Dear Readers,

For many of us, 2016 has been one of the most formative and impactful years of our lives. With the rise of a destructive political campaign based in dangerous and divisive hatred, the seemingly habitual killings of unarmed black citizens by police, the escalation of violent attacks against targeted groups, and the integration of racially charged rhetoric into our common culture, teenagers have been confronted with the reality of threats to their identity and well-being on an increasingly routine basis. Now, we share with you a series of stories and art about race in Atlanta. Our print publication will be released in schools and at our community event next week (join us!). You can also enjoy all the stories and multimedia features online here at VOXAtl.com. 

At the VOX Investigates kickoff meeting last August, I was a little apprehensive to discuss the topic for this semester’s issue, race in Atlanta, as we were meeting after a particularly turbulent summer.

Like most other discussions about race, we began with reservation and cautiousness. These walls, however, were steadily broken down as we discussed our personal experiences, backgrounds and collective desire to make a change. I began to notice there was something special about these reporters: They wanted to use their grief, frustration and hope to speak out and create unity with their stories.

This would not be as simple as we thought. A few days after the Sept. 11 shooting of Terrence Sterling, we discussed stories at our weekly check-in, but we were exhausted. Notes had gone home from school about the shooting, dozens of news outlets had begun their unceasing coverage, and many of us felt defeated. Objective discussions about reported stories became trite and devoid of meaning. The stories covered in this issue are more than the sheer content; there are real people behind each report, portrait, poem and feature, and these dimensions became difficult to separate as we delved into our investigation.

In this issue of VOX Investigates, we tackle a variety of issues relating to race that affect Atlanta teenagers — from the school-to-prison pipeline to social media and racial beauty standards. We have made it our mission to try to include as many voices and perspectives as possible, but we also realize that is truly impossible for us to represent every viewpoint, issue and racial identity that exists within the city. It is not our intent to exclude anyone, nor do we consider this issue a definitive look at race in Atlanta; instead, we hope our work is just one part of a larger ongoing dialogue that needs to occur within our communities.

As the Teen Editor for this issue of VOX Investigates, I hope the stories and people within this issue will create an impact and broaden the perspectives of our readers. Many say that Atlanta is a strictly black-and-white city, but through this issue, I hope that you see the vast variety of communities flourishing within and permanently transforming the collective identity of metro Atlanta.

Though it has been an extremely difficult year, we are also witnessing one of the most culturally prosperous, inspiring and daring times of our history, and I challenge you to believe in the importance of your own voice and speak out with us.

Join VOX Dec. 10 for a Teen-led Dialogue (click to RSVP)

We welcome any Atlanta-area teen join us for free on Dec. 10, 2-4 p.m., at The Center for Civil & Human Rights (directions here).

We’ll have a poetry open mic, free food. Create art. Record video. Speak up!

You can also mail your original story, poetry or art to media@voxatl.org.