Category: Development

Spelman College in Atlanta holds the distinction of being one of the top historically black colleges (HBCUs) in the United States. The women’s only school has become synonymous with black girl excellence.

This article will tell you everything you need to know about Spelman.

What Is Spelman College?

Spelman College is a private, historically black liberal arts women’s college located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary by Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles. Spelman College is named after Laura Spelman Rockefeller and her parents Harvey Buel and Lucy Henry Spelman, longtime activists in the abolitionist movement.

Spelman College is known for its strong commitment to the education of African American women and has a rich history of producing influential alumnae in various fields, including politics, business, academia, and the arts. The college offers a wide range of undergraduate programs and is particularly well-regarded for its programs in the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields.

The school mascot, the Jaguar, can be seen prominently in the school’s athletics program.

Where Is Spelman College Located?

Spelman College is located in Atlanta, Georgia, in what is called the Atlanta University Center (AU Center), a consortium of HBCUs near downtown. Spelman’s address is 350 Spelman Ln SW, Atlanta, GA 30314. Here’s a map to help you find it.

How Much Does Spelman College Cost?

When it comes to tuition fees for the 2023-2024 semester, part-time students registered for less than 12 hours must pay $1,130 per credit hour.

Full-time students registered for more than 20 hours will be charged $925 for each additional credit hours, according to the school’s website.

Additional charges will be incurred for out-of-state fees as well as for on-campus dorm living, which is customary.

Other charges to be assessed at registration (see Other Charges below).

Other charges to be assessed at registration (see Other Charges below).

Who Are Some Notable Spelman College Alumni?

Spelman features a who’s who of famous and notable alumni. Here are a few:

• Alice Walker – Pulitzer Prize-winning author known for her novel “The Color Purple.”
• Marian Wright Edelman – Founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund, a leading advocacy organization for children’s rights.
• Bernice Johnson Reagon – Founder of the a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock and a prominent scholar of African American music and history.
• Keshia Knight Pulliam – Actress known for her role as Rudy Huxtable on “The Cosby Show.”
• Rosalind Brewer – CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance and former COO of Starbucks.
• Stacey Abrams – Politician, lawyer, and voting rights activist who served in the Georgia House of Representatives and ran for governor of Georgia in 2018.
• Beverly Daniel Tatum – Psychologist, educator, and author known for her work on race relations and identity development, particularly in the context of education.

Final Word

Spelman College is recognized for its dedicated focus on educating African American women and boasts a history of notable graduates who have excelled in diverse areas such as politics, business, academia, and the arts. Offering a broad spectrum of undergraduate programs, the college is especially esteemed for its curriculum in the humanities, social sciences, and STEM disciplines.

Spelman is part of the Atlanta University Center, which is a consortium of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) located in Atlanta, Georgia.

The consortium includes four member institutions: Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College. These institutions are known for their academic excellence and cultural significance in the African American community. The AU Center offers a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, as well as cultural and social activities for students. The AU Center is also known for its restaurants.

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Alpharetta, GA — February 27, 2026 — The team behind one of Atlanta’s most successful urban redevelopment projects is now turning its attention northward, as global real estate firm Jamestown has been tapped to lead the transformation of the aging North Point Mall into a vibrant mixed-use entertainment district — with a potential NHL arena at its core.

Jamestown, renowned for revitalizing the historic Ponce City Market in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward into a bustling hub of retail, dining, offices, and public spaces, announced the partnership Thursday with New York Life, the current owner of the 100-acre North Point Mall property in Alpharetta.

PCM Developers Selected to Revamp North Point Mall

The developer will oversee pre-development efforts, including securing necessary entitlements and rezoning approvals from the City of Alpharetta and Fulton County.

The ambitious vision includes a state-of-the-art arena designed to NHL standards, alongside multifamily housing, retail spaces, office areas, hotels, improved public transit access, and other amenities aimed at creating a walkable, sports-anchored destination.

Jamestown is collaborating with Machete Group, a firm experienced in sports venue development across major leagues, to bring the project to life.

Tim Perry, Jamestown’s chief investment officer, expressed optimism about the site’s potential: “We think this is a great location for an NHL team and, hopefully, our efforts will attract an owner who wants to acquire an expansion team and bring hockey back to Atlanta.”

The move intensifies the competition to land a new National Hockey League franchise in the Atlanta metro area. North Point Mall’s redevelopment joins The Gathering at South Forsyth, a separate multi-billion-dollar mixed-use proposal in neighboring Forsyth County.

