Meet the Creative Class Making Atlanta the New Epicenter of American Arts

Posted February 3, 2021

External Article: InStyle

Joycelyn Wilson, assistant professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communications, was featured in the article "Meet the Creative Class Making Atlanta the New Epicenter of American Arts," published Feb. 3, 2021 in Instyle.

Wilson, who helps lead LMC's Black Media Studies program and whose research focuses on hip hop culture in particular, gave her perspective in the article on the factors contributing to the ascendence of the city's arts scene.

Excerpt:

What makes Atlanta so sacred? It's long been a hub for anything and everything that matters — music, art, films, and certainly, as recent current events will attest, politics. But now, perhaps due to the spotlight on politics, people are paying attention to the city's unlimited potential and the supremely talented people who live there.

One such person is Dr. Joycelyn Wilson, the assistant professor of hip-hop studies and digital media at Georgia Tech's Ivan Allen College, who wrote an essay for March issue describing Atlanta's rich history and cultural significance, especially for the Black community. "Atlanta, like Wakanda, is a special place for Black Americans," she writes. "The difference is there are parts of the mecca mythology that actually exist. First, it's the birthplace of Dr. King — whose noble actions turned Atlanta into one of the most culturally resilient cities in the American South. Second, Atlanta has repeatedly applied its secret sauce for mixing music, culture, and business with progressive Democratic politics to keep the city blue and, more recently, help flip a traditionally red state." 

Full article.