09/05/2026
The winning images from the 2026 NABJ Moneta Sleet Jr., photo competition.
1st Place - Kevin Lee Wurm
Atlanta, Georgia — Rodney Walker, 61, leans against his 1986 Chevy C10, sporting a Georgia license plate reading “ATL HOE”, outside his muffler shop, S&S Muffler, in Atlanta’s historic Bankhead neighborhood on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. Walker is a true ATLien. He was born at Grady Memorial Hospital, attended Atlanta Public Schools and has operated his shop in the neighborhood for 36 years. As Atlanta has grown and attracted people from all over the world, Walker and his business have remained a fixture in Bankhead, representing the deep roots and sense of identity he says continue to define his city.
“We real. We not fake. No matter how many people come from somewhere else, they still can’t taint us. We always gon’ be original, real, 100. They come from all around the world because we 100...”, Walker said.
2nd Place Photo by Brett Brooks, M. A.
Sophomores Lauren and AJ make a pitstop to the Downtown Atlanta Waffle House after a night of partying on campus. The pair attend Spelman and Morehouse College respectively. Lauren from New Jersey and AJ from DC met at Homecoming as Freshmen.
3rd Place Photo by Tabius H. McCoy
Historic HBCU, Clark Atlanta University cymbal player practices during the band’s summer band camp on Thursday, Aug 1, 2026, in Atlanta, GA.
Honorable Mention Photo by Quincy Bowie Jr.
Sweet Auburn, Georgia — Dwaine Go, 57, sits with his mentor Ricci De Forest, 74 deeply listening to music spanning dancehall to jazz. Above them the artists whose sounds and energies fill the space. “If you’re into the culture, into the music..there’s no way that you’re not changed when you walk in, this stays with you,” he said.
