Gavin Godfrey
@writegavinwrite.bsky.social
Professional storyteller || 📝 @ajc.com
https://www.ajc.com/staff/ggodfrey/
https://www.ajc.com/staff/ggodfrey/
From my latest:
“We made this golf stuff cool. It’s a whole lot of people that come in that’s trying to ride the wave. I was like Takeoff; I was leading the wave."
www.uatl.com/404ward/2025...
“We made this golf stuff cool. It’s a whole lot of people that come in that’s trying to ride the wave. I was like Takeoff; I was leading the wave."
www.uatl.com/404ward/2025...
How Trap Golf brings Black players to the greens
College Park native helped launch brand that fuses the game with hip-hop culture.
www.uatl.com
October 24, 2025 at 1:04 PM
From my latest:
“We made this golf stuff cool. It’s a whole lot of people that come in that’s trying to ride the wave. I was like Takeoff; I was leading the wave."
www.uatl.com/404ward/2025...
“We made this golf stuff cool. It’s a whole lot of people that come in that’s trying to ride the wave. I was like Takeoff; I was leading the wave."
www.uatl.com/404ward/2025...
I fell in love with journalism reading the sports section of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution with my late father. Any time I get to pick up the pen and write a sports story is a blessing. Just wish Pop was here to read this one.
www.uatl.com/entertainmen...
www.uatl.com/entertainmen...
Are the Dream Atlanta’s best sports franchise? They could be.
The Atlanta Dream is more that just a professional sports team -- it is a part of the city that supports it and a part of the city's culture and community.
www.uatl.com
September 26, 2025 at 12:05 PM
I fell in love with journalism reading the sports section of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution with my late father. Any time I get to pick up the pen and write a sports story is a blessing. Just wish Pop was here to read this one.
www.uatl.com/entertainmen...
www.uatl.com/entertainmen...
Thoughtful, thorough and engaging storytelling from my colleague Mirtha Donastorg for our latest installment in the Black Mecca series.
www.uatl.com/news/2025/09...
www.uatl.com/news/2025/09...
Atlanta built a mecca for Black businesses, but inequality persists
Atlanta has a seeming abundance of Black millionaires and Black-owned storefronts, but researchers say individual successes can’t on their own overcome the deep inequality.
www.uatl.com
September 22, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Thoughtful, thorough and engaging storytelling from my colleague Mirtha Donastorg for our latest installment in the Black Mecca series.
www.uatl.com/news/2025/09...
www.uatl.com/news/2025/09...
Here's the latest from our Black mecca series from Ernie Suggs w/guidance from @ericstirgus.bsky.social.
Grateful to have two of the best Black journalists in the business contribute to this project.
Grateful to have two of the best Black journalists in the business contribute to this project.
How Atlanta remains a higher education mecca for Black students
Atlanta's institutions are showing that large-scale equity and opportunity in higher education are possible.
www.uatl.com
August 25, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Here's the latest from our Black mecca series from Ernie Suggs w/guidance from @ericstirgus.bsky.social.
Grateful to have two of the best Black journalists in the business contribute to this project.
Grateful to have two of the best Black journalists in the business contribute to this project.
If Atlanta is “the Black mecca,” what do the folks who live here actually think?
We asked the question.
Y’all answered.
www.uatl.com/news/2025/07...
We asked the question.
Y’all answered.
www.uatl.com/news/2025/07...
Is Atlanta America’s Black mecca? Natives and transplants have thoughts.
Atlanta’s “Black mecca” status is under the microscope. Residents — from Grady Babies to newcomers — share what life is really like for Black residents in Georgia’s capital.
www.uatl.com
July 28, 2025 at 11:40 AM
If Atlanta is “the Black mecca,” what do the folks who live here actually think?
We asked the question.
Y’all answered.
www.uatl.com/news/2025/07...
We asked the question.
Y’all answered.
www.uatl.com/news/2025/07...
"... Atlanta presented an opportunity to be in the arts but to also be surrounded by Black culture, and that was something that really drew me here."