That project, led by businessman Vernon Krause, centers on an 18,000-seat arena and has already secured significant local government support, including tax incentives contingent on securing an NHL team.

Both sites highlight growing momentum for NHL expansion in the region, which last hosted professional hockey with the Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2011).

Metro Atlanta’s northern suburbs offer strong demographics, existing hockey interest through youth and recreational programs, and proximity to major highways.

No timeline has been set for construction or NHL franchise decisions, as the projects remain in early planning and entitlement phases. Jamestown is scheduled to assume property management of North Point Mall starting March 1.

Local leaders in Alpharetta have previously advanced related efforts, including creating a Tax Allocation District to support mixed-use redevelopment in the broader North Point area.

As discussions continue, the involvement of a proven developer like Jamestown adds significant credibility to the North Point Mall bid in the race to return top-tier hockey to Georgia. Stay tuned to AtlantaFi.com for updates on this evolving story.

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Atlanta Habitat for Humanity has cleared the land and has broke ground on Langston Park, a master-planned community in the historic Sylvan Hills neighborhood that introduces townhome-style homes for the first time in the organization’s 42-year history.

Announced in early 2025, Langston Park aims to expand homeownership opportunities by offering a more diverse mix of housing types that are modern, sustainable, and efficient.

Langston Park Being Built in Atlanta’s Sylvan Hills Neighborhood

The development will feature attached townhomes in configurations of 2-, 4-, and 6-unit buildings, designed with contemporary aesthetics similar to Atlanta Habitat’s popular two-story single-family homes but incorporating shared walls to maximize space and affordability.

Future phases of townhome construction are planned to include 2- and 3-story options with 3- or 4-bedroom layouts, providing flexibility for families of varying sizes.

Situated at 1579 Langston Ave. on the western edge of Sylvan Hills, the site offers strong connectivity: it’s near two MARTA stations (including the Oakland City station), the Westside Trail of the Atlanta Beltline, and nearby green spaces. This location supports easier access to transit, walking paths, and community amenities—key advantages for future residents.

Homebuyers who join Atlanta Habitat’s program starting in 2025 will have the chance to purchase these brand-new townhomes, marking a historic shift from the organization’s traditional focus on standalone single-family homes. Construction on the project is scheduled to begin in 2026.

Langston Park represents Atlanta Habitat’s second major planned development in Sylvan Hills and is envisioned as a higher-density community overall. Master plans call for up to approximately 68 homes across the roughly eight-acre site, including around 40 townhomes, 18 duplexes, and 10 single-family homes.

The project will gain national attention in May 2026 when it hosts the 40th Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project

From May 3-8, thousands of volunteers are expected to converge on the site to build 24 new homes—single-family units and townhomes—in just five days, kicking off broader construction efforts.

Atlanta Habitat encourages prospective homebuyers interested in Langston Park to apply through their monthly homebuyer program opportunities.

The organization also invites community members to support the initiative by donating, volunteering on construction or other teams, or contributing goods to its ReStores.

For more information on the Langston Park development, homebuyer applications, or ways to get involved, visit atlantahabitat.org.

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The past 125 years—from the dawn of the 1900s to the present day in 2025—represent a period of profound change for Georgia.

Emerging from the shadows of Reconstruction and Jim Crow, the state navigated racial upheaval, economic booms, global spotlights, and political realignments.

5 Most Significant Moments in Georgia’s History

At the urging of fellow scholars, I’ve revised my selection to incorporate the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1914, a landmark event with deep Georgia roots that reshaped national finance

What follows are the five most significant historical events (with one honorable expansion) that redefined Georgia, selected for their lasting impact on its society, economy, and identity.

1. The Atlanta Race Riot of 1906: Igniting Racial Tensions in the New South

In the sweltering heat of September 1906, Atlanta erupted in violence that exposed the fragility of the “New South” ideal promoted by figures like Henry W. Grady.

False newspaper reports of Black assaults on white women fueled mobs of white residents, who rampaged through Black neighborhoods for days.

At least 25 Black Georgians were killed, hundreds injured, and property destroyed, forcing thousands to flee the city.

This riot marked a grim pinnacle of early 20th-century racial terror, accelerating the Great Migration of Black Southerners northward and hardening Jim Crow segregation.

It underscored Georgia’s role in the national struggle for racial justice, setting the stage for future civil rights battles.

Most historians view the riot as the dark underbelly of Georgia’s push toward industrialization—progress built on exclusion.

