Welcome to 2026! As we ease into the New Year, remember to be gentle with yourself. The year is bursting with new possibilities, but they don’t all have to happen at once. Just enjoy every day as it comes, savoring it like a warm supper with friends.
THE URBAN HORSEMAN RIDES AGAIN
Brandon Fulton is something of folk hero on the streets of Atlanta. It’s not every day you see a horse and rider in the urban open, and he cuts quite a figure riding atop his quarter horse, Mexico. Fulton wants to share the joy of horsemanship with as many people as he can.
- In 2016, he bought a 30-acre parcel of land that he single-handedly turned into a horse farm. It’s nothing fancy. Fulton intentionally lives a simple life reminiscent of cowboy legend.
- “He doesn’t live like you and me. He doesn’t believe in capitalism or material things. He is engrossed in freedom,” one friend said.
- Fulton continues to work the land, describing a dream of trail rides, lessons, nature programs and a full stable.
I ride because of how it makes me feel, but it also makes other people feel good. People come up to me and say, ‘Man, you made my day.'
(Side note: I live near a small horse farm in Mableton and even though I pass by it nearly every day I still say “Horses! 😃" every single time.)
EAT YOUR BLACK-EYED PEAS!
If you’re like many Southerners, your New Year’s festivities weren’t complete without some black-eyed peas, pork and greens. It’s a tradition holiday meal around here, said to bring good luck in the new year.
The classic southern New Year’s meal is steeped in various legends, from Civil War battles to African American hoodoo practices. We know for sure that our good-luck meal owes a lot to Black history, and intersects with traditions from enslaved and newly emancipated people who saw special significance in the new year. Each item has meaning, whether eaten separately or together.
- Greens: Green and leafy, just like money
- Black-eyed peas: They symbolize coins, but also resiliency. Did you know the legumes aren’t indigenous to the Americas? They were domesticated in Africa, and traveled with enslaved people to the U.S.
- Pork: Good, hearty meat is a symbol of prosperity and pork especially has become synonymous with money. Piggy banks? “Bring home the bacon?” It all makes sense.
- Cornbread: Thought to symbolize gold, and corn is one of the most American crops there is.
SIPS FROM AROUND THE SOUTH
🥦 Drew, MS: A coalition of citizens, companies and local leaders are working to pull the small town of Drew out of “food desert” status. They’ve opened a food pantry, started a food delivery service and secure a six-figure grant to help families start their own produce gardens. More from The Mississippi Free Press
🥶 Memphis, TN: Brave Memphians plunged into the cold Mississippi River near Mud Island for the annual Ski Freeze. The event benefits The Dream Factory, which helps fulfill the wishes of critically and chronically ill children. More from Action News 5
🎁 Charlotte, NC: OurBridge for Kids, a nonprofit supporting immigrant families, paused operations in Charlotte when ICE ramped up activity in the city. However, dozens of residents and even more donors banded together to deliver more than 100 packages to families over the holidays. More from OurBridge
🕊️ Nashville, TN: Tennessee is now the first state to have a registry for repeat domestic violence offenders. Savanna’s Law is named for Robertson County Deputy Savanna Puckett, who was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend in 2022. More from The Tennessean
TELL US SOMETHING GOOD
Is there a cool event we need to know about? Something great happening in your town? Let us know. This is your space, too. SweetTea@ajc.com.
SOUTHERN WISDOM
Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.
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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.
