Joining forces with Canopy Atlanta

Exciting news for 2023

Great news: 285 South is joining forces with Canopy Atlanta  -  a local media nonprofit dedicated to community-led journalism. 

I’ll be a Writer-in-Residence there, where I’ll have the support to keep 285 South going and growing, so I can continue sharing the stories of immigrant and refugee communities in Atlanta with you. Nothing changes for you, the reader, other than more good things (potential events, stories, and more).

This partnership is a huge honor - the team at Canopy has been fearless in challenging the way traditional media works. They have a completely community-led approach to reporting and storytelling - which is what I love most about them.

Since launching in 2020, Canopy has trained and equipped more than 300 Metro Atlantans to report and participate in journalism about their communities. You can check out some of their Community Issues in underreported parts of Atlanta like West End, Forest Park, Bankhead, and soon South DeKalb. Last year, Canopy launched Atlanta Documenters, which pays and trains Metro Atlantans to report on local public meetings on issues that are so important - everything from zoning to challenges facing MARTA to the development of the Public Safety Training Center.

I’m excited to have Canopy’s support, the opportunity to learn from its incredible team, and the chance to experiment with co-reporting and collaborating on community events.