A Guide to Atlanta’s Afro-Latino Community: EL Grande Peach

By Artie De Los Santos

Published September 27, 2024
Last Updated October 17, 2024

I remember my first day in Atlanta. After a 20-hour drive from New York, I arrived at my new apartment in Midtown. I had left the Big Apple for the Big Peach. A mix of fear, anxiety and enthusiasm washed over me. I was excited at the possibilities that a new city could bring, yet fearful of what I could miss from back home. Like many transplants, I had left behind the cold and endless traffic of New York for a warmer climate and, as some Atlantans insist, even worse traffic. 

Atlanta’s Melanated Oasis

I was ready to embrace this melanated oasis. Here, folks who looked and sounded like me roamed by the thousands. Every corner of the city felt welcoming, and every face looked familiar. You see, I’m Afro-Caribbean (Dominican to be exact). A rich tapestry of cultures and sazón flows through my veins. For the first time, I felt like I belonged in a place where all of me would be accepted. It honestly felt like a giant family reunion, and I was eager to grab a plate and meet my long-lost cousins. 

Fast forward to now, and that feeling hasn’t faded. If anything, it’s grown stronger and deeper as I’ve become more ingrained in a community of like-minded Black and brown folks who want to see this city grow into the cultural mecca we envision. 

Finding Connection and Community

I can’t lie. It’s not all great. There are days when it’s hard to find my place here. On some days, I crave connection with my Spanish roots, so I head to Sabor Dominicano on Buford Highway for some “dimelo, mi loco” and a plate of pollo guisado. Other days, I seek the Black excellence that propels this city forward, so I sit at The Gathering Spot to soak up wisdom from mentors and peers in a space perfectly curated for us, by us. 

The sad part is that there are few places where the full me can show up — where I don’t have to suppress a part of myself that my Black or Hispanic peers might not relate to. Even in a city as diverse and melanated as ours, there’s still much work to do to bridge the cultural gaps. I remember the time I went to Bar Vegan, one of my favorite bars in the city. Always good vibes, music and food. Normally you would hear a mix of Afro beats, R&B and hip-hop but this particular day one of the DJs played Bad Bunny and my eyes lit up. I was shocked, and I’m pretty sure everyone in Bar Vegan knew that when I screamed “ELLA ES CALLIATA.”

Maneuvering the City in the Forest

If anything, you have to seek out what you want. The vibe you want, the communities you want to interact with — they’re all here but in their own pocket of the city. You can see all of them climbing up Stone Mountain or walking on the Beltline on a nice summer day. Catch me on Saturdays with Motion Run Club. We’re all here. Maneuvering through the city I sometimes feel lost among the trees. Being Dominican, I crave the nuances of knowledge and rich history of the Black plight in Atlanta. In that same respect I long for the subtle nods of my Hispanic identity. I’m not saying they don’t exist here but what I’m saying is you won’t find it all in one place. 

From my experience, it really is what you make of it. I welcome you to Atlanta. Although we don’t have it all right, I believe in the future of this city because I am called (and I hope you are) to shape it.

Continue your cultural immersion and Explore Buford Highway: Atlanta’s Vibrant International Corridor and Culinary Kaleidoscope.

Artie is a marketing professional with a knack for bringing people together through events and experiences. Whether curating community fundraisers or discovering the best cocktails in town, you’ll find him making an impact across Atlanta’s vibrant scene.