ATLANTA — There are two days left in 2023, and this year, 11Alive brought viewers more than daily reports about stories from communities historically overlooked and ignored.
Here are some of the stories that touched and educated the community this year, and to check out more stories like this, head to our Voices for Equality page:
Sports Illustrated featured an all-Black swim team on its digital cover for the first time in history, with all the athletes from Howard University. The team, the only active HBCU swim team, secured their first conference title in 34 years, with senior Miles Simon breaking over seven records. Despite challenges, including limited opportunities for Black swimmers, the team's victory at the Northeast Conference Championship marked a significant achievement.
"Not a lot of HBCUs offer swim programs. Most Black kids, growing up–the only outlets for sports they have are basketball, football or track," Simon said.
Simon, a 2021 U.S. Olympics trial qualifier, emphasized the hard work that led to their success, overcoming canceled seasons and cold practices. With the championship and being featured on the cover, the team is making history on top of history.
Amari Franklin, a fashion student at Clark Atlanta University, survived a road rage incident in April 2021 that left her paralyzed after being shot by a coworker. Despite the challenges, Franklin remains determined to walk again and pursue her dream of becoming a top designer. The road rage incident happened as Franklin was leaving work, with a coworker following her onto the highway and firing shots at her car.
"All I heard was five shots," Franklin said. "My driver-side window was shattered; my passenger window was shattered."
The bullets left her instantly paralyzed. But Franklin, now a standout student, has returned to school with a new goal of creating fashionable and accessible clothing for people of all abilities. She is focused on regaining mobility and plans to graduate, using the opportunity to inspire others with her strength.
"I have the mindset to know that I will be able to walk again," Franklins said. "And I think the first thing I would do is really just run and run as fast as I can."
Franklin was raising funds for intensive physical therapy in Texas that could contribute to her walking again, emphasizing her determination to defy the odds.
Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, located east of Atlanta, holds nearly 400 million years of geological history. A sacred site for Indigenous people, it served as a place for vision quests, ceremonies, and healing. Tom Blue Wolf from the Muscogee Nation emphasizes its significance as a symbol of healing and a "little piece of heaven."
"So even today, of the some 2,000 some odd herbs used by the Indigenous people, 1,800 of them grow here (in Georgia)," he explained.
The area's natural resources supported people for approximately 12,000 years, acting as a buffer between the Creek and Cherokee nations. Blue Wolf highlights the mountain's role in spiritual and physical healing, contributing to the region's tradition of well-being.
“I mean, Coca-Cola, the first herbal tonic was created here in Atlanta. We’ve got the Heart and Lung Association, the American Cancer Society; one of the outcrops of the CDC,” he said. “So that healing energy of this area is still very present - the Martin Luther King Center, the Jimmy Carter Center. So much biological and spiritual healing goes on here. Mount Arabia is part of that tradition.”
He encourages visitors to embrace the site's healing nature and adopt an Indigenous perspective of collaboration and care.
