Mother's Day 2016

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  string(10662) "Dinnertime during my childhood rarely included American staples. There was no pot roast and potatoes, no fried chicken with mac and cheese. When we did “eat American,” it was actually Italian — spaghetti or lasagna. Most days, we had the food my parents grew up on in Ghana: sticky balls of rice with peanut butter soup, spinach stew with boiled plantains or yam (ours is a white, starchier tuber with a tough dark skin).

I learned early on that my DeKalb County classmates were not eating the same things we were. And while I’ve always had my favorites among traditional Ghanaian dinner fare, there’s only one dish that’s captured my attention outside of my mom’s kitchen: jollof rice.

Africans throughout the Western region of the continent have their own variations of jollof. Tomatoes give the otherwise plain white rice its signature reddish hue, and a combination of onions, garlic, ginger, and pepper create a surprisingly robust flavor. Ask for it in Senegal and you’ll likely get thieboudienne, the country’s national dish, which is jollof cooked with fish and a medley of vegetables. In Nigeria, the rice is parboiled. Ghanaians prefer to use jasmine or basmati rice. Personal and regional preferences yield sides of goat, beef, chicken, lamb, fish, or vegetables. The dish can be served sans proteins or alongside a hearty, meaty stew. In Ghana, it’s best with a dollop of shitto, a pepper sauce made with Scotch bonnets and dried shrimp. Many families include jollof in their regular dinner rotations, and no special occasion is complete without a large aluminum pan of it. 

Kida Ama, the Senegalese manager at African Delights Restaurant in Mableton, notes that while cultures vary wildly across West Africa, jollof is the dish that you’ll find almost everywhere.  “That’s the most famous one,” she says. 

Growing up, however, I didn’t see jollof as any better or more special than the rest of my mom’s cooking. The taste was on point, of course, but I wasn’t a fan of my mom’s technique. The rice was too soft, and I prefered beef to the mixed veggies she used. Africans eat a lot of rice dressed up different ways, and after several years, I grew tired of it — except for at Ghanaian events, when that beloved aluminium pan was piled high with longer, firmer, beefed-up jollof. The aunties had discovered the foolproof oven method for making it just right, and as boring as functions can be for a kid, there was always something heartwarming about coming together as a community over our food.

West Africans share so many components of our meals: plantains, fufu, pepper soup. Somehow jollof has become the most contentious. The way each country unifies behind its own preferences probably has something to do with it. “We make it differently but at the end of the day, it’s jollof rice,” Ama says. “It’s part of the identity.”

Jollof’s blend of commonness and versatility have made it West Africa’s unofficial regional dish. “It’s flavorful and there are so many variations of it,” adds Matthew Owusu, the Ghanaian owner of Cafe Songhai in Norcross. “So if you go to Senegal, Gambia, Liberia, Ivory Coast, they all do it differently.”


Owusu and Ama say their clientele includes not only Africans, but also Americans of various races. Owusu prides Cafe Songhai on its commitment to teaching diners about what they’re about to consume and the culture the food is linked to. He sometimes makes slight modifications, such as the level of heat, so that foods are easier on the palate.

“Our intention right from the outset was to have a broader appeal. Anyone interested in good food, prepared to be adventurous, that sort of thing, we’re open and we’re very happy for that challenge,” Owusu says. “But then, yes, we just want to broaden the scope and appeal of West African food.”

Ishmael Osekre of Afropolitan Insights, a collective of Africans throughout the diaspora who curate cultural experiences here in the states, says jollof is “buzzing” right now — maybe even on the verge of having its own food “moment.” That buzz inspired Osekre and the Afropolitan Insights team to launch the Jollof Festival with back-to-back events in Washington, D.C. and New York City in July 2017. They’re bringing the third installment to Atlanta next month, on Sat., May 26.

Jollof’s popularity stateside has grown from a groundswell that can be traced back to the #jollofwars among West Africans, a playful debate over which country makes the best jollof. The main contenders, Ghanaians and Nigerians, throw shade at one another on social media. Diasporic Africans amplify the dispute, fanning flames from the sidelines. 

“The conversation around jollof has been kind of picking up momentum for a while now,” says Osekre, who grew up in Ghana and moved to New York to attend Columbia University. “It’s just that no one was paying close attention enough to feel like, ‘OK, this is something that can hold a strong presence and we need to make something deliberately for it.’” 

As jollof picks up steam online, it’s interesting to me that the trend has been insulated to the African diaspora. While not all of my black American friends know about jollof, far fewer of my non-black friends have any idea what it is. Like the Africans in Atlanta, the West African dining scene is spread far and wide, from Mableton to Norcross, Marietta to Stone Mountain. There’s no concentration of the African contingent the way, say, Latinx and East Asian cultures have dominated Buford Highway. 

Africans are notoriously bad at unifying, no doubt a byproduct of the arbitrary borders Europeans drew, haphazardly dividing and combining ethnic groups along colony lines. If Africa is Wakanda, each country is T’Challa, Nakia, Okoye, W’Kabi, M’Baku, and Killmonger: passionate but divided on what the best choices for the populace are. In this scenario, Ghana and Nigeria could be T’Challa and Killmonger, locked in a never-ending power grab.

A YouTube search for “jollof wars” yields more than 3,000 hits. In early 2017, BuzzFeed pitted Ghanaians and Nigerians against each other in a blind taste test that garnered more than 300,000 views (only one guy correctly identified which jollof was from where). Some months prior, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg entered the fray, tipping the scales toward Nigeria and thrusting jollof into the global spotlight when he tried the dish on an August 2016 trip to the country. 

But as hard as Ghana and Nigeria fight for the jollof crown, neither country gets credit for creating it. “When they fight about it, I just laugh,” says Ama. “I laugh because I strongly believe that jollof rice can only come from Senegal.” And indeed, history favors Senegal as the birthplace of jollof rice. The name itself is widely said to derive from “wolof,” as in the ancient Wolof Empire, namesake of a state, ethnic group, and language in present-day Senegal and Gambia. 

Here in Atlanta, you can find jollof, but you have to hunt for it — and probably venture outside the perimeter. To write this piece, I began with a detailed investigation on Yelp. First, I searched for African restaurants. After weeding out East African and Afro-Caribbean concepts, I Ctrl-F’d my way through the results, singling out restaurants that served jollof rice. There were 15 left, a pittance compared to the 135 metro restaurants serving biryani, a South Asian rice dish.

The first time I tried jollof in the outside world, I was a freshman at Georgia State. I walked into the Sweet Auburn Curb Market and came upon a small stall called AfroDish. The owners, a Ghanaian couple, serve West African and Caribbean dishes, including jollof. Until then, I’d never even seen the dish outside of a Ghanaian person’s home, let alone tasted it. But just one bite of their “seasoned rice” (named for those who might tilt their heads at “jollof”) took me back to the days of aluminum trays piled high. I was awed. 

Looking back, I’m grateful for Ike’s Tropical Market, an Afro-Caribbean specialty shop in Snellville. My mom carted my siblings and me to Ike’s shop regularly for kenkey, shitto, fufu powder, and the occasional sleeve of digestive biscuits. It was the first place in the outside world where the food we ate was “normal” and no heads tilted in curiosity. It was like an oasis. 


Now, many years later, the Atlanta Jollof Festival has the potential to be a similar oasis, only this time, less isolated. The festival promises a spread of regional variations on jollof, cultural performances, and more. Chefs from Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia, Senegal, and Sierra Leone are slated to throw down the proverbial jollof gauntlet. The festival will serve not only as an introduction to jollof rice for Atlantans, but also as a chance for West Africans to engage with one another’s cultures while duking it out for bragging rights. 

