The recent plight of Blacks into the Atlanta metro area has increased 200% over the last ten years, not including the pouring in of other racial mixtures such as white, Hispanic, Mexican, and Asian migrants. Atlanta has become the urban Mecca of the United States in areas of politics and economics, social life, and religion and from these three main areas branch the subcategories of employment, financial prosperity, and family life.

As many companies relocate their corporate headquarters to Atlanta and many domestic-born companies grow larger, these areas have changed dramatically from the more simple times of good' ole Georgia to a more rigorous atmosphere of competitive entrepreneurship.

Wherever you live now, if you talk to ten people on any given day at least one maybe two will confess of their deliberation of moving to Atlanta. Possibly as a relocation for their job or they may be simply looking for a change in their life. Whatever the reason, there are a few things every potential Atlantan should know before they go. Depending on personal preference and lifestyle, there are some good points to Atlanta and there are some bad points.

Having lived in Atlanta from 1986 to 2000, being one of the first of the Black migrants to the city before it became a "social Mecca", I must say I had become an expert in each, if not all, of the three main areas, economic, social, and religion, and in the subcategories as well. I was young and then I was old in Atlanta; I was poor and I was prosperous, I was single and I was married, I was employed and I was unemployed in Atlanta. Through it all, I discovered that Atlanta is fit for a certain type of person at certain points in their life. Below, as unbiased as possible, I will describe these areas so that anyone thinking of moving there can know beforehand what to expect.

Politically
Politically, there is a Black Atlanta and a white Atlanta. Black Atlanta is comprised of predominantly Black leaders in the main downtown Atlanta. I say "main" downtown because there are two downtowns to Atlanta. There is the original, traditional downtown, and there is Buckhead's Midtown, where the whites have relocated. After Blacks pushed there way into top political positions in Atlanta and took over Fulton County, whites decided to leave metro Atlanta and rebuild their own Atlanta up in Midtown.

So when you get there and you ride through what appears to be two different downtowns, realize that the first downtown is the white Atlanta and the second is the Black Atlanta. Working in Black downtown is very much more real and possible for a Black face than working in Midtown. Though there are Black faces in Midtown, their power is limited. That's the racial face of modern day Atlanta. Not only do whites live in separate neighborhoods, they work in separate downtowns.

Economically
Because the economic prospects in Atlanta and the surrounding areas have grown, business continues to thrive. Even during the current economic slow-down, the corporate and business foundation built in Atlanta during the nineties has been strong and broad enough to cycle through three or four times thus maintaining a stable employment rate. This means that if a person was fortunate enough to have a good or decent job in the nineties and was able to keep it, it is a good chance that they are still working today.

Even for people just coming into Atlanta there are opportunities in certain fields for the right people. If you are expected to relocate to Atlanta for your current employer you have a better chance at maintaining employment than someone who has simply decided to up and wing-it. Without a fore-plan for employment, finding and maintaining employment in Atlanta may be harder than one thinks, especially in this current economy.

Entrepreneurship
The self-sufficient person can do well in Atlanta if they do not mind stiff competition. With the population growing literally each day, there is bound to be someone out there in need of your service or skills. Small personal businesses such as house cleaning, in-home day cares, carpet cleaning, landscaping, catering, and other such start-up businesses are a dime a dozen in Atlanta but still seem to thrive because of the population.

In addition, the metropolitan suburban area is so vast in Atlanta, stretching from south I-75 and Jonesboro, I-85 and Peachtree City to I-20 west to Douglasville to I-20 east to Lithonia; to I-75 north to Kennesaw, and I-85 north to Buford, and the many hundreds of suburban townships and communities in between are a haven for eager suburbanite families and full of business opportunity.

However, to survive in Atlanta's economy you must have access to all the modern luxuries and extremities, such as a cell-phone, a computer with Internet access, a fax at home, and a car no older than a 2000-year model. If your car is older it must be in excellent condition and basically be able to reach 70 mph in less than 60 seconds. It must also have an excellent respiratory system (radiator and carburetor) to be able to withstand the extreme heat and freeway conditions of surrounding Atlanta.

Traffic in Atlanta can be compared to the freeway rumors of Los Angeles easy. It is not unreal to work at least 30 miles from your job and or have a 1-2-hour commute to and from work. This is why a good car is important. It is also a necessity to have good, reliable auto insurance because life on the roads of the Georgia freeway system is not only a rush hour inconvenience, but has turned into a literal life and health hazard on a daily bases. Thus medical insurance in also a must when living in Atlanta.

Social Atmosphere
The social atmosphere of Atlanta is comprised of the nightlife, community and church activities, and the higher educational system. Depending on your own personal preference of entertainment, education, or activism, Atlanta has it all. It has morphed into a culturally diverse city with channels for everyone, and I mean everyone. Regardless of race, religion, or sexual preference, you can find a group, activity, or social clique for whatever.