I'm really excited to share this latest entry for the Black mecca series from my colleague Najja Parker.
www.uatl.com/entertainmen...
I'm really excited to share this latest entry for the Black mecca series from my colleague Najja Parker.
www.uatl.com/entertainmen...
Why a former New York lawyer moved to the Black mecca for music
Rochester native Danielle Ponder is slowly making a name for herself in the music industry. For the attorney-turned-singer, moving to Atlanta could propel her career further.
www.uatl.com
June 23, 2025 at 12:40 PM
"... Atlanta presented an opportunity to be in the arts but to also be surrounded by Black culture, and that was something that really drew me here."
I'm really excited to share this latest entry for the Black mecca series from my colleague Najja Parker.
www.uatl.com/entertainmen...
I'm really excited to share this latest entry for the Black mecca series from my colleague Najja Parker.
www.uatl.com/entertainmen...
The next installment in the Black mecca series was inspired by my own search to find a therapist.
Instead, I found everyday Atlantans living through their own struggles and others trying to bridge coverage gaps and eradicate mental health stigma.
www.uatl.com/news/2025/05...
Instead, I found everyday Atlantans living through their own struggles and others trying to bridge coverage gaps and eradicate mental health stigma.
www.uatl.com/news/2025/05...
Is the Black mecca ‘10 years behind the rest of the world’ on mental health?
Residents, advocates and policy experts are fighting daily to bring equity to underserved communities.
www.uatl.com
May 27, 2025 at 4:49 PM
The next installment in the Black mecca series was inspired by my own search to find a therapist.
Instead, I found everyday Atlantans living through their own struggles and others trying to bridge coverage gaps and eradicate mental health stigma.
www.uatl.com/news/2025/05...
Instead, I found everyday Atlantans living through their own struggles and others trying to bridge coverage gaps and eradicate mental health stigma.
www.uatl.com/news/2025/05...
I’d like to think the earthquake in Atlanta today was just Rico Wade making some beats in heaven.
www.ajc.com/uatl/it-star...
www.ajc.com/uatl/it-star...
‘It started all right here’: Rico Wade immortalized with East Point monument
Friends, family and fans gather to celebrate a permanent dedication to the Atlanta legend.
www.ajc.com
May 10, 2025 at 1:36 PM
I’d like to think the earthquake in Atlanta today was just Rico Wade making some beats in heaven.
www.ajc.com/uatl/it-star...
www.ajc.com/uatl/it-star...
I'd like to think my longtime math tutor -- Mr. Ioannidis -- would be proud.
Latest video installment for the Black mecca series is here.
www.ajc.com/news/atlanta...
Latest video installment for the Black mecca series is here.
www.ajc.com/news/atlanta...
Atlanta's Black mecca status: Do the numbers match the reputation?
Credit: AJC | Getty Images | City of Atlanta Mayor's Office | Outkast LaFace/Arista Records | Pew Research | Annie E. Casey Foundation | ACS | Forbes Advisor
www.ajc.com
May 5, 2025 at 2:03 PM
I'd like to think my longtime math tutor -- Mr. Ioannidis -- would be proud.
Latest video installment for the Black mecca series is here.
www.ajc.com/news/atlanta...
Latest video installment for the Black mecca series is here.
www.ajc.com/news/atlanta...
Goin' up on a Tuesday!
The next story in the Black Mecca series is LIVE.
Big thanks to the data reporting (and viz) wiz's @stephanielamm.bsky.social, @charlesminshew.bsky.social and @petecorson.bsky.social.
The next story in the Black Mecca series is LIVE.
Big thanks to the data reporting (and viz) wiz's @stephanielamm.bsky.social, @charlesminshew.bsky.social and @petecorson.bsky.social.
Black mecca math: How does Atlanta stack up? It’s complicated.
How do the city and metro stack up? We look at demographics, income, voting power and more.
www.ajc.com
April 29, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Goin' up on a Tuesday!
