A new mural that chronicles the evolution of Atlanta's Blandtown neighborhood can be seen on at the intersection of Northside Drive and 17th Street. Photo: Kristal Dixon/Axios
If you're regularly in Atlanta's West Midtown area, you may have noticed a striking, sprawling mural along Northside Drive at 17th Street.
Driving the news: The mural was created by visual artist Corey Barksdale, is 170 feet long and 30 feet tall and chronicles the evolution of Atlanta's Blandtown neighborhood.
Flashback: Blandtown was established in 1872 and named after a Black landowner.
By the late 19th century, it became a community that was home to many Black families, according to the Upper Westside CID.
In 1952, the city of Atlanta annexed the neighborhood and was later rezoned for industrial uses.
"This rezoning was racist in intent, with the goal of disrupting a cluster of African American residences to minimize the power of the Black vote in local elections," the CID said.
