martin shared of his past experiences growing up in Atlanta. Candidate Curt Collier shared that we are at a “tipping point” in Southwest Atlanta. Collier shared that foresight is needed when an area like Cascade is being neglected, and a change needs to happen now. Collier, an educator and licensed real estate broker, shared that a depressed neighborhood insentivises shifts in property values and ownership, which ultimately affects the historic leadership and legacy of Cascade in Southwest Atlanta. “We need eyes, we need attention, we need action, that’s all I came to say,” Collier concluded.

Then there were residents like myself in attendance. There were others who grew up on and off Cascade as children. One was Rashida Winfrey, who spoke of the importance of accurate information and that sharing misinformation can potentially cripple this hopeful campaign for economic relief. Her gentle comment seemed to be aimed at Mullins who was corrected concerning some of the information he had been sharing during the campaign. The city COO Burks shared similar sentiments and added that she regularly meets with contractors to push their work forward. I shared my gratitude for being in a multigenerational meeting with everyone in the room, including my husband of nearly 20 years and our six children. The hope and possibility for continued legacy is clearly visible.

Finally, the former pastor, Reverend Durley closed the meeting with a prayer and a hope. He shared of remembering Martin Luther King Jr., Jonathan Lewis, and Benjamin E. Mays. “It happened in this room,” he shared concerning some of the major movements and campaigns of the previous generation’s Civil Rights activism. So there we were, continuing the legacy of Cascade, Southwest Atlanta, in the room were it happens. Let me tell you, things really did happen. Farooki shared that she is willing to give everyone an update after the Mayor’s meeting with Cascade business stakeholders, which is scheduled for this afternoon.

Stay tuned right here and I will make sure we get the “tea” we deserve!

Five Green Spaces on Cascade: Where our Roots Breathe Still

Cascade is more than asphalt and winding curves. It’s a living corridor of stories — a place where we come to lay burdens down, let laughter echo through old oaks, and remind ourselves that rest, too, is resistance. In this stretch of Southwest Atlanta, you can feel the hush of history with every step on the trail, every tee swung, every headstone read aloud like an old family name.

Walk with me. Let’s linger a while in five green spaces that hold the heartbeat of Cascade.

🌳 John A. White Golf Course: For the Love of the Game — And Each Other

Since 1929, John A. White has been a neighborhood constant — a nine-hole haven tucked away where Cascade bends and the canopy opens up just so. Maybe you’ve seen the kids at First Tee Atlanta, shoulders square, eyes bright with possibility. Maybe you’ve watched an elder line up their putt, sharing tips and stories in the same breath.

It’s not just golf here — it’s a quiet ritual of togetherness. Each swing is a small promise that our children deserve fair shots, fresh air, and fairways that welcome every face. The grass is cut, the trees stand watch, and the game goes on — rooted in our community, belonging to us, the people.

⛳ Alfred “Tup” Holmes Golf Course: A Quiet Freedom Under the Pines

Drive a little further and you’ll find Alfred “Tup” Holmes Golf Course — 18 holes laid across gentle hills and stubborn history. This isn’t just any course; it’s sacred ground for what it represents. Alfred “Tup” Holmes, alongside his father and brother, sued Atlanta to break the color line on the city’s public golf greens — and won.

Every golfer who tees up here, whether they know it or not, honors that fight for access, for dignity. You can almost hear the echo of that victory under the whispering pines — that freedom doesn’t always come in loud parades. Sometimes, it shows up in the simple right to play where your ancestors were once told, not you.

💧 Cascade Springs Nature Preserve: The Water Still Speaks

And then there’s the crown jewel — Cascade Springs Nature Preserve. If you’ve never paused there, you’re missing the hush that only running water can teach. This land has always been a sanctuary — Muscogee land, Civil War battleground, then threatened by pavement and pipes before neighbors stepped in and said, no more.

Today, the springs flow the way our dreams do — soft but determined, carving paths through stone. Children skip across footbridges, elders walk daily and sometimes rest on benches under dappled light. Some come to birdwatch; others come to let the city noise drain off their shoulders for a while. Everyone leaves with a bit more ease in their chest.

It reminds us that we’re caretakers, not conquerors — and that nature, like people, can heal when we defend its right to breathe.

🌿 Greenwood Cemetery: Where We Tend Memory Like a Garden

A little off Cascade, Greenwood Cemetery hums with a different kind of green — the green of ivy climbing old stones, the green of stories still whispered among the oaks. Here lie some of Atlanta’s earliest Black residents, families who labored, worshipped, dreamed, and left their names for us to speak aloud.

Wandering these paths, you see how a community refuses to forget. Each grave is a lesson: our people rest but are never gone. Greenwood is not just a place for sorrow — it’s a garden for remembrance. A place to say, thank you, and we remember, and we’re still here.

🎶 The Lionel Hampton Trail: A Song Through the Trees

If you ever feel like taking a gentle walk where history hums along with the birds, the Lionel Hampton Trail is waiting for you. Winding through old growth forest and quiet neighborhoods, this trail reminds us that music and land can hold a name long after a man is gone.

