Black-owned businesses are keeping Atlanta trailblazer Lottie Watkins’ legacy alive. They just have one request.

In the southwest Atlanta, black-owned businesses are keeping the history of their neighborhood alive-and it all starts with a cup of coffee.

Black -owned cafes and cooperative societies in the region are inspired by many local businessmen Loti Wattakes, making places that help share stories about the rich culture of the city and promote black entrepreneurship.

Atlanta was ranked for the worst city Income inequality In the report of Gobankingrates in 2024. Portrait coffee co-founder Aaron Fender, wants to help bridge that difference and hope that their small shop may be a catalyst for the community.

Following the footsteps of a trailblazer

She is running at the footsteps of Watkins – the first black woman in Atlanta became a licensed real estate broker and the founder of Loti Wattins Enterprises in 1960, which was according to her obligation. He died in February 2017 at the age of 98.

Watkins bought a building on Gordon Street, now Ralph David Abernethi Bulleward, known as Loti Watkins Building, and like a-petrate coffee to save space for other minority-owned businesses.

“He was really about to take care of our community,” Fender said about Watkins, who served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1977 to 1980 and mentioned dozens of those who mentioned dozens of civil rights. During the movement, he fought for the rights of black Americans.

In an od for watkins, the portrait coffee hangs the art characterized by the local icon, leading to the customers to the counter that leads to the counter that contains pictures of black families.

“They are cultural artifacts that tell a story and have their own history,” said Fander. “Despite your race, we invite you to take and understand our history.”

Portrait coffee’s “Aunty Viv Lattte,” The Fresh Prince of Bell-Air “is one of the many hits of Cafe, the family matrich Vivian Banks of SECST.

“Everyone needs an aunt viv … someone has to take care and love on you, but also the right and kind of push.” Fander said. “I think what is the community, too, right?”

In many ways, Watkins was considered the maternal mother of South -West Atlanta. His granddaughter remembers him as a leader and patron.

Joi Jackson told CBS News, “They called the woman to work.” “On his cemetery, this is what he says.”

Jackson’s sister Kelly Becot Ross said, “Anything new to the Atlanta or black community, you had to run it by Loti Watkins and take her advice.”

Joyce Beckot, Watkins’ daughter agreed, and her husband, Samuel recalled, when Loti Watkins Enterprises was the only black -owned business on Gordon Street.

Family members said that Watkins would be proud of local leaders to keep their legacy alive.

Joyce Beckot said, “Black-owned, entrepreneur, young, is such energy that my mother had.” “Her legacy there, she will nurture.”

Casked Heights’s “First Aunty and Chacha”

Angela Ingram, the founder of Cafe Bretie on Casked Road, said Watkins’ story brings tears to her eyes. Portrait coffee is a roster of ingter and two businesses are only connected to roads.

“It was a deliberate decision to use a coffee roster that is under the road, and also a black roster, as we want to ensure that our dollars live in this community.”

Ingram is a third generation restaurant. She quit her corporate job with Nordastrom to follow the path of her grandmother, mother and aunt, who was the owner of the restaurant at Aberdeen, Mississippi.

“They call me Titi.” Ingram said. “We are the first aunt and uncle of this cascade area.”

“We stand on that 10 toes, as you come here, you are going to congratulate you warmly and you are going to treat the right, and you probably ‘baby’ or ‘boo’ or whatever you do by me Is being said to be someone else in the kitchen.

Ingram does not fill the mentor with just hot soup and panoramic grilled cheese crisain. She said that she also works “pure love”.

“This is what I got my whole life from the women who raised me, love and everyone’s acceptance,” Ingram said.

A simple request

Cafe is associated with Bartic, K’net is cooperative, founded by Kyomi Rollins, which is a long -standing vest. The space, which hosts a coffee shop, is located inside an old mechanic shop.

The shop has described itself as a “black free third place where the community gathers to exchange ideas.” People can gather to work and share ideas, symbolizes other places such as church, barber shop and corner shops where black culture flourishes.

“This is literally lies in the history of third places in communities that historically less—up-pilgrimage, underscrey or black legacy neighborhood,” said Rollins. “When you look at the basis of the movement of civil rights, people met in innovative ideas in places like ‘met, gathered, K’nect.”

Rollins was motivated to start collective to help prevent displacement of other black-owned businesses after leasing for his skin and hair product business.

A Harvard Research Data Point connects new coffee shops to an increase in housing prices. In Atlanta, it is not just coffee shops that begin genritification. According to Dan Emerglak, Professor and Author of Georgia State University Urban Studies, the beltline is also contributing to high housing prices and displacement of low -income houses.

“It contributes to us to be in this space,” Rollins said. “Once I am aware of anything that is in space, where we can contribute to anything that can cause loss, we are going to answer.”

That is why Rollins said that she is giving priority to community members with “minimum access or voice”, serving fair-trade coffee, sharing profits with her community, and hungry families She feeds.

His only request: Support black businesses such as portrait coffee, Cafe Bartic and K’Tet Cooperative.

“Come to these black-pit locations and buy some black-card coffee,” Rollins said.