Black Atlanta Documented

06/17/2026

Friends of BAD Founder/Executive DIrector Janita Poe identified this Atlanta native in no time. ☺️

To learn more about him and his niece, Episode #4 interviewee Rose Martin Palmer, see our Substack report here:. The segment premieres 10 a.m. Mon.,July 6, on BAD's YouTube channel.

https://open.substack.com/pub/blackatlantadocumented/p/hey-black-history-buffs-recognize?r=71jgei&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

06/17/2026

Athens, GA, has elected its first Black mayor.
Athens-Clarke County District 5 Commissioner, Dexter Fisher, has defeated school board member, Tim Denson, in the 2026 Athens mayoral race, according to Georgia Votes, UGA's Red & Black and AJC reports. With all 24 out of 24 precincts reporting, Fisher was elected with approximately 52.83% of the vote to Denson’s 47.17% of the vote.
Fisher will succeed incumbent Mayor Kelly Girtz.

“Little boys and little girls that look like me, they can achieve the same thing now,” Dexter Fisher told supporters in his victory speech late Tuesday. “We dreamed the impossible dream. I am the American dream.”

Learn more at the link in the first comment.

06/15/2026

Morehouse College Journalism in Sports, Culture and Social Justice department professor Nicole Carr celebrated the launch of her new book, "The Price of Exclusion: The Pursuit of Healthcare in a Segregated Nation," Sunday in a compelling conversation at The Gathering Spot with NABJ President and The 19th Editor-at-Large Errin Haines. Of course, you know, Black Atlanta Documented was there!

Drawing extensively from archival research, Carr’s book chronicles the long and often painful struggle of Black American and Caribbean students seeking medical education and professional opportunities within systems designed to exclude them.

The timing of the book’s release -- coordinated by Brandelyn Anderson of The Joy Builder -- could not be more significant. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice expanded discrimination investigations involving 15 medical schools, alleging that some institutions illegally consider race in admissions decisions. Yet many of the investigations’ claims rely heavily on narrow test-score data while often overlooking the broader historical realities that have shaped access to medical education in America.

The official release date of "The Price of Exclusion" is Tues., June 16, 2026. For a full report, photo gallery and link to purchase the book please see our report in BAD's free Substack newsletter:

The official release date of "The Price of Exclusion: The Pursuit of Healthcare in a Segregated Nation" is Tues., June 16, 2026

06/13/2026

Earlier today, the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists (AABJ) brought together some of the city’s most respected voices in journalism for “Covering Black Music & Culture in the ATL,” a timely conversation about reporting on one of the world’s most influential music capitals.

Held at WSB Television’s Midtown Atlanta headquarters, the panel featured veteran music and entertainment journalist Sonia Murray; Richard Dunn, chief operating officer of The Atlanta Voice; Ernie Suggs, race and culture reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; and Deasia Paige, the AJC’s music and culture reporter.

What emerged was more than a discussion about journalism. It was a conversation about preserving culture, adapting to technological change, and documenting Atlanta’s ongoing influence on Black music, entertainment, and identity.

Check out BAD's Substack newsletter for a photo gallery and full story.

Atlanta's music scene didn’t become a force by accident, said Atlanta Association of Black Journalists panelists Saturday. Behind every chart-topping artist are reporters who record the journey.

06/01/2026

Countdown THIS MORNING to the premiere of BAD Episode #3: Mr. V's Figure 8 nightclub founder James "Mr. V" Virgil with host Simone Webster of Simone Speaks to Inspire.
10 a.m. on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zxhT7uQ-km4
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Join us soon for an exciting countdown, premiere and live chat on Black Atlanta Documented's third episode, featuring James "Mr. V" Virgil, founder of the legendary Mr. V's Figure 8 nightclub, in a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, perseverance, and the cultural impact of what was once one of Atlanta's most celebrated nightlife destinations.
Hosted by leadership coach and speaker Simone Webster, the interview was filmed outside the former Westgate Shopping Center, where Mr. V's once stood as a beacon of Black entertainment and social life. The episode was produced by Atlanta media consultant and video producer Vince Bailey.
Now 85, Virgil reflects on building a nightclub empire that attracted an impressive cross-section of Atlanta society. During its heyday, Mr. V's became a gathering place for prominent figures ranging from boxing champion Muhammad Ali and music superstar Lionel Richie to Atlanta's first Black mayor, Maynard Jackson.
For many Atlantans, Mr. V's was more than a nightclub. It was a cultural institution that showcased Black excellence, entrepreneurship, and community pride during a transformative period in the city's history.
"I was 18 or 19 years old when I first came to Mr. V's because I remember they had just lowered the legal drinking age," Webster recalled. "Everyone came to Mr. V's."
For more on this premiere, James Virgil and Black Atlanta Documented please see today's BAD news release under the BAD website "news and events" section https://blackatlantadocumented.com/news-%26-events or in the images here.
[Commercial and original photos courtesy of Mike Stewart, Social Media Manager for James Virgil and Mr. V'S Restaurant and Store Fixtures, 510 Jones Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30314. On sight photos by BAD].

