The first presidential debate, held a week ago today here in Atlanta, gave the world quite a bit to talk about.
The resulting conversation has been a big one, with voices around the world chiming in, including the AJC editorial board. But what about the people of Atlanta?
And specifically, what are Black voters feeling right now, after being mentioned in the capacity of our roles in the American workforce?
You heard it like the rest of us did: that line about “Black jobs.” Donald Trump suggested that U.S. immigration policy may be, on some level, a threat to Black employment. And the conversation on social media continues today.
So among other questions we have (!), our crew at UATL wanted to know: What is a “Black job?”
Lots of folks are chiming in, including a number of voters we ran into last Friday at Our Bar ATL, a welcoming and inclusive drinking establishment (with great karaoke) located on Edgewood Avenue in the Old Fourth Ward.
The venue has hosted comedy shows from T.I., panel discussions between the neighborhood and local Atlanta police officers, and Atlanta City Council election debates. [Full disclosure: I moderated a debate between City Council candidates two years ago at Our Bar, on my birthday.]
Credit: Anitra Isler
Credit: Anitra Isler
Some prefer Manuel’s Tavern and others are more likely to pull up to Our Bar on any given night. And there’s no wrong answer — both are places we hope will be institutions of our city for generations to come. But the crowd at Our Bar is full of the kinds of voters who are often overlooked in the larger political discourse. Our voices matter.
It won’t be the last time we check in with Our Bar to hear from their customers and regulars but with this first visit we figured we’d ask one of the questions on lots of folks’ minds.
Watch the video below.
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