An Archive of Atlanta
Alexis Laryczower and Abby Hartman
Tech Scene
Atlanta's role in tech:
In recent years, Atlanta has become known as the New Silicon Valley, a title that recognizes the vast number of successful start-ups and the increase in established companies, like Microsoft and Google, building new offices in Atlanta.
Why Atlanta?
The growth as a tech hub is the graduates from impressive universities in the Southeast, including Georgia Tech. The highly regarded reputation of Georgia Tech students makes Georgia Tech graduates desirable employees. This creates the opportunity for Georgia Tech to contribute to an increase in historically underrepresented groups in the technology industry, like women and people of color through educating future employees.
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From the Atlanta Business Chronicle: “Atlanta has a natural engine for generating engineering talent. From the beginning of the microcomputer age, our city has eclipsed other communities in large part because of the consistent flow of talent from Georgia Tech and other outstanding institutions. For growing tech companies in a tight labor market, available talent is king and Atlanta is the kingdom.”
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The future: Historically, the biggest challenge to Atlanta's growth in the tech scene has been accessing to capital and investors' willingness to take a chance on companies started outside of Silicon Valley. However, investors- big and small, local and national-, including Apple, Facebook, and Google, among others are beginning to invest in Atlanta.
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Diversity is key: 50% of the US's Black population lives in the Southeast
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Atlanta has "the growing, diverse population base all strong founders need to scale" -Lisa Calhoun, partner at Valor Ventures
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"Perhaps our greatest strength is our diversity" -Patton, works with a capital investment firm in Atlanta
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Progress
At Georgia Tech
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35% of Georgia Tech Engineering Graduates are women, while only 17% of engineering graduates nationally are women
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62% of students of color enrolling in GT's new class in the fall of 2021.
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1200+ additional women enrolled between 2016 and 2021, resulting in the highest percentage of women enrollment in Georgia Tech history- 40%
In Atlanta
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25% of employees in tech companies in Atlanta are Black, compared to only 6% of tech employees in San Francisco
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48% of a sample of 158 Atlanta startups identified as having a sex-diverse or racially-diverse founding team (tech crunch)
Farmers Markets:
In addition to a variety of restaurants, international grocery stores and farmers markets allow everyone to buy ingrediants to make their favorite meals from around the world. Examples of these international farmers markets include the Buford Highway Farmers Market and the Dekalb Farmers Market.
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Dekalb's Farmers Market: This video, created by Creative Loafing Atlanta, is a time lapse video of customer shopping at the Dekalb Farmers Market all day
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The video helps to visualize the large size of the market and the amount of customers
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The audio in the background is a recording of the "ambient sounds" from walking around the market.
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In the audio, listeners can hear different languages being spoken, representing the diverse customer base and the importance of this market to the international community in Atlanta
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Atlanta as a Global Community
Tastes of Atlanta:
Atlanta is well known for its thriving food and restaurant scene. Buford Highway is the place to go to taste authentic cuisine from all around the world! Driving down Buford Highway, visitors will witness an array of restaurants, each representing food from a unique part of the world. Buford Highway embodies the diverse international culture of residents of Atlanta.
Atlanta in a Zombie Apocalypse
Atlanta's significance:
The CDC is located in Atlanta, making Atlanta a hub for disease research. From Ebola to Coronavirus, the CDC leads the way in understanding and fighting these illnesses. It is no surprise then, that Atlanta is often portrayed as being the center of a possible zombie apocalypse.
The Walking Dead:
One of the most famous portrayals of Atlanta in an apocalyptic future is AMC Network’s The Walking Dead. The series follows various characters through an alternate universe where zombies have taken over. The remaining survivors have to fight off zombies. Since the show takes place in Atlanta, it is also shot in Atlanta. This gives viewers an unnerving insight of what a zombie apocalypse would be and look like.
Zombie Preparedness:
Although most of these discussions are rooted in fantasy, they also have an element of reality to them. The CDC has directly addressed the possibility of a zombie apocalypse in its comic, “Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic”. The graphic discusses the possibility of a zombie apocalypse by giving a scenario of a young brother and sister trying to navigate the event. However, there are real preparedness tips embedded throughout the story. For example, they discuss the resources on the CDC website, vaccinations, and how to make an emergency supply kit.
