Stories of Impact

When she first arrived in Atlanta in 2002, Dr. Beverly Tatum stepped into a critical role for the success of the City. A life-long educator, Tatum was named President of Spelman College – a leading educational institution for Black women, not only here in Atlanta but around the world. She brought years of experience with […]

A native woman of the Westside, Helen Smith Price has a unique passion for the community. Her grandparents, father and his 10 siblings were all born and raised on the Westside, and she recalls it as a place during her childhood where Black residents felt truly equal, safe and protected in  the days leading up […]

A big year is in the works for Westside Future Fund’s (WFF) Home on the Westside program as we plan to complete 45 affordable homes in the community by the end of 2023. The plans include 33 rental units across five multi-family properties and 12 single family homes. All of the properties are located within […]

After decades of neglect, many properties, including whole blocks in the English Avenue community, are suffering from abandonment and blight. In the past few years, two parks have been constructed in the neighborhood to honor Westside community matriarchs Mattie Freeland and Kathryn Johnston. We’re sharing their stories to honor Women’s History Month and to celebrate […]

  Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum & Her Work to Address Inequity This Women’s History Month, we’re spotlighting visionary leaders in our Westside community both past and present – including Westside Future Fund Board Chair and life-long educator Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum. When she first arrived in Atlanta in 2002, Tatum stepped into a critical role for the […]

Last month, more than 50 volunteers from The Home Depot Foundation partnered with Westside Future Fund for the annual MLK Day of Service to create wellness and resource rooms at Booker T. Washington High School where Dr. King graduated in 1944. Tolton Pace, manager of Programs and Partnerships for The Home Depot Foundation, believes these […]

During the first half of the 20th century, the historic Westside was a bustling middle-class Black community with manicured neighborhoods – but as socioeconomic inequities set in, so did neglect. Over the years, many properties on the Westside became vacant, abandoned and blighted, leaving rotting shells of former homes engulfed in overgrown vegetation. The unsightly […]

Revitalizing our community is a team effort, one that relies heavily on the support of our many incredible volunteers. To thank them for their hard work and dedication, we shine a light on people who actively support our mission. This month, we’re spotlighting Alesha Bell, a Westside local committed to helping transform our community for […]

A Worker from a Young Age In 1933, Dorothy Bolden began working as a domestic worker for a white Atlanta family near her Vine City home in the Westside community. She was nine years old. Every day after school, she’d work at the family’s home, caring for their baby, washing diapers and cleaning the house. […]