{"product_id":"ghosts-of-atlanta-cultural-gentrification-of-the-black-mecca-paperback","title":"Ghosts of Atlanta: Cultural Gentrification of the Black Mecca - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eRhana Gittens Wheeler\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOnce heralded as the \"Black Mecca of the South,\" Atlanta's Black community is currently under threat of dislocation by cultural gentrification. Amid the city's urban renaissance, residents face rising property values, taxes, and rents, as well as the more insidious loss of a collective identity and belonging. In \u003ci\u003eGhosts of Atlanta: Cultural Gentrification of the Black Mecca\u003c\/i\u003e, author Rhana Gittens Wheeler examines the fading echoes of African American memory and historical narratives in Atlanta. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAs encroaching investors and business owners enter historically Black areas, many have sought to rebrand entire neighborhoods, making those spaces more palatable to would-be gentrifiers and less recognizable to former residents. Exploring material sites of meaning, including monuments, museums, art exhibitions, and more, Gittens Wheeler unearths tensions between the city's proud legacy as a hub of political and economic equality for Black Americans and the unsettling reality of cultural displacement. Gittens Wheeler interrogates and critiques recent developments in the city, including the Atlanta BeltLine, craft breweries, and attractions that romanticize the civil rights movement. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDrawing inspiration from literary giants like Ralph Ellison and Toni Morrison, as well as contemporary voices like 2 Chainz and T.I., Gittens Wheeler weaves together elements of rhetorical criticism, archival studies, and interviews to confront pressing questions. What happens when symbols of cultural memory and identity are uprooted? How do residents grapple with the erasure of their narratives, forced to feel unwelcome in their own neighborhoods? In addressing these questions, Gittens Wheeler uncovers the complex dynamics of shared spaces, exposing both the pain of displacement and the possibility of redemption. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA reverberating call to action, \u003ci\u003e Ghosts of Atlanta: Cultural Gentrification of the Black Mecca\u003c\/i\u003e demonstrates that Black stories, inscribed in space, are necessary for bringing a moral reckoning to the heart of America's national identity.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRhana Gittens Wheeler \u003c\/b\u003eis assistant professor of communication and coordinator of the African American Studies Program at Oglethorpe University. Her research centers on critical rhetoric, critical cultural studies, identity, public memory, and space and place.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 222\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.51 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 02, 2024\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51751886717216,"sku":"9781496853363","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/0c7ddab1f9d70586458d75a599f76cfc_b73f3e47-ba38-423e-95f8-2814718414b8.webp?v=1779982633","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/ghosts-of-atlanta-cultural-gentrification-of-the-black-mecca-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}