At one time, Lionel Hampton — the legendary jazz vibraphonist and bandleader — owned much of the land that still bears his name today. Instead of fading into pavement, these woods and pathways keep a little of his spirit alive. It’s like a melody you can stroll to: kids on bikes, neighbors jogging, families pausing to watch sunlight dance through the canopy.

Sometimes the loudest legacy is simply a place that lets us move our bodies freely — surrounded by green, guided by a name we’re proud to say out loud.

🌱 A Final Word: This Land is in Our Care

Five green spaces, each one a testament: we've long known how to claim, protect, and tend what we hold dear. In every swing of a club, every hush of water, every name etched in granite, you can feel it — that Cascade’s story isn’t just history. It’s present. It’s alive.

So next time you drive down Cascade Road, crack your window. Let the breeze carry the scent of old pines and fresh cut grass. Smile at the knowledge that you’re part of a place that refuses to forget who we are, or who we’re becoming.

These green spaces are ours to enjoy — and we keep them so they can keep us.

We’ll Ne’er Forget Southwest

Southwest Highschool alumni from the classes of 1967-1981

Graduates of Southwest Highschool Inaugurate an Alumni Breakfast

“We’ll never forget Southwest,” sang the many former students present at the Inaugural Southwest High School Alumni Breakfast that was held this past Saturday at Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Southwest Atlanta. Members of the graduating classes from 1967 to 1981 gathered Saturday morning, to kindle their common fellowship and to honor one another’s dynamic past student experiences at the most prominent integrating High Schools within the Atlanta Public School System of the 1960’s and 70’s. Thanks to the hosting class of 1972, the SWHS Steering Committee, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, social media group organizers, and many more, the inaugural breakfast was a landmark occasion that will no-doubt carry on as a treasured tradition for many years to come.

Former Southwest Atlanta classmates meet and greet before program begins.

     In 1964, Southwest High School (SWHS) was integrated by seven African American students, paving the way for what would become one of the most notable Black school communities of Atlanta. This past Saturday, class members from the graduating classes of 1967 to 1981 gathered at Mount Vernon Baptist Church of Southwest Atlanta to kindle their common fellowship.  Curtis Miller, from the class of 1972 emceed the event and shared about how his class decided to open their annual breakfast to a broader and more inclusive audience after noticing that alumni from other classes began to learn of the occasion and attend through the years. A class roll call was held by Linda Bennett-Burras (class of 1980), beginning with the class of 1967, and ending with the class of 1981, which was the last class to graduate from Southwest High School. Benjamin E. Mays High School opened its doors in September of 1981 and enrolled many former students of Southwest High School. The two schools share a deep connection through their history and service to the students and families of Southwest Atlanta.

Three of the original seven integrating students pose for their class of 1967 photo.

Class members of 1980 were the second to last graduating class before the school closed and transitioned into a middle school, thus ending enrollment and the education at Southwest High School.

    Honorable mention was given to Phyllis Jackson-Smith. She was one of the seven initial integrating students and the daughter of Leonard Jackson, who was one of nine parents that filed the lawsuit in conjunction with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for the integration of Atlanta Public Schools at large. Though the landmark school integration Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education ruled segregated schooling to be unconstitutional in 1954, Atlanta Public Schools and many other Southern school districts refused to adhere to the new law of the land. It wasn’t until 1961 that the first Atlanta schools were integrated. Southwest High School followed suit three years later by enrolling seven African American students in the fall of 1964. Greg Love, Marylin Johnson and Phyllis Jackson-Smith attended the breakfast; they were three of those seven initial integrating students.

Family members who are also alumni share some contextual history of Southwest Atlanta during the time of school integration.

    A thoughtful and brief school history was shared by Christie Turner Hicks (class of 1974) and Darrell Morgan (class of 1973). They discussed the evolution of the school, from its changing jurisdictions, name changes, principal transitions, and many other significant facts. Christie Turner Hicks presented a curation of photographs that showcased the school’s architecture and notable leadership. Darrel Morgan called his cousin Phyllis Jackson-Smith to the stage to share some contextual history about Atlanta’s southwestern quadrant during the 1960’s. Emcee Curtis Miller also shared that the school football team of 1974 was the first Black football team to win the Georgia state championship and the last Atlanta Public School to win the title to date. An air of hallowed, historic, living legacies filled the fellowship hall of Mount Vernon Baptist Church throughout the morning.

     Following the closing prayer that was led by class of 72’s Rev. Ryginal Eppinger. The entire body of present alumni stood to sing tribute to their Alma Mater, with their school song:

While the sands of time are shifting,

Some will leave and some will stay.

Our spirits and traditions will forever have their say.

Her ideals will reign majestic,

Through every hallowed year.

She stands for all our fondest dreams,

The things that we hold dear.

Her strength will ever shine, a goal for all to see,

And it will always be a lasting shrine.

And throughout history,

She’ll shine for you and me,

Her aims will never die.

Spirit is our best possession;

‘Twill always be the best.

It echoes in our hearts and

We’ll ne’er forget SOUTHWEST!

For more stories like this, like our Facebook Page, Instagram and/or sign up for our Newsletter.

Ⓒ Copyright 2022 The Cascade™ Preservation + PR . All Rights Reserved.