“As much as we speak of Africa, people don’t realize that Africans do not have the opportunity of spending as much time in each other’s countries in the way that Americans visit other states,” Osekre says. “For a lot of folks, this is like a discovery. This is an opportunity to see what others are made of, to see what is good or not about their food.” 

He lights up as he speaks. “That really is a beautiful icebreaker for even Africans, just to be able to connect, you know, and introduce each other to their special cultural experiences.”


Perhaps when it comes to cultural appreciation and exchange through food, West Africans are doing it right. We’re stepping up to the plate and showing people what we’ve got. Immigrants as a whole are finally embracing our own culinary heritage exactly as it is, rather than bastardizing it in an attempt to attract those who wouldn’t come to the table otherwise. The food we’re sharing is the same as what we eat at home, and we’re unbothered by people who turn up their noses. It’s their loss. Anyone looking for us in the “ethnic” section won’t find us, because we don’t see ourselves as “ethnic.” Besides, we all know words like “ethnic” and “exotic” really mean “made by those nonwhite folks over there.”

Maybe in a few years Food & Wine will publish a stellar recipe for jollof (dear editor, my aunt’s is pretty amazing). Or maybe a national publication will highlight jollof alongside a white executive chef who learned the recipe from his Ivorian sous chef. Until then, pass the shitto."
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I learned early on that my DeKalb County classmates were not eating the same things we were. And while I’ve always had my favorites among traditional Ghanaian dinner fare, there’s only one dish that’s captured my attention outside of my mom’s kitchen: jollof rice.

Africans throughout the Western region of the continent have their own variations of jollof. Tomatoes give the otherwise plain white rice its signature reddish hue, and a combination of onions, garlic, ginger, and pepper create a surprisingly robust flavor. Ask for it in Senegal and you’ll likely get thieboudienne, the country’s national dish, which is jollof cooked with fish and a medley of vegetables. In Nigeria, the rice is parboiled. Ghanaians prefer to use jasmine or basmati rice. Personal and regional preferences yield sides of goat, beef, chicken, lamb, fish, or vegetables. The dish can be served sans proteins or alongside a hearty, meaty stew. In Ghana, it’s best with a dollop of shitto, a pepper sauce made with Scotch bonnets and dried shrimp. Many families include jollof in their regular dinner rotations, and no special occasion is complete without a large aluminum pan of it. 

Kida Ama, the Senegalese manager at African Delights Restaurant in Mableton, notes that while cultures vary wildly across West Africa, jollof is the dish that you’ll find almost everywhere.  “That’s the most famous one,” she says. 

Growing up, however, I didn’t see jollof as any better or more special than the rest of my mom’s cooking. The taste was on point, of course, but I wasn’t a fan of my mom’s technique. The rice was too soft, and I prefered beef to the mixed veggies she used. Africans eat a lot of rice dressed up different ways, and after several years, I grew tired of it — except for at Ghanaian events, when that beloved aluminium pan was piled high with longer, firmer, beefed-up jollof. The aunties had discovered the foolproof oven method for making it just right, and as boring as functions can be for a kid, there was always something heartwarming about coming together as a community over our food.

West Africans share so many components of our meals: plantains, fufu, pepper soup. Somehow jollof has become the most contentious. The way each country unifies behind its own preferences probably has something to do with it. “We make it differently but at the end of the day, it’s jollof rice,” Ama says. “It’s part of the identity.”

Jollof’s blend of commonness and versatility have made it West Africa’s unofficial regional dish. “It’s flavorful and there are so many variations of it,” adds Matthew Owusu, the Ghanaian owner of Cafe Songhai in Norcross. “So if you go to Senegal, Gambia, Liberia, Ivory Coast, they all do it differently.”

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Owusu and Ama say their clientele includes not only Africans, but also Americans of various races. Owusu prides Cafe Songhai on its commitment to teaching diners about what they’re about to consume and the culture the food is linked to. He sometimes makes slight modifications, such as the level of heat, so that foods are easier on the palate.

“Our intention right from the outset was to have a broader appeal. Anyone interested in good food, prepared to be adventurous, that sort of thing, we’re open and we’re very happy for that challenge,” Owusu says. “But then, yes, we just want to broaden the scope and appeal of West African food.”

Ishmael Osekre of Afropolitan Insights, a collective of Africans throughout the diaspora who curate cultural experiences here in the states, says jollof is “buzzing” right now — maybe even on the verge of having its own food “moment.” That buzz inspired Osekre and the Afropolitan Insights team to launch the Jollof Festival with back-to-back events in Washington, D.C. and New York City in July 2017. They’re bringing the third installment to Atlanta next month, on Sat., May 26.

Jollof’s popularity stateside has grown from a groundswell that can be traced back to the #jollofwars among West Africans, a playful debate over which country makes the best jollof. The main contenders, Ghanaians and Nigerians, throw shade at one another on social media. Diasporic Africans amplify the dispute, fanning flames from the sidelines. 

“The conversation around jollof has been kind of picking [[up] momentum for a while now,” says Osekre, who grew up in Ghana and moved to New York to attend Columbia University. “It’s just that no one was paying close attention enough to feel like, ‘OK, this is something that can hold a strong presence [[and] we need to make something deliberately for it.’” 

As jollof picks up steam online, it’s interesting to me that the trend has been insulated to the African diaspora. While not all of my black American friends know about jollof, far fewer of my non-black friends have any idea what it is. Like the Africans in Atlanta, the West African dining scene is spread far and wide, from Mableton to Norcross, Marietta to Stone Mountain. There’s no concentration of the African contingent the way, say, Latinx and East Asian cultures have dominated Buford Highway. 

Africans are notoriously bad at unifying, no doubt a byproduct of the arbitrary borders Europeans drew, haphazardly dividing and combining ethnic groups along colony lines. If Africa is Wakanda, each country is T’Challa, Nakia, Okoye, W’Kabi, M’Baku, and Killmonger: passionate but divided on what the best choices for the populace are. In this scenario, Ghana and Nigeria could be T’Challa and Killmonger, locked in a never-ending power grab.

A YouTube search for “jollof wars” yields more than 3,000 hits. In early 2017, BuzzFeed pitted Ghanaians and Nigerians against each other in a blind taste test that garnered more than 300,000 views (only one guy correctly identified which jollof was from where). Some months prior, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg entered the fray, tipping the scales toward Nigeria and thrusting jollof into the global spotlight when he tried the dish on an August 2016 trip to the country. 

But as hard as Ghana and Nigeria fight for the jollof crown, neither country gets credit for creating it. “When they fight about it, I just laugh,” says Ama. “I laugh because I strongly believe that jollof rice can only come from Senegal.” And indeed, history favors Senegal as the birthplace of jollof rice. The name itself is widely said to derive from “wolof,” as in the ancient Wolof Empire, namesake of a state, ethnic group, and language in present-day Senegal and Gambia. 

Here in Atlanta, you can find jollof, but you have to hunt for it — and probably venture outside the perimeter. To write this piece, I began with a detailed investigation on Yelp. First, I searched for African restaurants. After weeding out East African and Afro-Caribbean concepts, I Ctrl-F’d my way through the results, singling out restaurants that served jollof rice. There were 15 left, a pittance compared to the 135 metro restaurants serving biryani, a South Asian rice dish.

The first time I tried jollof in the outside world, I was a freshman at Georgia State. I walked into the Sweet Auburn Curb Market and came upon a small stall called AfroDish. The owners, a Ghanaian couple, serve West African and Caribbean dishes, including jollof. Until then, I’d never even seen the dish outside of a Ghanaian person’s home, let alone tasted it. But just one bite of their “seasoned rice” (named for those who might tilt their heads at “jollof”) took me back to the days of aluminum trays piled high. I was awed. 

Looking back, I’m grateful for Ike’s Tropical Market, an Afro-Caribbean specialty shop in Snellville. My mom carted my siblings and me to Ike’s shop regularly for kenkey, shitto, fufu powder, and the occasional sleeve of digestive biscuits. It was the first place in the outside world where the food we ate was “normal” and no heads tilted in curiosity. It was like an oasis. 


Now, many years later, the Atlanta Jollof Festival has the potential to be a similar oasis, only this time, less isolated. The festival promises a spread of regional variations on jollof, cultural performances, and more. Chefs from Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia, Senegal, and Sierra Leone are slated to throw down the proverbial jollof gauntlet. The festival will serve not only as an introduction to jollof rice for Atlantans, but also as a chance for West Africans to engage with one another’s cultures while duking it out for bragging rights. 

“As much as we speak of Africa, people don’t realize that Africans do not have the opportunity of spending as much time in each other’s countries in the way that Americans visit other states,” Osekre says. “For a lot of folks, this is like a discovery. This is an opportunity to see what others are made of, to see what is good or not about their food.” 

He lights up as he speaks. “That really is a beautiful icebreaker for even Africans, just to be able to connect, you know, and introduce each other to their special cultural experiences.”

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Perhaps when it comes to cultural appreciation and exchange through food, West Africans are doing it right. We’re stepping up to the plate and showing people what we’ve got. Immigrants as a whole are finally embracing our own culinary heritage exactly as it is, rather than bastardizing it in an attempt to attract those who wouldn’t come to the table otherwise. The food we’re sharing is the same as what we eat at home, and we’re unbothered by people who turn up their noses. It’s their loss. Anyone looking for us in the “ethnic” section won’t find us, because we don’t see ourselves as “ethnic.” Besides, we all know words like “ethnic” and “exotic” really mean “made by those nonwhite folks over there.”

Maybe in a few years Food & Wine will publish a stellar recipe for jollof (dear editor, my aunt’s is pretty amazing). Or maybe a national publication will highlight jollof alongside a white executive chef who learned the recipe from his Ivorian sous chef. Until then, pass the shitto."
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  string(11111) " Jollof African Delights 2 Web  2018-04-04T22:28:07+00:00 Jollof-African Delights-2_web.jpg     Jollof unites Atlanta’s far-flung West African community 4380  2018-04-04T22:24:16+00:00 Rice up your life jim.harris@creativeloafing.com Jim Harris Adjoa D. Danso  2018-04-04T22:24:16+00:00  Dinnertime during my childhood rarely included American staples. There was no pot roast and potatoes, no fried chicken with mac and cheese. When we did “eat American,” it was actually Italian — spaghetti or lasagna. Most days, we had the food my parents grew up on in Ghana: sticky balls of rice with peanut butter soup, spinach stew with boiled plantains or yam (ours is a white, starchier tuber with a tough dark skin).

I learned early on that my DeKalb County classmates were not eating the same things we were. And while I’ve always had my favorites among traditional Ghanaian dinner fare, there’s only one dish that’s captured my attention outside of my mom’s kitchen: jollof rice.

Africans throughout the Western region of the continent have their own variations of jollof. Tomatoes give the otherwise plain white rice its signature reddish hue, and a combination of onions, garlic, ginger, and pepper create a surprisingly robust flavor. Ask for it in Senegal and you’ll likely get thieboudienne, the country’s national dish, which is jollof cooked with fish and a medley of vegetables. In Nigeria, the rice is parboiled. Ghanaians prefer to use jasmine or basmati rice. Personal and regional preferences yield sides of goat, beef, chicken, lamb, fish, or vegetables. The dish can be served sans proteins or alongside a hearty, meaty stew. In Ghana, it’s best with a dollop of shitto, a pepper sauce made with Scotch bonnets and dried shrimp. Many families include jollof in their regular dinner rotations, and no special occasion is complete without a large aluminum pan of it. 

Kida Ama, the Senegalese manager at African Delights Restaurant in Mableton, notes that while cultures vary wildly across West Africa, jollof is the dish that you’ll find almost everywhere.  “That’s the most famous one,” she says. 

Growing up, however, I didn’t see jollof as any better or more special than the rest of my mom’s cooking. The taste was on point, of course, but I wasn’t a fan of my mom’s technique. The rice was too soft, and I prefered beef to the mixed veggies she used. Africans eat a lot of rice dressed up different ways, and after several years, I grew tired of it — except for at Ghanaian events, when that beloved aluminium pan was piled high with longer, firmer, beefed-up jollof. The aunties had discovered the foolproof oven method for making it just right, and as boring as functions can be for a kid, there was always something heartwarming about coming together as a community over our food.

West Africans share so many components of our meals: plantains, fufu, pepper soup. Somehow jollof has become the most contentious. The way each country unifies behind its own preferences probably has something to do with it. “We make it differently but at the end of the day, it’s jollof rice,” Ama says. “It’s part of the identity.”

Jollof’s blend of commonness and versatility have made it West Africa’s unofficial regional dish. “It’s flavorful and there are so many variations of it,” adds Matthew Owusu, the Ghanaian owner of Cafe Songhai in Norcross. “So if you go to Senegal, Gambia, Liberia, Ivory Coast, they all do it differently.”


Owusu and Ama say their clientele includes not only Africans, but also Americans of various races. Owusu prides Cafe Songhai on its commitment to teaching diners about what they’re about to consume and the culture the food is linked to. He sometimes makes slight modifications, such as the level of heat, so that foods are easier on the palate.

“Our intention right from the outset was to have a broader appeal. Anyone interested in good food, prepared to be adventurous, that sort of thing, we’re open and we’re very happy for that challenge,” Owusu says. “But then, yes, we just want to broaden the scope and appeal of West African food.”

Ishmael Osekre of Afropolitan Insights, a collective of Africans throughout the diaspora who curate cultural experiences here in the states, says jollof is “buzzing” right now — maybe even on the verge of having its own food “moment.” That buzz inspired Osekre and the Afropolitan Insights team to launch the Jollof Festival with back-to-back events in Washington, D.C. and New York City in July 2017. They’re bringing the third installment to Atlanta next month, on Sat., May 26.

Jollof’s popularity stateside has grown from a groundswell that can be traced back to the #jollofwars among West Africans, a playful debate over which country makes the best jollof. The main contenders, Ghanaians and Nigerians, throw shade at one another on social media. Diasporic Africans amplify the dispute, fanning flames from the sidelines. 

“The conversation around jollof has been kind of picking up momentum for a while now,” says Osekre, who grew up in Ghana and moved to New York to attend Columbia University. “It’s just that no one was paying close attention enough to feel like, ‘OK, this is something that can hold a strong presence and we need to make something deliberately for it.’” 

As jollof picks up steam online, it’s interesting to me that the trend has been insulated to the African diaspora. While not all of my black American friends know about jollof, far fewer of my non-black friends have any idea what it is. Like the Africans in Atlanta, the West African dining scene is spread far and wide, from Mableton to Norcross, Marietta to Stone Mountain. There’s no concentration of the African contingent the way, say, Latinx and East Asian cultures have dominated Buford Highway. 

Africans are notoriously bad at unifying, no doubt a byproduct of the arbitrary borders Europeans drew, haphazardly dividing and combining ethnic groups along colony lines. If Africa is Wakanda, each country is T’Challa, Nakia, Okoye, W’Kabi, M’Baku, and Killmonger: passionate but divided on what the best choices for the populace are. In this scenario, Ghana and Nigeria could be T’Challa and Killmonger, locked in a never-ending power grab.

A YouTube search for “jollof wars” yields more than 3,000 hits. In early 2017, BuzzFeed pitted Ghanaians and Nigerians against each other in a blind taste test that garnered more than 300,000 views (only one guy correctly identified which jollof was from where). Some months prior, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg entered the fray, tipping the scales toward Nigeria and thrusting jollof into the global spotlight when he tried the dish on an August 2016 trip to the country. 

But as hard as Ghana and Nigeria fight for the jollof crown, neither country gets credit for creating it. “When they fight about it, I just laugh,” says Ama. “I laugh because I strongly believe that jollof rice can only come from Senegal.” And indeed, history favors Senegal as the birthplace of jollof rice. The name itself is widely said to derive from “wolof,” as in the ancient Wolof Empire, namesake of a state, ethnic group, and language in present-day Senegal and Gambia. 

Here in Atlanta, you can find jollof, but you have to hunt for it — and probably venture outside the perimeter. To write this piece, I began with a detailed investigation on Yelp. First, I searched for African restaurants. After weeding out East African and Afro-Caribbean concepts, I Ctrl-F’d my way through the results, singling out restaurants that served jollof rice. There were 15 left, a pittance compared to the 135 metro restaurants serving biryani, a South Asian rice dish.

The first time I tried jollof in the outside world, I was a freshman at Georgia State. I walked into the Sweet Auburn Curb Market and came upon a small stall called AfroDish. The owners, a Ghanaian couple, serve West African and Caribbean dishes, including jollof. Until then, I’d never even seen the dish outside of a Ghanaian person’s home, let alone tasted it. But just one bite of their “seasoned rice” (named for those who might tilt their heads at “jollof”) took me back to the days of aluminum trays piled high. I was awed. 

Looking back, I’m grateful for Ike’s Tropical Market, an Afro-Caribbean specialty shop in Snellville. My mom carted my siblings and me to Ike’s shop regularly for kenkey, shitto, fufu powder, and the occasional sleeve of digestive biscuits. It was the first place in the outside world where the food we ate was “normal” and no heads tilted in curiosity. It was like an oasis. 


Now, many years later, the Atlanta Jollof Festival has the potential to be a similar oasis, only this time, less isolated. The festival promises a spread of regional variations on jollof, cultural performances, and more. Chefs from Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia, Senegal, and Sierra Leone are slated to throw down the proverbial jollof gauntlet. The festival will serve not only as an introduction to jollof rice for Atlantans, but also as a chance for West Africans to engage with one another’s cultures while duking it out for bragging rights. 

“As much as we speak of Africa, people don’t realize that Africans do not have the opportunity of spending as much time in each other’s countries in the way that Americans visit other states,” Osekre says. “For a lot of folks, this is like a discovery. This is an opportunity to see what others are made of, to see what is good or not about their food.” 

He lights up as he speaks. “That really is a beautiful icebreaker for even Africans, just to be able to connect, you know, and introduce each other to their special cultural experiences.”


Perhaps when it comes to cultural appreciation and exchange through food, West Africans are doing it right. We’re stepping up to the plate and showing people what we’ve got. Immigrants as a whole are finally embracing our own culinary heritage exactly as it is, rather than bastardizing it in an attempt to attract those who wouldn’t come to the table otherwise. The food we’re sharing is the same as what we eat at home, and we’re unbothered by people who turn up their noses. It’s their loss. Anyone looking for us in the “ethnic” section won’t find us, because we don’t see ourselves as “ethnic.” Besides, we all know words like “ethnic” and “exotic” really mean “made by those nonwhite folks over there.”

Maybe in a few years Food & Wine will publish a stellar recipe for jollof (dear editor, my aunt’s is pretty amazing). Or maybe a national publication will highlight jollof alongside a white executive chef who learned the recipe from his Ivorian sous chef. Until then, pass the shitto.    Eric Cash THE GRANDDADDY: Thieboudienne, the national dish of Senegal, at African Delights Restaurant.                                   Rice up your life "
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  ["title"]=>
  string(35) "Is Atlanta afraid of a Black Mecca?"
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  string(53) "Comments from Creative Loafing's November cover story"
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  string(5758) "Now that December'sCreative Loafing is on the streets and the mayor's race is(kind of)over, we want to revisit last month's cover story, in which we "endorsed" Donald Glover for mayor. The cover story, 'Donald Glover for mayor: Fear of a Black Mecca ,' received a strong, wide-ranging reaction. From getting called racists to hearing we're irresponsible for endorsing a candidate who was not even running, we got it all. Some commentators even liked the story, while others exposed their own prejudices. We pulled reactions from CL's website, Facebook, and Reddit. So grab some popcorn and have a look.

Bmandoh: The article was strange, but I understood what the author is describing. I'm sure there will be an influx of commenters here talking about racism against whites, or how discriminatory this article is because we're all Americans. But that doesn't change the fact that the writer has a point, specifically about how every time black communities and cities build themselves into something white america wants to move on it. It's always going to be a touchy subject, but that doesn't mean we can't, or shouldn't, talk about it.

Another ATLien: I've read Creative Loafingfor many many years. This is without a doubt the most unabashedly racist rant I've ever read in this publication and lacking in reality. While the city of Atlanta's AA population may have declined, AA population in the metro area has increased 50 percent overall. The metro area has one of the highest rates of AA home ownership, business ownership and average income level. Atlanta's overall crime rate has declined greatly since the '70s ... Atlanta has the top-rated HBCUs in the country, and Georgia State has the largest number annually of AA graduates of any college in the country. For these reasons, the Atlanta area continues to be a ' Black Mecca,' and no matter who the mayor of Atlanta is, that fact isn't going to change. So what if it isn't a 'black' city; it isn't a white city either, and it never will be.

9191qw: Atlanta is a very 'racial' place. That's just how this city is. If you want to put your blinders on and act like ' who even says black/white,' fine. But that's just not the reality we live in.

OffCascade: I feel like the writer and I agree with him '_ I can't wait to read the books about what happened to Chocolate City Atlanta. Very sad that we gave up our city like this '_ The black Democrat bourgeoisie have sold out black people again, as usual, choosing wealthy developers over the poor and working class people.

Dillpickles007: I thought the article was well written, but as a white millennial in-town living Atlantan, I don't really know how to feel about the sentiments it expresses.

I'm not trying to push black people out of the city, but I'm aware that I'm right in the middle of the gentrification wave the author is talking about. I don't want to live up near the Big Chicken, but I also feel for old black couples getting priced out of the Grant Park home they've lived in for half their lives.

Tyler Parks: Y'all didn't give up your city, just drive around any black neighborhood in Atlanta and see why anyone with money has fled, almost all local businesses are boarded up or the cashier is behind a bulletproof barrier that can withstand a grenade. White people didn't do this like the article is suggesting ... Is the writer seriously upset that money is being dumped into Vine City and the West End? Is he seriously sad that ghettos are being rejuvenated? Has this writer ever actually lived in either of these hoods?

Mikegrier007: As a native Atlantan (Candler Road & SWATS) I fully get this CL's cover story and have had the same anxiety. The places such as Grady homes, Grant Park and Candler Park used to belong to older AA families. They push those people out and add high priced housing to run the people who were born there out.

StableChaos: CL's cover story is racist garbage. Flip the races and imagine this was written in the 1970s by a white guy worried about Atlanta becoming more black. You'd call him a white supremacist and swear he was in the Klan.

Ryan Campbell: Beautifully written article that nails the problem with this year's mayoral race.

Bmandoh: The point is that they are poor because they've been second-class citizens up until 60-ish years ago and that means not being able to accumulate the kind of wealth that allows them to improve their communities. So white folks come back around, ' revitalize' an area, say 'look at all we've done here,' then shift the blame to the poor black communities for not investing in themselves with money they don't have. ... And it's not that they don't want their communities to improve or be better, they just don't want it to come at the expense of their displacement. Because that just perpetuates the cycle of poverty that they struggle to break out of.

Donald Schneider: I don't see any impending erasure with the tired and garbage mumble rap scene and Tyler Perry's direct to DVD bargain bin movies being churned out ad nauseam. Whoever wrote this garbage needs to stay in whatever town they moved to.

Hailsouthern: Whenever I see comments that stoke division along racial lines, I used to get upset. But now I just know you're a paid Russian shill. Go suck puny Putin's pitiful peepee and leave our country alone.

Amanda Michael: The most genuine and real article I've read in a long time!

Oydave: What a load. There is so much learned knowledge that is totally wrong that I don't know where to start.

Lindsay Pingel: Can one of you please get me a copy of this issue and mail it to me?!

Tomas Nosal: Is Donald Glover really running for mayor of Atlanta?

Comments have been edited for space and clarity."
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  string(5948) "Now that December's''Creative Loafing'' is on the streets and the mayor's race is(kind of)over, we want to revisit last month's cover story, in which we "endorsed" Donald Glover for mayor. The cover story, '[http://www.creativeloafing.com/news/article/20981290/donald-glover-for-mayor-of-atlanta|Donald Glover for mayor: Fear of a Black Mecca] ,' received a strong, wide-ranging reaction. From getting called racists to hearing we're irresponsible for endorsing a candidate who was not even running, we got it all. Some commentators even liked the story, while others exposed their own prejudices. We pulled reactions from'' CL'''s website, Facebook, and Reddit. So grab some popcorn and have a look.

__Bmandoh:__ The article was strange, but I understood what the author is describing. I'm sure there will be an influx of commenters here talking about racism against whites, or how discriminatory this article is because we're all Americans. But that doesn't change the fact that the writer has a point, specifically about how every time black communities and cities build themselves into something white america wants to move on it. It's always going to be a touchy subject, but that doesn't mean we can't, or shouldn't, talk about it.

__Another ATLien:__ I've read ''Creative Loafing''for many many years. This is without a doubt the most unabashedly racist rant I've ever read in this publication and lacking in reality. While the city of Atlanta's AA population may have declined, AA population in the metro area has increased 50 percent overall. The metro area has one of the highest rates of AA home ownership, business ownership and average income level. Atlanta's overall crime rate has declined greatly since the '70s ... Atlanta has the top-rated HBCUs in the country, and Georgia State has the largest number annually of AA graduates of any college in the country. For these reasons, the Atlanta area continues to be a ' Black Mecca,' and no matter who the mayor of Atlanta is, that fact isn't going to change. So what if it isn't a 'black' city; it isn't a white city either, and it never will be.

__9191qw:__ Atlanta is a very 'racial' place. That's just how this city is. If you want to put your blinders on and act like ' who even says black/white,' fine. But that's just not the reality we live in.

__OffCascade:__ I feel like the writer and I agree with him '_ I can't wait to read the books about what happened to Chocolate City Atlanta. Very sad that we gave up our city like this '_ The black Democrat bourgeoisie have sold out black people again, as usual, choosing wealthy developers over the poor and working class people.

__Dillpickles007:__ I thought the article was well written, but as a white millennial in-town living Atlantan, I don't really know how to feel about the sentiments it expresses.

I'm not trying to push black people out of the city, but I'm aware that I'm right in the middle of the gentrification wave the author is talking about. I don't want to live up near the Big Chicken, but I also feel for old black couples getting priced out of the Grant Park home they've lived in for half their lives.

__Tyler Parks:__ Y'all didn't give up your city, just drive around any black neighborhood in Atlanta and see why anyone with money has fled, almost all local businesses are boarded up or the cashier is behind a bulletproof barrier that can withstand a grenade. White people didn't do this like the article is suggesting ... Is the writer seriously upset that money is being dumped into Vine City and the West End? Is he seriously sad that ghettos are being rejuvenated? Has this writer ever actually lived in either of these hoods?

__Mikegrier007:__ As a native Atlantan (Candler Road & SWATS) I fully get this [[''CL'''s cover story] and have had the same anxiety. The places such as Grady homes, Grant Park and Candler Park used to belong to older AA families. They push those people out and add high priced housing to run the people who were born there out.

__StableChaos:__ [[''CL'''s cover story] is racist garbage. Flip the races and imagine this was written in the 1970s by a white guy worried about Atlanta becoming more black. You'd call him a white supremacist and swear he was in the Klan.

__Ryan Campbell:__ Beautifully written article that nails the problem with this year's mayoral race.

__Bmandoh:__ The point is that they are poor because they've been second-class citizens up until 60-ish years ago and that means not being able to accumulate the kind of wealth that allows them to improve their communities. So white folks come back around, ' revitalize' an area, say 'look at all we've done here,' then shift the blame to the poor black communities for not investing in themselves with money they don't have. ... And it's not that they don't want their communities to improve or be better, they just don't want it to come at the expense of their displacement. Because that just perpetuates the cycle of poverty that they struggle to break out of.

__Donald Schneider:__ I don't see any impending erasure with the tired and garbage mumble rap scene and Tyler Perry's direct to DVD bargain bin movies being churned out [[ad nauseam]. Whoever wrote this garbage needs to stay in whatever town they moved to.

__Hailsouthern:__ Whenever I see comments that stoke division along racial lines, I used to get upset. But now I just know you're a paid Russian shill. Go suck puny Putin's pitiful peepee and leave our country alone.

__Amanda Michael:__ The most genuine and real article I've read in a long time!

__Oydave:__ What a load. There is so much learned knowledge that is totally wrong that I don't know where to start.

__Lindsay Pingel:__ Can [[one] of you please get me a copy of this issue and mail it to me?!

__Tomas Nosal:__ Is Donald Glover really running for mayor of Atlanta?

''Comments have been edited for space and clarity.''"
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  string(6160) "    Comments from Creative Loafing's November cover story   2017-12-07T21:27:00+00:00 Is Atlanta afraid of a Black Mecca? ben.eason@creativeloafing.com Ben Eason Joeff Davis|Adjoa Danso  2017-12-07T21:27:00+00:00  Now that December'sCreative Loafing is on the streets and the mayor's race is(kind of)over, we want to revisit last month's cover story, in which we "endorsed" Donald Glover for mayor. The cover story, 'Donald Glover for mayor: Fear of a Black Mecca ,' received a strong, wide-ranging reaction. From getting called racists to hearing we're irresponsible for endorsing a candidate who was not even running, we got it all. Some commentators even liked the story, while others exposed their own prejudices. We pulled reactions from CL's website, Facebook, and Reddit. So grab some popcorn and have a look.

Bmandoh: The article was strange, but I understood what the author is describing. I'm sure there will be an influx of commenters here talking about racism against whites, or how discriminatory this article is because we're all Americans. But that doesn't change the fact that the writer has a point, specifically about how every time black communities and cities build themselves into something white america wants to move on it. It's always going to be a touchy subject, but that doesn't mean we can't, or shouldn't, talk about it.

Another ATLien: I've read Creative Loafingfor many many years. This is without a doubt the most unabashedly racist rant I've ever read in this publication and lacking in reality. While the city of Atlanta's AA population may have declined, AA population in the metro area has increased 50 percent overall. The metro area has one of the highest rates of AA home ownership, business ownership and average income level. Atlanta's overall crime rate has declined greatly since the '70s ... Atlanta has the top-rated HBCUs in the country, and Georgia State has the largest number annually of AA graduates of any college in the country. For these reasons, the Atlanta area continues to be a ' Black Mecca,' and no matter who the mayor of Atlanta is, that fact isn't going to change. So what if it isn't a 'black' city; it isn't a white city either, and it never will be.

9191qw: Atlanta is a very 'racial' place. That's just how this city is. If you want to put your blinders on and act like ' who even says black/white,' fine. But that's just not the reality we live in.

OffCascade: I feel like the writer and I agree with him '_ I can't wait to read the books about what happened to Chocolate City Atlanta. Very sad that we gave up our city like this '_ The black Democrat bourgeoisie have sold out black people again, as usual, choosing wealthy developers over the poor and working class people.

Dillpickles007: I thought the article was well written, but as a white millennial in-town living Atlantan, I don't really know how to feel about the sentiments it expresses.

I'm not trying to push black people out of the city, but I'm aware that I'm right in the middle of the gentrification wave the author is talking about. I don't want to live up near the Big Chicken, but I also feel for old black couples getting priced out of the Grant Park home they've lived in for half their lives.

Tyler Parks: Y'all didn't give up your city, just drive around any black neighborhood in Atlanta and see why anyone with money has fled, almost all local businesses are boarded up or the cashier is behind a bulletproof barrier that can withstand a grenade. White people didn't do this like the article is suggesting ... Is the writer seriously upset that money is being dumped into Vine City and the West End? Is he seriously sad that ghettos are being rejuvenated? Has this writer ever actually lived in either of these hoods?

Mikegrier007: As a native Atlantan (Candler Road & SWATS) I fully get this CL's cover story and have had the same anxiety. The places such as Grady homes, Grant Park and Candler Park used to belong to older AA families. They push those people out and add high priced housing to run the people who were born there out.

StableChaos: CL's cover story is racist garbage. Flip the races and imagine this was written in the 1970s by a white guy worried about Atlanta becoming more black. You'd call him a white supremacist and swear he was in the Klan.

Ryan Campbell: Beautifully written article that nails the problem with this year's mayoral race.

Bmandoh: The point is that they are poor because they've been second-class citizens up until 60-ish years ago and that means not being able to accumulate the kind of wealth that allows them to improve their communities. So white folks come back around, ' revitalize' an area, say 'look at all we've done here,' then shift the blame to the poor black communities for not investing in themselves with money they don't have. ... And it's not that they don't want their communities to improve or be better, they just don't want it to come at the expense of their displacement. Because that just perpetuates the cycle of poverty that they struggle to break out of.

Donald Schneider: I don't see any impending erasure with the tired and garbage mumble rap scene and Tyler Perry's direct to DVD bargain bin movies being churned out ad nauseam. Whoever wrote this garbage needs to stay in whatever town they moved to.

Hailsouthern: Whenever I see comments that stoke division along racial lines, I used to get upset. But now I just know you're a paid Russian shill. Go suck puny Putin's pitiful peepee and leave our country alone.

Amanda Michael: The most genuine and real article I've read in a long time!

Oydave: What a load. There is so much learned knowledge that is totally wrong that I don't know where to start.

Lindsay Pingel: Can one of you please get me a copy of this issue and mail it to me?!

Tomas Nosal: Is Donald Glover really running for mayor of Atlanta?

Comments have been edited for space and clarity.             20985131         http://dev.creativeloafing.com/image/2017/12/Screen_Shot_2017_10_23_at_3.42.30_PM_copy.5a296c75c1e3d.png                  Is Atlanta afraid of a Black Mecca? "
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One day, a regular at Ébrik Coffee Room walked in and slapped a magnet onto the pastry case. It read, “Syrians Welcome Here.” 
 
“What do you think?” he asked co-owner Abbas Arman. “Sorry, am I putting you in hot water?” At the time, the Syrian refugee crisis was making headlines domestically and internationally. Abbas hesitated for only a moment. Two years later, the magnet remains.
Ébrik (or ibrik, pronounced ay-BREEK) is the Arabic word for a traditional Turkish coffee pot — small with a long handle, often made of copper. Since Abbas and his two business partners opened on Park Place in February 2014, their Downtown coffee shop has become known for its social consciousness, sense of community, and all-around comfortable vibes. I fell in love with Ébrik during my first semester as a Georgia State grad student and instantly felt welcomed. Later, as an editor at Creative Loafing, I was grateful it remained just a short walk away. 
The shop is one of the few places that illustrates how closely connected GSU and Downtown are. At Ébrik, students stand in line with university staff, police officers, construction crews, local office workers, and people who just need a place to hang out for a bit. “We didn't understand that we would become part of a community,” Abbas says, “and even create our own kind of community.”
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A SCAD graduate designed the original Ébrik’s cozy interior. Deep navy coated the walls. Reclaimed wood from West End’s LifeCycle covered the bar. Abbas says a Yelp reviewer described the space as “like your cousin’s loft.” He thinks the description is accurate. “It's trendy and industrial and whatnot,” he says, “but it's your cousin's. Like, you're home.”
Abbas and his brother, Ibrahim, also a member of the Ébrik team, grew up in Chicago with Palestinian parents. Abbas studied biology at Northeastern University but says he never did anything with his degree; instead, an entrepreneurial spirit led him to gigs like refurbishing electronics. After his family relocated to Atlanta, he moved here to be closer to them. The idea for Ébrik came when his sister, a student at GSU, mentioned that Downtown lacked independent coffee shops. Abbas asked around but says investors told him no one in the neighborhood would be interested in $4.50 cups of coffee or healthy food options. “They would try to patch it up with nice words: ‘Oh, the demographics are kind of different,’” Abbas says. “You know exactly what they're talking about.” In this way, Ébrik’s very existence is an act of defiance. 
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The shop’s signature chalkboard changes regularly and has featured the words of artists and activists like Linda Sarsour, Rumi, Robin Williams, and Dick Gregory. An adjacent bulletin board holds signs that read, “Stop profiling Muslims” and “Palestinian Human Rights” alongside thank you cards from loyal customers and flyers for local social movements. Over the past year, Ébrik has become a safe haven for those on the fringes of Trump’s America. Everyone is welcome join in on the fellowship, sipping craft brews, traditional Turkish coffee, Cuban espresso, and Persian tea. Air-roasted beans come from Land of A Thousand Hills and sandwiches and hummus are boxed in-house. Decatur’s Ratio Bakeshop provides cinnamon rolls, croissants, and other baked goods. 
Many Ébrik employees began as customers. When hiring, Abbas looks for people who will maintain the shop’s warm and welcoming atmosphere. A second language is a plus; employees speak Arabic, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Somali, respectively. “I think we've all kind of lived in different spaces,” says Abbas. “When you speak another language, you have an another culture in your life … and that's what helps us connect with each other and with others.”
Manager Julie Tran, a third-year journalism student at Georgia State, joined the Ébrik family the summer after she graduated from high school. It was her first real job, and she didn’t know anything about coffee. During the interview, Abbas asked her about a negative experience that she turned into a positive. Tran told him about evacuating New Orleans at 8 years old because of Hurricane Katrina, and how writing about it inspired her to pursue journalism. 
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The value of that experience came back in an unexpected way one night in September, when a woman fleeing Hurricane Irma made her way into Ébrik. She stayed for hours until closing. “You could tell in her eyes that she was scared,” Tran recalls. “She didn't know what to do.” So Tran and another employee lent the woman a charger for her dying phone, gave her their remaining pastries for free, and helped her look for an Airbnb. 
That human connection, and her ability pay it forward in someone's time of need, touched Tran. When she told friends about the experience, one suggested she create a storytelling platform on social media, similar to Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York. So Tran began posting portraits of Ébrik's baristas and customers on the new @peopleofebrik Instagram account, sharing bits of info about who they are in the captions, from favorite beverages to personal mottos. “The photos are great, but it's more [about] knowing people on a personal level,” she says. 
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The team’s passion for human connection is paying off. This past spring, Ébrik opened a second location on East College Avenue in Decatur, beside Agnes Scott’s campus. Next, they’ll debut a third in Sandy Springs. Abbas is mum on a potential opening date, but he's confident that he and his team can continue to replicate the vibe that sets them apart.
In October, the original Ébrik moved two doors down into a spacious corner spot that once housed a beauty school. The new Downtown space, at 22 Park Place S.E., adds a serious amount of square footage — and even a second story — but it’s still the same old Ébrik.
“Hello! How you doin'?” Ibrahim calls from behind the wood-paneled bar as I walk in for the first time. The magnet is still there. So is the chalkboard; it simply reads, “grateful.” Hip-hop tunes mingle with the whir of the espresso machine. I make my way past chattering students to a seat upstairs. It feels like home.
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  string(2946) "!!!CURREN$Y, Corner Boy P, T.Y., MadeGroceries, Neno Calvin, Great White Stylez
The Masquerade - 75 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive S.W. Atlanta, GA 30303 $26.50. 7 p.m.

Hip-hop is led by those with stamina and vitality. New Orleans-born king of twang and low riders is bringing just that when Curren$y, luminary of gutter Southern hip-hop and all things mixtape culture, makes a stop in Atlanta on his Pilot Talk Trilogy tour. One of the original members of Young Money Cash Money Billionaires (YMCMB) is back perform songs from throughout his career leading up to his latest single "In The Lot." The show is a celebration of Curren$y's 15 years in the game, and for any self-respecting fan of Southern hip-hop, this one is not to be missed.


!!!Liquid Sky presents Fixation: The Secret Garden
7 Stages Theatre - 1105 Euclid Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30307 $27. 8 p.m.

This 18+ event features Liquid Sky transforming Atlanta's underground, interactive dance party into a scandalous theatrical production. Friends and lovers are welcome to witness fixations including romantic relationships, eroticism, gender, sensual appetites, and sexual fantasies through the lens of professional aerialists and modern dancers.


!!!Creative Capital Presents: Inside/Out: The Money Machine
Royal Peacock - 186 Auburn Ave. Atlanta, GA 30303 Free w/ RSVP. 7 p.m.

Award-winning artist Kenya Robinson and Atlanta community organizer and activist Avery Jackson host an interactive conversation on historic Auburn Avenue about life outside the "money machine." The pair will discuss financial issues respective to their fields. The event is the first in Creative Capital's series that pairs awardees with nontraditional art leaders to foster interactive community discussions.


!!!Shine Huang: See Me As I Am opening
Mason Fine Art and Events - 415 Plasters Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30324 Free. 6 p.m.

See Me As I Am is a photography series focused on the Habesha (Ethiopian and Eritrean) community in Atlanta. Photographer Shine Huang, an immigrant himself, describes the series as a cultural learning process. Huang photographed more than 30 families for the exhibit.


!!!Resurgens Fest 2017
Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge - 644 N. Highland Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30306 $10-$30. 8 p.m.

On an optimistic whim, comedian and showrunner extraordinaire Joe Pettis created the Hotlanta Comedy Fest last year: a three-day shindig featuring all-local comedians. The fest returns this year with a new name and venue. Rebranded as Resurgens Fest, Pettis and more than 80 homegrown comics will perform Thursday through Saturday at the Highland Ballroom for seven individually themed stand-up showcases. This year will also feature improv in the cozy Highland courtyard and put ticket sales to very good use with all proceeds going to the Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence. Individual, daily, and full weekend passes are on sale now."
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__The Masquerade - 75 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive S.W. Atlanta, GA 30303 $26.50. 7 p.m.__

Hip-hop is led by those with stamina and vitality. New Orleans-born king of twang and low riders is bringing just that when Curren$y, luminary of gutter Southern hip-hop and all things mixtape culture, makes a stop in Atlanta on his Pilot Talk Trilogy tour. One of the original members of Young Money Cash Money Billionaires (YMCMB) is back perform songs from throughout his career leading up to his latest single "In The Lot." The show is a celebration of Curren$y's 15 years in the game, and for any self-respecting fan of Southern hip-hop, this one is not to be missed.


!!![https://local.creativeloafing.com/event-158527-Liquid-Sky-Presents--Fixation,-The-Secret-Garden|Liquid Sky presents Fixation: The Secret Garden]
__7 Stages Theatre - 1105 Euclid Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30307 $27. 8 p.m.__

This 18+ event features Liquid Sky transforming Atlanta's underground, interactive dance party into a scandalous theatrical production. Friends and lovers are welcome to witness fixations including romantic relationships, eroticism, gender, sensual appetites, and sexual fantasies through the lens of professional aerialists and modern dancers.


!!![https://local.creativeloafing.com/event-158710|Creative Capital Presents: ''Inside/Out: The Money Machine'']
__Royal Peacock - 186 Auburn Ave. Atlanta, GA 30303 Free w/ RSVP. 7 p.m.__

Award-winning artist Kenya Robinson and Atlanta community organizer and activist Avery Jackson host an interactive conversation on historic Auburn Avenue about life outside the "money machine." The pair will discuss financial issues respective to their fields. The event is the first in Creative Capital's series that pairs awardees with nontraditional art leaders to foster interactive community discussions.


!!![https://local.creativeloafing.com/event-158557-Shine-Huang--'See-Me-As-I-Am'-Opening|Shine Huang: ''See Me As I Am'' opening]
__Mason Fine Art and Events - 415 Plasters Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30324 Free. 6 p.m.__

''See Me As I Am'' is a photography series focused on the Habesha (Ethiopian and Eritrean) community in Atlanta. Photographer Shine Huang, an immigrant himself, describes the series as a cultural learning process. Huang photographed more than 30 families for the exhibit.


!!![https://local.creativeloafing.com/event-158715|Resurgens Fest 2017]
__Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge - 644 N. Highland Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30306 $10-$30. 8 p.m.__

On an optimistic whim, comedian and showrunner extraordinaire Joe Pettis created the Hotlanta Comedy Fest last year: a three-day shindig featuring all-local comedians. The fest returns this year with a new name and venue. Rebranded as Resurgens Fest, Pettis and more than 80 homegrown comics will perform Thursday through Saturday at the Highland Ballroom for seven individually themed stand-up showcases. This year will also feature improv in the cozy Highland courtyard and put ticket sales to very good use with all proceeds going to the Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence. Individual, daily, and full weekend passes are on sale now."
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  string(3252) "    What's happening in Atlanta today   2017-11-02T11:00:00+00:00 5 things to do: Resurgens Fest 2017 -  November 01 2017 ben.eason@creativeloafing.com Ben Eason Adjoa Danso  2017-11-02T11:00:00+00:00  !!!CURREN$Y, Corner Boy P, T.Y., MadeGroceries, Neno Calvin, Great White Stylez
The Masquerade - 75 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive S.W. Atlanta, GA 30303 $26.50. 7 p.m.

Hip-hop is led by those with stamina and vitality. New Orleans-born king of twang and low riders is bringing just that when Curren$y, luminary of gutter Southern hip-hop and all things mixtape culture, makes a stop in Atlanta on his Pilot Talk Trilogy tour. One of the original members of Young Money Cash Money Billionaires (YMCMB) is back perform songs from throughout his career leading up to his latest single "In The Lot." The show is a celebration of Curren$y's 15 years in the game, and for any self-respecting fan of Southern hip-hop, this one is not to be missed.


!!!Liquid Sky presents Fixation: The Secret Garden
7 Stages Theatre - 1105 Euclid Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30307 $27. 8 p.m.

This 18+ event features Liquid Sky transforming Atlanta's underground, interactive dance party into a scandalous theatrical production. Friends and lovers are welcome to witness fixations including romantic relationships, eroticism, gender, sensual appetites, and sexual fantasies through the lens of professional aerialists and modern dancers.


!!!Creative Capital Presents: Inside/Out: The Money Machine
Royal Peacock - 186 Auburn Ave. Atlanta, GA 30303 Free w/ RSVP. 7 p.m.