The next story in the Black Mecca series is LIVE.
Big thanks to the data reporting (and viz) wiz's @stephanielamm.bsky.social, @charlesminshew.bsky.social and @petecorson.bsky.social.
The next story in the Black Mecca series is LIVE.
Big thanks to the data reporting (and viz) wiz's @stephanielamm.bsky.social, @charlesminshew.bsky.social and @petecorson.bsky.social.
It’s beautiful.
April 27, 2025 at 1:34 PM
It’s beautiful.
Had a question and idea floating around in my head for years: Is Atlanta still living up to its status as "the Black mecca?"
Proud to say that the @ajc.com is giving me the opportunity to lead a 10-month editorial series exploring this question.
Here's the intro.
www.ajc.com/uatl/is-atla...
Proud to say that the @ajc.com is giving me the opportunity to lead a 10-month editorial series exploring this question.
Here's the intro.
www.ajc.com/uatl/is-atla...
Is Atlanta still America’s Black mecca? This native isn’t so sure
A new monthly content series from UATL — the AJC’s Black culture franchise — will shed light on the reality (or mirage) behind this question.
www.ajc.com
April 3, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Had a question and idea floating around in my head for years: Is Atlanta still living up to its status as "the Black mecca?"
Proud to say that the @ajc.com is giving me the opportunity to lead a 10-month editorial series exploring this question.
Here's the intro.
www.ajc.com/uatl/is-atla...
Proud to say that the @ajc.com is giving me the opportunity to lead a 10-month editorial series exploring this question.
Here's the intro.
www.ajc.com/uatl/is-atla...
“This is some Black history month stuff going on. I can tell Atlanta’s just different.”
www.ajc.com/uatl/the-bla...
www.ajc.com/uatl/the-bla...
The Black culture highlights from Dickens' ‘State of the City’ address
These were the most Black culture moments from the 61st mayor of Atlanta's annual speech.
www.ajc.com
February 26, 2025 at 7:07 PM
“This is some Black history month stuff going on. I can tell Atlanta’s just different.”
www.ajc.com/uatl/the-bla...
www.ajc.com/uatl/the-bla...
Boycott? Buy out the store? Business as usual?
“It may not lead to the change that we want, but the strategy is to show that refraining from spending our economic power can yield results that move the pendulum back.”
www.ajc.com/uatl/boycott...
“It may not lead to the change that we want, but the strategy is to show that refraining from spending our economic power can yield results that move the pendulum back.”
www.ajc.com/uatl/boycott...
How Black entrepreneurs in Atlanta are responding to DEI cuts at Target, Walmart and other stores
Local business owners with major retail experience discuss how Trump's executive orders affect them.
www.ajc.com
February 20, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Boycott? Buy out the store? Business as usual?
“It may not lead to the change that we want, but the strategy is to show that refraining from spending our economic power can yield results that move the pendulum back.”
www.ajc.com/uatl/boycott...
“It may not lead to the change that we want, but the strategy is to show that refraining from spending our economic power can yield results that move the pendulum back.”
www.ajc.com/uatl/boycott...
Pulitzer Prize winner, David Levering Lewis, found his latest muse (and himself) in an old stained glass window in Atlanta.
We spoke about his new book on family history, and losing our fathers.
Here’s that story.
www.ajc.com/uatl/how-a-s...
We spoke about his new book on family history, and losing our fathers.
Here’s that story.
www.ajc.com/uatl/how-a-s...
How a stained glass church window in Atlanta changed this Pulitzer Prize winner’s life
The famed W.E.B. Du Bois and Martin Luther King Jr. biographer excavates his own complicated family story.
www.ajc.com
February 20, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Pulitzer Prize winner, David Levering Lewis, found his latest muse (and himself) in an old stained glass window in Atlanta.
We spoke about his new book on family history, and losing our fathers.
Here’s that story.
www.ajc.com/uatl/how-a-s...
We spoke about his new book on family history, and losing our fathers.
