by Adam Mahoney March 23, 2026
ATLANTA — By the time Atlanta hosts a World Cup semifinal at Mercedes‑Benz Stadium this summer, city officials will have spent years pouring billions into a new entertainment district and transit upgrades to impress the world. The question residents in nearby Black neighborhoods are asking is who, exactly, all that preparation is meant for.
On a cold January afternoon, Alfred Tucker, an 83‑year‑old lifelong Atlantan, stood at the edge of Rodney Cook Sr. Park and pointed back toward downtown, where the stadium looms over the Gulch like a steel crown. Read more here.