(BALTIMORE – September 5, 2026) – Coming from Baltimore, I am well aware of civil rights history.
Not far from my home is Druid Hill Avenue, once a central corridor of Baltimore’s Black community and a hub of civil rights organizing, Black politics, business, faith and journalism. It is part of the foundation upon which generations of Baltimoreans fought for equality, dignity, and political power.
Atlanta has a similarly powerful tradition. In fact, Atlanta was one of the most significant command centers of the modern civil rights movement.
It was home to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Ebenezer Baptist Church and the Atlanta Student Movement. It produced leaders such as Ralph David Abernathy, John Lewis, Julian Bond and Andrew Young. Its historically Black colleges and universities helped nurture generations of scholars, organizers and public servants.
Yet, despite that extraordinary history—and despite Georgia’s substantial Black population—the state has never elected a Black governor.
That is why the 2026 race deserves national attention.
I was scrolling through my social media feed when I came across an op-ed by former Georgia State Sen. Nabilah Parkes. Her piece, “Georgia’s Grocery Bills Are Too High. Keisha Lance Bottoms Wants to Lower Them,” spoke directly to the economic pressure families are experiencing at the checkout line.
Parkes writes not only as a former elected official but also as a mother of three who has watched grocery prices climb. She explains why she supports Keisha Lance Bottoms’ proposals to give local governments the option of eliminating local sales taxes on groceries and to remove the state sales tax from diapers, feminine hygiene products, and qualifying take-home family meals.
I reached out to Parkes and asked if BMORENews.com could publish her op-ed. She graciously agreed.
Only then did I learn more about her own political journey. Parkes represented Georgia’s 7th Senate District and recently mounted a statewide campaign for lieutenant governor. She advanced to the 2026 Democratic runoff before coming up short against Josh McLaurin.
In other words, this was not simply commentary from a casual observer. This was a former state senator and statewide candidate making the case for another Black woman seeking Georgia’s highest office.
And that got me thinking about Georgia’s history.
In 1990, civil rights icon, former congressman, U.N. ambassador, and Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young ran for governor. He received approximately 29% of the Democratic primary vote but lost the nomination to Zell Miller.
Two decades later, Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 2010. He also fell short.
Then came Stacey Abrams.
In 2018, Abrams pushed the envelope farther than anyone before her. She became the first Black person nominated for governor of Georgia by a major political party—and the first Black woman in American history to become a major-party nominee for governor. She came within striking distance of defeating Brian Kemp.
Abrams returned for a rematch in 2022. Although she did not prevail, her campaigns helped transform Georgia politics, expand the electorate, and demonstrate what could happen when Black voters, young voters, and other historically marginalized communities were organized and mobilized.
Now comes Keisha Lance Bottoms.
The former Atlanta mayor won the 2026 Democratic primary and will face Republican Rick Jackson on November 3. She is attempting to become Georgia’s first Black governor—and the first Black woman elected governor anywhere in the United States.
So, the question is clear: Will Georgia finally turn the corner?
Will Georgians vote?
Will Black voters show up and show out?
Will working families—Black, White, Latino, Asian and otherwise—decide that they have had enough of rising grocery bills, punishing household expenses and economic policies coming out of Washington that have made everyday life harder?
Will the people who keep Georgia moving recognize the power they possess when they move together?
Georgia gave America Dr. King. It gave us John Lewis, Andrew Young, Ralph David Abernathy, and so many others who challenged this nation to live up to its professed ideals. These leaders helped change America, even when America was not ready to change itself.
But Georgia still has an unfinished chapter.
The movement for political representation did not end with the marches. It did not end with the Civil Rights Act or the Voting Rights Act. And it did not end when Black elected officials began entering city halls, state legislatures, and Congress.
The struggle has always been about converting hard-earned voting rights into lasting political and economic power.
Andrew Young opened the door.
Stacey Abrams pushed it wider.
Now Keisha Lance Bottoms is attempting to walk through it.
A change is coming to Georgia.
The question is: Will it arrive on November 3?