Here’s that story.
www.ajc.com/uatl/how-a-s...
"To now be able to personalize a space truly for our community, and to see it now come to life, it is amazing."
www.ajc.com/uatl/picture...
www.ajc.com/uatl/picture...
Picture him rolling: Photographer Cam Kirk shows off new Beltline studio
New Beltline studio space aims to continue mission of empowering city's creative community
www.ajc.com
February 6, 2025 at 1:16 PM
"To now be able to personalize a space truly for our community, and to see it now come to life, it is amazing."
www.ajc.com/uatl/picture...
www.ajc.com/uatl/picture...
Trae Young got the All-Star snub, but here's why the Hawks still have something to celebrate.
ajc.com/uatl/how-the...
ajc.com/uatl/how-the...
How the Hawks are celebrating Black History Month with local creatives
Hawks executive vice president talks importance of celebrating Black creatives.
ajc.com
January 31, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Trae Young got the All-Star snub, but here's why the Hawks still have something to celebrate.
ajc.com/uatl/how-the...
ajc.com/uatl/how-the...
"If we win, and he becomes the first Black coach to win the championship in the history of college football on MLK Day here in Atlanta, it’d be something that was written, man."
www.ajc.com/uatl/why-mar...
Why Marcus Freeman coaching a CFP final on MLK Day in Atlanta is ‘extremely significant’
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, his players, fans and experts talk about potentially making history on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
www.ajc.com
January 19, 2025 at 4:10 PM
"If we win, and he becomes the first Black coach to win the championship in the history of college football on MLK Day here in Atlanta, it’d be something that was written, man."
www.ajc.com/uatl/why-mar...
My latest: The Coalition DJs have spent the past 17 years breaking and developing independent rap and R&B artists in Atlanta and nationwide.
Today, they're kicking off a weekend of anniversary events that closes out with an MLK Jr. Day concert.
www.ajc.com/uatl/how-coa...
Today, they're kicking off a weekend of anniversary events that closes out with an MLK Jr. Day concert.
www.ajc.com/uatl/how-coa...
How Coalition DJs are bringing the party to Martin Luther King Jr. Day
DJ collective celebrates 17 years of breaking indie artists with MLK Day concert.
www.ajc.com
January 17, 2025 at 1:48 PM
My latest: The Coalition DJs have spent the past 17 years breaking and developing independent rap and R&B artists in Atlanta and nationwide.
Today, they're kicking off a weekend of anniversary events that closes out with an MLK Jr. Day concert.
www.ajc.com/uatl/how-coa...
Today, they're kicking off a weekend of anniversary events that closes out with an MLK Jr. Day concert.
www.ajc.com/uatl/how-coa...
Fun fact: the name for one of my fantasy football teams last year was "Draft Penix," and now here we are.
www.ajc.com/uatl/let-the...
www.ajc.com/uatl/let-the...
Let the Michael Penix Jr. era begin? Falcons fans have some thoughts...
Fans on social media share their thoughts on the switch from Kirk Cousins to Michael Penix Jr..
www.ajc.com
December 19, 2024 at 2:43 PM
Fun fact: the name for one of my fantasy football teams last year was "Draft Penix," and now here we are.
www.ajc.com/uatl/let-the...
www.ajc.com/uatl/let-the...
“Big loves the kids!” is what OutKast’s Big Boi told me when he partnered with local nonprofit, Bear Strong, to deliver Specialized bikes to middle school students in metro Atlanta.
www.ajc.com/uatl/why-big...
www.ajc.com/uatl/why-big...
Why Big Boi was giving away free $750 bikes
Legendary OutKast emcee partners with local nonprofit to deliver bikes to accomplished middle school students.
www.ajc.com
December 10, 2024 at 5:32 PM
“Big loves the kids!” is what OutKast’s Big Boi told me when he partnered with local nonprofit, Bear Strong, to deliver Specialized bikes to middle school students in metro Atlanta.
www.ajc.com/uatl/why-big...
www.ajc.com/uatl/why-big...