Is Atlanta the Black mecca, according to Mayor Andre Dickens?
Just over three weeks before being inaugurated for a second term, Mayor Andre Dickens is sitting comfortably in City Hall’s Ceremonial Room, right outside his office. He’s relaxed, entertaining innocuous questions stemming from common debates in Atlanta Black culture.
Drums or flats?
“Flats.”
It’s hard to settle on one, so he reels off a few.
“Aquemini,” “Return of the G,” “Da Art of Storytellin’ (Pt. 1)” and “Two Dope Boyz (In a Cadillac).”
He talks about Atlanta Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins being his favorite local athlete growing up because ‘Nique never backed down from Michael Jordan.
If we’re talking movies inspired by the city, choosing between “Drumline” or “ATL” comes down to a simple, but telling, fact about the man answering the question: “Nick Cannon just ain’t from here. I’m really a purist with my ATL status,” Dickens says.
About the Author
Gavin Godfrey is an editor and Team Lead for UATL, the AJC's Black culture franchise. He's an award-winning writer and editor from Atlanta who's covered everything from OutKast to the water boys. Before joining the AJC, Gavin worked for Capital B Atlanta, CNN, and Creative Loafing.