Because of this diversity, however, not all lifestyles and or passing scenes are suitable for young or naive eyes. There are sections of the city especially for certain lifestyles, so if you find yourself veering off the road to your destination and run across a block long of erotic human life forms foreign to what you have grown up around, be not surprised, there's probably another, just as strange life form just ahead.

If you so happen to find your clique of fun and fantasy, you will have found a virtual heaven because you will discover that there are more people like you on this earth than you thought. Wherever your crowd hangs out, be prepared to invest your all into your favorite hobby or skill because Atlantans spare no expense when they find their niche. Spending is outrageous in this city. People are on a serious ego high and will spend what they do not have in a moment's time. The debt rate in Atlanta is out of control because the prosperity movement has taken control of people's minds.

Speaking of religion, the church scene in Atlanta is one of commercialism if there ever was such as thing. Not to say that Atlanta has no spirituality, because it does, in fact, personally I believe that Atlanta is the most spiritual city in America and maybe second in the world besides the real Mecca or the Holy Land. This spirituality has birthed powerful church movements and extremely anointed people of God, of all races.

But because this power exists in Atlanta it opens the door to many more powerful forces of evil. The spirit of competition, jealousy, pride, and the love of money has spread through Atlanta like a plague making it almost, I say, almost impossible for a practicing Christian to stay on the path of righteousness without constant prayer and fellowship. So before jumping into the religious scene of Atlanta, be careful when choosing a church home, making sure the power of truth and love is there.

Education
Atlanta is known for its Black college history. Spelman and Morehouse are the two most famous of the colleges for Black education in the south. These colleges continue to thrive in academic achievement and turn out many successful Black professionals into society. The walls are full of history and pride and the students come from all over the country to experience and take note of the chronicles. Any parent should be proud to have a son or daughter attend either one of these Black colleges.

What has changed, however, is the ratio of Black men to Black women on the campuses. There are at least 10 women to every 1 man around the entire Atlanta Black college campuses, including Clark Atlanta University. Not that this should be a turn-off, but if you are considering an education at one of these colleges, knowing these stats could help your decision.

Also, knowledge of Georgia's current nationwide standing educationally is a good thing. According to national stats, Georgia is ranked 47 in the nation as far as test scores and student performance is concerned. I personally found out that this is not a result of student ability or of something in the water, but teacher and school administration ability. Georgia schools believe strongly in politics. The spirit of competition has seeped into the school system to the point that actually teaching the children is not top priority, but positioning the individual school for receiving of government funding.

The lottery is a major player in school funding. Administration rely heavily on lottery funding to support the public school system and promises parents that the funds are doing good things for the schools and their children. Technology in Atlanta schools has improved tremendously in the past five years, where class rooms in the lowest of income areas have computers and Internet access, but this stands to prove that technology alone cannot help a child learn more, faster. It takes time and parents.

Family
Turning to the issue of parenting in Atlanta, I will personally advise anyone not to go to Atlanta expecting to raise a family completely void of the influence of immorality of some kind. Though immorality is worldwide, it is closer to home in Atlanta. As stated earlier, Atlanta is very religious, but it is also very sexual and carries a strong spirit of disobedience.

There are many attractive Black women and men in Atlanta as well as a choice picking of white, Hispanic, and other races looking to blend into the culturally diverse social scene in Atlanta. It is not rare to run across more interracial couples in Atlanta these days and many more interracial children. When at one time racism ran strong in Georgia (and in many areas still does) a more diverse crowd controls mainstream Atlanta than in the late seventies early eighties.

The spirit of sexuality is strong, which not only has an effect on teens, the pregnancy rates and illegitimate childbirth, but also on married couples. The average relationship in Atlanta has a life span of three years. This is because the temptation is widely exchanged among young people and couples. Atlanta is not a small, chaste town of virtue and respect for the other; it is a metro mega-plexus of high-life style, money, and competition. In other words, if you seek to go there to find a soul mate or take your family there to live happily ever after, think again long and hard.

However, if you are prepared for the high-life and are confident in your skills and sales abilities, are single, have one or no children, and believe life is about living everyday like it is your last, then Atlanta is the place for you. And if you love summer days of 90 to triple-digit degrees that last for weeks at a time amidst humidity levels equal to the temperature, then Atlanta is for you.

If you hate the snow and cold weather, if you don't mind long drives every day, if you can stand 2 hour traffic jams not only after work but in the morning, noon, and night, and if you can adjust to an atmosphere of alternative lifestyles any which way you turn, then Atlanta is for you.

So there are good points and bad, and as I explained earlier, it depends on personal preference and the point and time in your life. One last thing, which I am sure will persuade anyone's decision about moving to Atlanta, if you can endure the rudest, most insensitive, incompetent, arrogant, attitude-having, big hair and gold-tooth having, head-shaking, trailer park, gum-chewing, project conversation having customer service skills in America, then you will survive there. Other than that, Atlanta is a place that can make you or break you.

© 2003 By CR Hamilton