Morning, y’all! I’m very pale, so sunscreen season is every day of the year for me. But, my more melanated friends, did you know sunscreen is still important for darker skin tones? Doctors say a high amount of melanin isn’t enough protection from the sun’s damaging rays, and dangerous types of skin cancer can affect anyone. Slather up!
Let’s get to it.
GEORGIA SCHOOLS MAKE PROMISING PROGRESS
Dozens of Georgia schools in high-poverty communities are bucking worrying post-pandemic trends and delivering student triumphs. They could serve as an example for other schools to replicate their success.
The nonprofit organization Education Reform Now identified 34 “Spotlight Schools” in Georgia that had at least 50% proficiency rates in math and/or English Language Arts. The schools also had some of the highest concentrations of students from low-income families, bucking the statistic that links lower poverty rates with higher academic achievements.
- While interviewing school leaders, the organization noted these schools had exceptional principals who were leaders not only for students, but for staff and parents.
- The leaders of these schools also reported using data to monitor academic progress and adjust learning plans.
- Data-forward approaches also helped school leaders tailor personalized learning plans — another shared link between thriving schools.
Education Reform Now says Georgia could take advantage of these trends by, say, offering development opportunities for principals or exploring new ways to use data to troubleshoot academic weaknesses.
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HOW ATLANTA FARES FOR BLACK MENTAL HEALTH
The latest installment of UATL’s series exploring Atlanta’s reputation as America’s “Black mecca” dove into some mental health stats, and they’re not great.
- Georgia ranks 47 out of 50 states for access to mental health care, according to a 2024 report. That’s actually up two spots from 2023 data.
- Black Americans are less likely to seek mental health care, for a variety of reasons including racism, historical mistrust of the medical industry and cultural or community stigmas.
- Several activists and professionals in Atlanta have championed mental health initiatives for Black communities, but they say work needs to be done at higher levels to support such efforts.
- Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced a partnership with one of these organizations, Silence the Shame, earlier this year.
Georgia is 10 years behind the rest of the world when it comes to mental health
🔎 READ MORE: Black Atlantans talk about the realities of mental health struggles
BIG MILITARY SPENDERS
The U.S. military is dropping big cash to recruit and retain members — a staggering $6 billion over the last three years, to be exact. Where‘s all of that money going?
- Financial incentives to reenlist in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines have increased dramatically since 2022.
- Recruiting and retention bonuses have also gone up.
- Branches have created new programs and increased recruiter numbers.
The military began the spending blitz to reverse flagging recruitment numbers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s worked: All of the branches except the Navy met their recruiting targets last year.
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER DATA CENTER
Every new sentence about the ongoing data center boom in Georgia sounds like a sci-fi plot waiting to be written. Here‘s the latest chapter.
A California industrial giant called Prologis is set to buy and develop the site of a new $17B data center in Coweta County called “Project Sail.”
The roughly 831-acre project site is one of the most high-profile data center project proposals in the state. Given that metro Atlanta is the hottest data center market in the country, that’s saying something.
However, the usual pattern of concern and skepticism is already emerging.
- Coweta County is in the middle of a 180-day moratorium on data center zoning and permit activity because of the massive influx of high-dollar projects.
- Residents are worried about the massive amount of energy and water resources such centers use.
- Some are also worried Prologis is just in it for the estimated $100 million in tax revenue the center is expected to generate over the next 10 years.
🔎 READ MORE: What residents are saying about the latest big data center plan
NEWS BITES
“Lilo & Stitch” and “Mission Impossible” team up for big Memorial Weekend box office performance
That would be a very confusing cinematic crossover.
A winning summer could make the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Dream playoff contenders
Manifesting this into existence.
Are people betting on the spelling bee? I’m afraid to check.
Egyptian archaeologists discover three new tombs in Luxor
Don’t open them, please. We‘re cursed enough.
ON THIS DATE
May 27, 1975
From the front page of The Atlanta Journal: The National Cancer Institute has designated Emory University Medical School as a national cancer center, which will make the school one of the primary cancer research and treatment centers in the nation.
Fun fact: There are 73 national cancer centers, as designated by the National Cancer Institute. Winship Cancer Institute at Emory is the only one in Georgia.
ONE MORE THING
Since it is Mental Health Awareness Month, here is your daily reminder that you are worthy of love and understanding, there is nothing you have done that can’t be forgiven, you are never broken beyond repair and, if you are hurting, you deserve whatever it takes to find peace. Also, you look really nice today. 😊
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact us at AMATL@ajc.com.
Until next time.
About the Author
AJ Willingham is an National Emmy, NABJ and Webby award-winning journalist who loves talking culture, religion, sports, social justice, infrastructure and the arts. She lives in beautiful Smyrna-Mableton and went to Syracuse University.