Modern Day CDC:
Although zombies is an extreme way to discuss the CDC’s role, it is not far off. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC has played a major role in studying and researching the virus. Through initiatives like these, the location of the CDC has allowed Atlanta to make a name for itself on the global stage.
(Page 16 of "Preparedness 101:Zombie Pandemic")
This picture is from the first episode of the show. It shows a character riding a horse into an abandoned and eerie Atlanta.
Atlanta's Free Art Scene
Street Art:
Atlanta is a city with a rich and vibrant culture. The art found in this city displays this culture perfectly. While exploring Atlanta, it does not take long for one to find hidden gems all over the city. These works of art don’t only just add to the aesthetic of the city, but also give an outlet for expression. Art can be used to protest social injustices or any other topic that needs to be brought to life.
Free Art:
The free art movement is not something that is special to Atlanta, but is something that flourishes in Atlanta. Free art is art that an artist hides somewhere in the city. They typically will post the art in its place in order to notify people of its existence. People are then able to take the art, free of charge. The picture below shows the social media page of artist @athulhu. This is a simple act of kindness that spreads joy and an attitude of giving to the city.
Artists
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@blockhead_atl: contributes sculptures. The bottom left is one he painted in honor of Earth Day, making a stand against the terrible treatment of the environment.
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@sadstove: In the example to the bottom right, @sadstove supports other artists while advertising his own art. This shows the amazing community the art scene creates in Atlanta
How Free Art Shapes Atlanta
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This movement creates a space of inclusion and creativity that would be hard to replicate in any other way. These simple acts of kindness brightens up the city in such a generous and unique way.
Work Cited
“Atlanta’s Buford Highway: Global Food Paradise.” Travel Channel, www.travelchannel.com/roam-blog/food-culture/atlanta-s-buford-highway-global-food- paradise. Accessed 29 Mar. 2022.
athulhu,Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/athulhu/
Bizjournals.com, 2022, www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2019/06/28/atlanta-continues-evolution-to-top-5tech-market.html. Accessed 29 Mar. 2022.
Department of Economic Development, Oct. 2019, https://www.exploregeorgia.org/article/atlantas-best-neighborhoods-for-colorful-street-art.
Eubanks, Caroline. “Atlanta's Best Neighborhoods For Colorful Street Art.” Official Georgia Tourism & Travel Website | Explore Georgia.org, Georgia
Georgia Institute of Technology. Georgia Tech’s 2021 Incoming Class, 2021, dev.admission.gatech.edu/images/pdf/2021GTIncomingClassProfile.pdf. Accessed 29 Mar. 2022.
“How Did Atlanta Become a Top Breeding Ground for Billion-Dollar Startups in the Southeast?” TechCrunch, techcrunch.com/2021/05/02/how-did-atlanta- become-a-top-breeding-ground-for-billion-dollar-startups-in-the-southeast/.
“Leading the Way for Women Engineers | ISyE | Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA.” Www.isye.gatech.edu, www.isye.gatech.edu/news/leading- way-women-engineers#:~:text=Since%202004%2C%20the%20Georgia%20Tech%20College%20of%20Engineering. Accessed 29 Mar. 2022.
Magazine, Atlanta. “40 Nights, 40 Dishes: Our Favorite Dinners on Buford Highway.” Atlanta Magazine, 31 Oct. 2019, www.atlantamagazine.com/dining- news/40-nights-40-dishes-our-favorite-dinners-on-buford-highway/. Accessed 29 Mar. 2022.
sadstove, Instagram, 15 Jan. 2021, https://www.instagram.com/p/CKE3_GnJRMi/
Shiver, Mag, et al. Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011, https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=709345.
Skeene, Chris [blockhead_atl], Instagram, 22 Apr. 2019, https://www.instagram.com/p/BwkQlkxA8Pw/
Skeene, Chris [blockhead_atl], Instagram, 26 Oct. 2018, https://www.instagram.com/p/BpZ7t0IAXPx/
Undergraduate Enrollment Growth Reflects Inclusive Excellence.” News.gatech.edu, news.gatech.edu/features/2021/10/undergraduate-enrollment-growth- reflects-inclusive-excellence. Accessed 29 Mar. 2022.
Walking Dead Wiki, Fandom, https://walkingdead.fandom.com/wiki/Atlanta,_Georgia.