Cultural Identity

Anne McLaughlin-Smith, Alex Kramer, Darian Thompson, Ashley Berta

Cultural Identity: "The definition of groups or individuals (by themselves or others) in terms of cultural or subcultural categories (including ethnicity, nationality, language, religion, and gender). In stereotyping, this is framed in terms of difference or otherness."-Oxford Dictionary of Media and Communication

Demographics in ATL by Race

Black: 53.5%

White: 36.3

Asian: 3.6%

Mixed: 1.5%

Other: .3%

White Population Percentage by Neighborhood




The white population in Atlanta is primarily concentrated in the Northern half of the city. Including Midtown which is mainly identified by its high LGBTQ+ population.


Midtown
  • Statistical Atlas, 2015

LGBTQ+ Population

"Atlanta is also home to one of the highest LGBT populations per capita, which is 19th among major US metropolitan areas. An estimated 4.2% of Atlanta's metro population is gay, lesbian or bisexual."- World Population Review

This is an important aspect of the population and the culture within the population of Atlanta. It is also a central concept to our service team so we would be remised to exclude it.

Black Population Percentage by Neighborhood

Conversely, the Black population is concentrated in the south hemisphere of the city. We were located in a predominately Black area.

  • Statistical Atlas, 2015

Cultural Structures in Atlanta

From their website: "The King Library and Archives in Atlanta is the largest repository of primary source materials on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the American Civil Rights Movement in the world."

The King Center

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change was founded in 1968 by Coretta Scott King to commemorate the life and work of Dr. King as well as other non-violent social activists like Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King's work. As MLK was highly influenced by his teachings, there is a room dedicated to the Mahatma Ghandi and his philosophy on non-violent protest that shaped much of MLK's civil rights movement.

Our group noticed a distinct lack of commemoration to Malcom X while we were touring such historical sites. Whether this is due to the two leaders' differences in philosophy or the intense pride Atlanta holds for MLK, it is hard to say.











MLK's Church

This was the Baptist church in which MLK, and his family before him, attended and preached. They have his sermons on repeat as you sit in the pews. There is a strong emphasis on religion in Atlanta, and even stronger in their pride for Martin Luther King, Jr. Combining the two, this cultural landmark was a sort of Mecca for the values the community holds.

MLK's Childhood Home

This is the family home in which MLK was born and lived until 12 years old. He was the third generation of his family to live there. It is now owned by the National Park Service and stands as a nationally recognized historical site. They run tours daily to keep the legacy alive.

From their website: "Our purpose is to create a safe space for visitors to explore the fundamental rights of all human beings so that they leave inspired and empowered to join the ongoing dialogue about human rights in their communities."

Center for Civil and Human Rights

The Center for Civil and Human Rights was first launched by former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin, and was established in 2007 on land donated by Coca-Cola. The center is very engaging and moving with many historical artifacts, beautiful artwork, and several different interactive exhibits.

The Center for Civil and Human Rights is largely dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights movement, as Atlanta has such a strong connection and history with both MLK and the movement. However, it also connected the Civil Rights movement to today's current human rights issues and movements all around the world.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is actually a huge part of Atlanta's culture, so much so that our group also noticed that almost every single restaurant only carried coke products. Coca-Cola is so big in Atlanta because it was started in Atlanta by a local pharmacist, Dr. John S. Pemberton. The World of Coca-Cola, one of Atlanta's biggest attractions, is partly dedicated to the history and story of Coca-Cola. The other part is dedicated to fun exhibits like trying the different Coca-Cola drinks from around the world, a 4D theater, and Coca-Cola themed art.

Works Sited:

https://statisticalatlas.com/place/Georgia/Atlanta/Race-and-Ethnicity

https://www.civilandhumanrights.org/

http://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwnfLVBRCxARIsAPvl82HNA18tab7Qd7K-lRkSN6Z4KVz1mxQx58GhzV29v8eog-HUxpOvitQaAuKOEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds