Author Joseph R. Hudson
Founder, BlacIntellec
About BlacIntellec
The Black Atlanta Think Tank, stands as a formidable force within the Black community, recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to addressing economic challenges. Amidst a landscape where such initiatives are often absent, BlacIntellec boldly steps into the breach, wielding a diverse arsenal of platforms. Beyond mere advocacy, BlacIntellec assumes the mantle of protector, safeguarding the hard-won gains of Black economic development. Fearlessly championing fair treatment and equitable opportunities within the business ecosystem, BlacIntellec serves as a staunch sentinel against the insidious encroachment of systemic inequalities and discriminatory practices that threaten the prosperity of Black enterprises. Through meticulously crafted focus groups, incisive opinion papers, strategic collaborations, groundbreaking research, and decisive actions, BlacIntellec confronts head-on the multifaceted challenges confronting Black businesses and communities. At the heart of BlacIntellec's mission lies a commitment to amplifying the voices of the Black community, ensuring their perspectives resonate powerfully in the corridors of influence. Every endeavor undertaken by BlacIntellec begins with the harmonious convergence of diverse, experienced voices from within the Black community, fostering a collective strength that transcends individual challenges.
Its core function is to” Collect and Utilize the Collective Wisdom and Intellect of the Black Community to Support its Advancement.
Contact Information
Email Address: JronHudson@gmail.com
Phone Number: 404-281-9545
Website: www.blacintellec.org
Mr. Mayor Atlanta is at a defining crossroads—one where the decisions made about MARTA's future will either cement the city's legacy as a global leader in equity and economic opportunity or allow the widening gaps of exclusion to deepen. The voices of Atlanta's Black community are unequivocal: MARTA must prioritize equity, intentional inclusion, and measurable results to serve as a true engine for shared prosperity.
Atlanta's identity as a "City Too Busy to Hate" is built on the strength of its Black leadership, businesses, and communities—the very foundation that makes Atlanta a cultural and economic beacon. Yet this foundation is threatened when the Black community—the city’s backbone—remains underutilized, undervalued, and underrepresented in decisions that impact its future. The Atlanta Black Community Economic Manifesto outlines the extraordinary asset value of the Black community—leadership, enterprise, talent, and cultural resilience. To ignore these assets is to undermine the city’s future.
At the center of this moment stands MARTA—a vital infrastructure that determines access to opportunity, economic mobility, and equitable development. While Corporate Atlanta acknowledges MARTA’s systemic gaps, acknowledging alone will not suffice. Decisions about MARTA’s future cannot continue to occur in boardrooms while leaving out the very communities that rely on it most.
The Gaps: MARTA’s Systemic Failures
Community dialogues and measurable assessments reveal glaring inequities:
Lack of Accessibility and Inclusion
MARTA’s infrastructure bypasses underserved Black neighborhoods, perpetuating generational inequities.
Transit-oriented developments (TODs) benefit outside developers while displacing longtime residents.
Economic Exclusion
Black-owned businesses remain sidelined in MARTA’s projects, despite their proven economic value.
Workforce opportunities are not prioritized for Black Atlantans who depend on MARTA for employment access.
Affordability and Service Quality
Rising fares place disproportionate burdens on low-income Black residents.
Unreliable service stifles access to jobs, healthcare, education, and opportunities.
Community Disenfranchisement
MARTA decisions continue to exclude genuine, meaningful input from Black stakeholders, furthering distrust.
Disparities in Return on Investment (ROI)
Despite the Black community’s investment in tax revenue, infrastructure, and economic development, there is little return: few long-term jobs, minimal quality-of-life improvements, and rising displacement.
The Opportunity: MARTA as a Blueprint for Equity and Economic Growth
MARTA’s transformation is an unparalleled opportunity for Atlanta to align economic development with equity—to create a MARTA that serves all Atlantans, particularly those historically underserved. We call for deliberate, decisive action to close these gaps and unleash Atlanta’s full potential:
Expand Transit Access to Underserved Black Communities
Prioritize infrastructure investments that reconnect Black neighborhoods to economic hubs, healthcare, and schools.
Mandate Economic Inclusion in MARTA Contracts
Embed Black-owned businesses in transit access areas into MARTA’s supply chain, procurement, and TOD projects with measurable goals.
Make MARTA Affordable for Low-Income Residents
Implement income-based fare programs to ensure equitable access for all.
Adopt Anti-Displacement Policies for TODs
Require TOD projects to include affordable housing protections and safeguards for long-term residents and leave an agreed-upon legacy investment.
Include Black Stakeholders in MARTA Governance
Elevate Black voices into decision-making such as ACP roles that reflect the needs and priorities of underserved communities.
Simply hosting a public meeting does not get it. MARTA and ACP can gain factual information by hosting charrettes, focus groups, or other variations. This style of information gathering can target locales all over the city. Public engagement processes must include targeted outreach to residents who rely most on MARTA.
Deliver Measurable ROI to the Community
Create a Community Benefits Agreement with clear, accountable, and reported metrics for:
Job creation
Black business participation
Infrastructure improvements
Tangible quality-of-life advancements
The Promise: MARTA as a National Model for Economic Justice
Atlanta’s competitive edge lies in its Black community. Atlanta Black businesses has the largest number of Black employers in the United States with billions in economic impact. Imagine MARTA’s potential if it intentionally harnesses this economic engine—through inclusive contracts, equitable job opportunities, and reliable transit access. These opportunities could be channeled to business located in transit area most impacted.
The Atlanta Black Community Economic Action Agenda calls for MARTA’s revitalization to deliver more than incremental change. We need transformative solutions that dismantle systemic barriers, address wealth disparities, and create opportunities where they’re needed most.
This is about more than transit—this is about equity, economic justice, and Atlanta’s future. MARTA must set the standard for what a modern, inclusive transit system can achieve—a system that uplifts Atlanta’s Black communities, drives shared prosperity, and fulfills the promise of “One Atlanta.”
A Call to Leadership: Turning Vision into Action
Mayor Dickens, Atlanta’s Black community is not asking for charity—we are demanding a return on our investment. Your leadership, alongside Corporate Atlanta, holds the power to ensure MARTA becomes the equity vehicle that this city urgently needs. Together, we can:
Expand access to opportunity
Drive economic inclusion for Black businesses
Deliver reliable, affordable transit for Atlanta’s most vulnerable residents
MARTA can become Atlanta’s greatest symbol of progress, equity, and shared success—but only if we take bold, decisive steps to make it so. The time for promises has passed. The time for action is now.
Fundamentally, BlacIntellec offers that any enterprise or effort directly involved in the Atlanta Black communities must leave an investment in that community and not extract for selfish monetary motives.
Let us take this step forward—together. Atlanta’s future depends on it!
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