Pictured: "Bowen Homes First Family." Bowen Homes dedication booklet, June 6, 1965 (p. 5), Atlanta Housing Archives.
Pictured: "Bowen Homes First Family." Bowen Homes dedication booklet, June 6, 1965 (p. 5), Atlanta Housing Archives.
The first family to take occupancy at Bowen Homes was the Elliott family, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Williams Elliott and their son. Throughout the years, Bowen Homes held regular community meetings and supported various clubs and organizations, such as the senior citizens club (organized in 1964), a day care center (opened in 1965), and a small and juniors boys softball league.
Pictured: "The Staff" Bowen Homes dedication booklet, June 6, 1965 (p. 2), Atlanta Housing Archives.
The Bowen Homes community was home to "The Bowenettes," a girls' teen group that was active in intellectual, social, and religious affairs. They held weekly meetings in the community center. A.D. Williams Elementary School, an 86,000 square foot blue and white school named after Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s grandfather, as well as Frederick Douglas High School, were the educational institutions that served the children of Bowen Homes.
Bowen Homes was a diverse community, and it was home to several musicians and notable individuals who have gone on to achieve success. This includes D4L (Shawty Lo), Shop Boyz, MDC, and YDC.
Sayles, Justin. "The Technicolor Legacy of OutKast's 'Stankonia'." The Ringer, Oct. 29, 2020.