Read about the Atlanta Race Massacre.

2. The Creation of the Federal Reserve in 1914: A Blueprint for Banking

In November 1910, a secretive meeting unfolded on Georgia’s Jekyll Island, hosted by the exclusive Jekyll Island Club.

U.S. Senator Nelson Aldrich of Rhode Island, alongside bankers like J.P. Morgan representatives Paul Warburg and Frank Vanderlip, drafted the blueprint for a central banking system amid the club’s opulent hunting lodges and oceanfront cottages.

This “Duck Hunt” gathering addressed the Panic of 1907’s bank runs, proposing a national reserve to stabilize currency and credit.

The resulting Aldrich Plan evolved into the Federal Reserve Act, signed by President Woodrow Wilson on December 23, 1913, and operational by 1914.

Georgia’s secluded shores thus birthed the Fed, which has governed U.S. monetary policy for over a century—managing inflation, employment, and crises like the Great Depression and 2008 recession.

For Georgia, it elevated Atlanta as a Federal Reserve Branch hub in 1914, boosting the city’s financial stature and attracting institutions that fueled its growth into a banking powerhouse.

Want to take a deep dive? Check out how the Federal Reserve was created.

3. The Boll Weevil Devastation and the Agricultural Collapse of the 1920s

Georgia’s economy in the early 1900s was tethered to cotton, the “king” that employed much of the rural population. Then came the boll weevil, a tiny beetle that invaded from Mexico in 1915 and ravaged crops by the 1920s.

By 1921, infestations wiped out up to 50% of yields in some counties, plunging farmers into debt and triggering mass foreclosures.

Sharecroppers, both Black and white, faced starvation, leading to urban migration and the diversification of agriculture into peanuts, pecans, and poultry.

This crisis hastened the end of the plantation system and spurred New Deal reforms under Franklin D. Roosevelt, who drew inspiration from Georgia’s Warm Springs.

In my research, the boll weevil symbolizes nature’s role in dismantling an outdated economy, paving the way for Georgia’s mid-century industrialization.

4. The Civil Rights Movement and Atlanta’s Role as a Beacon (1950s–1960s)

Georgia stood at the epicenter of America’s moral reckoning with segregation. Atlanta native Martin Luther King Jr. led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955–1956, then returned home to co-found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957.

Not only did he marry the elegant Coretta Scott King, but King Jr. added fuel to the civil rights movement by inspiring lunch counter sit-ins (1960), the Albany Movement (1961–1962), and the March on Washington (1963)—where King delivered “I Have a Dream”—drew global attention.

Atlanta’s pragmatic leaders, under Mayor William B. Hartsfield, adopted the slogan “the city too busy to hate” to avoid the violence plaguing Birmingham.

Read up on some key facts about MLK you might not know.

The movement culminated in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965, dismantling legal Jim Crow.

As an early 1900s specialist, I see this as the fulfillment—and rejection—of the disenfranchisement my era entrenched in 1908. It transformed Georgia from a bastion of white supremacy to a hub of Black political power.

5. The 1996 Atlanta Olympics: Catapulting Georgia onto the World Stage

On July 19, 1996, Atlanta hosted the Centennial Olympic Games, the largest in history with 197 nations participating.

Over 2 million visitors flooded the city, generating $5 billion in economic impact and showcasing Georgia’s modernity through venues like Centennial Olympic Park.

Tragically, a bombing by domestic terrorist Eric Rudolph killed two and injured over 100, testing the state’s resilience.

The Games boosted infrastructure—expanding Hartsfield Airport (now the world’s busiest) and MARTA transit—and rebranded Atlanta as an international metropolis.

In the late 20th century, this event symbolized Georgia’s Sunbelt rise, attracting corporations like CNN and Coca-Cola headquarters. It marked the state’s transition from agrarian roots to global player.

These five events weave a narrative of resilience: from racial violence and financial innovation to economic ruin, triumphant activism, and global prestige.

The Jekyll Island meeting, in particular, highlights Georgia’s behind-the-scenes influence on national institutions.

Final Word

Georgia today is a diverse, booming state of 11 million, yet echoes of the early 1900s—disenfranchisement, agricultural shifts, and monetary reforms—linger in its challenges.

Many figures helped shape Georgia’s history and the world we live in right now. What they didn’t tell you about Rosa Parks.

As journalists, we document not just facts, but the human stories that propel change. The Peach State’s past 125 years remind us that history is not static; it is the foundation for tomorrow.