05/25/2026

Do you remember Mr. V's Figure 8 Night Club on Campbellton Road?

Black Atlanta Documented(BAD) host Simone Webster and James "Mr. V" Virgil himself reminisce about the club's heyday right in front of its former location!

Don't miss the full interview which premieres 10 a.m. Mon., June 1, on Black Atlanta Documented's YouTube channel!

05/18/2026

Black Atlanta Documented (BAD) host Simone Webster of Simone Speaks to Inspire is about to take us back in time on Mon., June 1st, y'all!
Simone recently sat down with Mr. Vi's Figure 8 founder James "Mr. V" Virgil himself -- right outside the space where it all happened at the too-much-forgotten Westgate Shopping Center -- to talk about his life and the night club empire he built back in the 1970s on Campbellton Road in Southwest Atlanta. BAD senior producer, (The Voice) Vince Bailey was on top of it all with directors' chairs and a vision for storytelling that brought it all to life.
For those not familiar with Mr. V's, it was THE SPOT! 😎 Indeed, everyone from international stars like Muhammad Ali and Lionel Ritchie to local legends like Atlanta's 1st Black Maynard Jackson (don't miss the Maynard Movie!) came out to dance the night away and see and be seen here.
Growing up in Cascade Heights, just 2.7 miles from the club, I remember seeing streams from Hollywood searchlights roaming the sky on Friday and Saturday nights. When I was old enough, I recall "the drag" was Campbellton where other clubs like Marko's and Cisco's (later Club 291) thrived and Mr. V's was king!
To celebrate the memories -- and love up on Mr. Virgil -- we are asking anyone with photos, souvenir matchbooks or anything else from the club to add pictures under this post or YouTube "Episode #3: James 'Mr. V' Virgil w/ Host Simone Webster, once it airs.
Please understand this: BAD is not just preserving history one YouTube podcast interview at a time. We're working to shine a light on great Black-owned and operated institutions that thrived in the face of de facto segregation and systemically closed doors to opportunity. So, please, check out our work and support our overarching mission!
Thanks for embracing the memories! Now, save the date and be there or be L7 at 10 a.m., Mon., June 1st at:
https://www.youtube.com/






(Historic photos courtesy of Mike Stewart, social media manager of Mr. V's Restaurant Equipment and Store Fixtures)

05/14/2026

Once upon a time, Campbellton Road in Southwest Atlanta was nightclub central and the number one spot was Mr. V's Figure 8.
Many did not know there really was a Mr. V.

Well, there is and Black Atlanta Documented (BAD) is telling his story right in the parking lot where the fabulous disco thrived back in the late 1970s.

Host Simone Webster -- herself a regular at Mr. V's with pictures to remember -- sits down with James "Mr. V" Virgil and he shares his journey from the rural south to proprietor of popular clubs in Chicago and Atlanta.

To prepare, BAD is asking people to share any framed Mr. V's souvenir photos they have here and on the YouTube episode, once it airs. We are going to go back in time with Mr. V!

Save the date and be there! The show premieres 10 a.m. Mon., June 1, on the BAD YouTube channel.

05/05/2026

Thank you APEX Museum CEO Dan Moore, Jr., for reminding us that history is something we carry—and create—every day.

This is a direct quote from Episode #2: Dan Moore, Jr., w/ Host Araba Dowell.

If you missed the 10 a.m. EST May 4, 2026, premiere, check it out, at your convenience, here: https://youtu.be/0d43lqFjEnU?si=EpfQ1oRHfOCrpQWZ

04/28/2026

A BAD CALL TO ACTION!

In spotlighting APEX Museum CEO Dan Moore, Jr., in Black Atlanta Documented Episode #2, BAD is urging our community to step up our support of this vital cultural landmark, one of the oldest and largest of its kind!

Check out our BAD Call to Action which advances the 10 a.m. Mon., May 4th Premiere of our second BAD Episode:

In spotlighting APEX CEO Dan Moore, Jr., Black Atlanta Documented Episode #2 is urging our community to step up our support of the APEX Museum, one of the oldest and largest of its kind.