New book traces Atlanta’s political history, argues leaders ignored Black working class; Analysis of Georgia’s latest political news

The new book, "Class Warfare in Black Atlanta," explores Atlanta's transformative political history from 1966 onwards and gives a critique of the city’s leadership. “Closer Look,” host Rose Scott, talks with author Augustus Wood, a scholar of African American History of the Urban South and assistant professor in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Professor Wood talks about his new book and why he feels it’s important to give vision and agency to Black workers.

Plus, there’s a lot of political news happening across the Peach State. We hear from Devin Barrington-Ward, a former candidate for Atlanta City Council, a progressive community organizer and the managing director of the Black Futurists Group, GSU politics and policy professor Tammy Greer and Atlanta-based political strategist and analyst Fred Hicks. They provide analysis and reflection on everything from the 2026 Georgia gubernatorial race, the recent deadly shooting at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia Geoff Duncan’s latest move to switch political parties and more.

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