Award-winning artist Kenya Robinson and Atlanta community organizer and activist Avery Jackson host an interactive conversation on historic Auburn Avenue about life outside the "money machine." The pair will discuss financial issues respective to their fields. The event is the first in Creative Capital's series that pairs awardees with nontraditional art leaders to foster interactive community discussions.


!!!Shine Huang: See Me As I Am opening
Mason Fine Art and Events - 415 Plasters Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30324 Free. 6 p.m.

See Me As I Am is a photography series focused on the Habesha (Ethiopian and Eritrean) community in Atlanta. Photographer Shine Huang, an immigrant himself, describes the series as a cultural learning process. Huang photographed more than 30 families for the exhibit.


!!!Resurgens Fest 2017
Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge - 644 N. Highland Ave. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30306 $10-$30. 8 p.m.

On an optimistic whim, comedian and showrunner extraordinaire Joe Pettis created the Hotlanta Comedy Fest last year: a three-day shindig featuring all-local comedians. The fest returns this year with a new name and venue. Rebranded as Resurgens Fest, Pettis and more than 80 homegrown comics will perform Thursday through Saturday at the Highland Ballroom for seven individually themed stand-up showcases. This year will also feature improv in the cozy Highland courtyard and put ticket sales to very good use with all proceeds going to the Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence. Individual, daily, and full weekend passes are on sale now.             20981328                           5 things to do: Resurgens Fest 2017 -  November 01 2017 "
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  string(1828) "!!!The Three Little Pigs & More
Center for Puppetry Arts - 1204 Spring St. N.W. Atlanta, GA 30309 $19.50. 10 a.m.

The Frog Prince and the Three Billy Goats Gruff journey from Germany and Scandinavia to join the Three Little Pigs on stage in this zany tale.

!!!El Burro Pollo pop-up
El Super Pan - 675 Ponce De Leon Ave. N.E., Ponce City Market Atlanta, GA 30308 11 a.m.

Chef Hector Santiago's burrito pop-up is taking over El Super Pan at Ponce City Market in honor of Dia de los Muertos. Ten percent of the proceeds will benefit Los Topos rescuers for earthquake relief in Mexico.

!!!Videodrome presents Repo Man
529 Bar - 529 Flat Shoals Ave. S.E. Atlanta, GA 30316 4 p.m.

Repo Man is an essential document of the Reagan era produced by Mike Nesbith of the Monkees and directed by Alex Cox. The film is a day in the life of disaffected punk rock Emilio Estevez in the 1980s. He stumbles upon a car with the dead bodies of aliens in the trunk. High anxiety and hilarity ensue. It's got a killer soundtrack, too.

!!!Beers, Bites, and Beats
Monday Night Garage - 933 Lee St. S.W. Atlanta, GA 30310 6:30 p.m.

Head to Monday Night Brewing for an evening of food, live entertainment, and local brews. Guests can enjoy bites from vendors like Mac the Cheese, and Amp'd Entertainment will provide DJ sets throughout the evening.

!!!Morningside
Georgia Ensemble Theatre - 950 Forrest St. Roswell, GA 30075 $28-$38. 7:30 p.m. 

The Georgia Ensemble Theatre (GET) presents Atlanta playwright Topher Payne's Morningside in celebration of its 25th Silver Anniversary Season. The play, a mix of The Women, Steel Magnolias, and "The Real Housewives," is led by an all-female cast and creative team. Nine women at a baby shower encounter secrets, tension between family and friends, and a case of champagne."
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__Center for Puppetry Arts - 1204 Spring St. N.W. Atlanta, GA 30309 $19.50. 10 a.m.__

The Frog Prince and the Three Billy Goats Gruff journey from Germany and Scandinavia to join the Three Little Pigs on stage in this zany tale.

!!![https://local.creativeloafing.com/event-150567-EL-BURRO-POLLO-Pops-Up-at-El-Super-Pan|El Burro Pollo pop-up]
__El Super Pan - 675 Ponce De Leon Ave. N.E., Ponce City Market Atlanta, GA 30308 11 a.m.__

Chef Hector Santiago's burrito pop-up is taking over El Super Pan at Ponce City Market in honor of Dia de los Muertos. Ten percent of the proceeds will benefit Los Topos rescuers for earthquake relief in Mexico.

!!![https://local.creativeloafing.com/event-158666|Videodrome presents ]''[https://local.creativeloafing.com/event-158666|Repo Man]''
__529 Bar - 529 Flat Shoals Ave. S.E. Atlanta, GA 30316 4 p.m.__

''Repo Man'' is an essential document of the Reagan era produced by Mike Nesbith of the Monkees and directed by Alex Cox. The film is a day in the life of disaffected punk rock Emilio Estevez in the 1980s. He stumbles upon a car with the dead bodies of aliens in the trunk. High anxiety and hilarity ensue. It's got a killer soundtrack, too.

!!![https://local.creativeloafing.com/event-150568-Beers,-Bites,-and-Beats|Beers, Bites, and Beats]
__Monday Night Garage - 933 Lee St. S.W. Atlanta, GA 30310 6:30 p.m.__

Head to Monday Night Brewing for an evening of food, live entertainment, and local brews. Guests can enjoy bites from vendors like Mac the Cheese, and Amp'd Entertainment will provide DJ sets throughout the evening.

!!![https://local.creativeloafing.com/event-149243|Morningside]
__Georgia Ensemble Theatre - 950 Forrest St. Roswell, GA 30075 $28-$38. 7:30 p.m. __

The Georgia Ensemble Theatre (GET) presents Atlanta playwright Topher Payne's ''Morningside'' in celebration of its 25th Silver Anniversary Season. The play, a mix of ''The Women'', ''Steel Magnolias'', and "The Real Housewives," is led by an all-female cast and creative team. Nine women at a baby shower encounter secrets, tension between family and friends, and a case of champagne."
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Center for Puppetry Arts - 1204 Spring St. N.W. Atlanta, GA 30309 $19.50. 10 a.m.

The Frog Prince and the Three Billy Goats Gruff journey from Germany and Scandinavia to join the Three Little Pigs on stage in this zany tale.

!!!El Burro Pollo pop-up
El Super Pan - 675 Ponce De Leon Ave. N.E., Ponce City Market Atlanta, GA 30308 11 a.m.

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!!!Videodrome presents Repo Man
529 Bar - 529 Flat Shoals Ave. S.E. Atlanta, GA 30316 4 p.m.

Repo Man is an essential document of the Reagan era produced by Mike Nesbith of the Monkees and directed by Alex Cox. The film is a day in the life of disaffected punk rock Emilio Estevez in the 1980s. He stumbles upon a car with the dead bodies of aliens in the trunk. High anxiety and hilarity ensue. It's got a killer soundtrack, too.

!!!Beers, Bites, and Beats
Monday Night Garage - 933 Lee St. S.W. Atlanta, GA 30310 6:30 p.m.

Head to Monday Night Brewing for an evening of food, live entertainment, and local brews. Guests can enjoy bites from vendors like Mac the Cheese, and Amp'd Entertainment will provide DJ sets throughout the evening.

!!!Morningside
Georgia Ensemble Theatre - 950 Forrest St. Roswell, GA 30075 $28-$38. 7:30 p.m. 

The Georgia Ensemble Theatre (GET) presents Atlanta playwright Topher Payne's Morningside in celebration of its 25th Silver Anniversary Season. The play, a mix of The Women, Steel Magnolias, and "The Real Housewives," is led by an all-female cast and creative team. Nine women at a baby shower encounter secrets, tension between family and friends, and a case of champagne.             20981132                           5 things to do: Repo Man -  October 31 2017 "
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