Cop City in Wakanda: Racial Capitalism and Atlanta's Black Bourgeoisie

Known as a “Black Mecca,” Atlanta, Georgia has been praised for its Black political leadership, historical significance, and rich cultural production. But in recent years, it has also faced criticism regarding the anti-democratic development process of “Cop City,” a $90 million law enforcement training complex. Through historical interpretivist methodology, I employ Cop City as an illustrative case to explore how Dawson’s Black utility heuristics is deepened by a consideration of racial capitalism and its engagement with Black elite agency in urban politics. Narrativizing Atlanta's urban development arc, including the 2020 post-George Floyd protests, I investigate why city leadership, on the verge of defunding the police, instead chose militarization. Focusing on the “Atlanta Way,” the city's pro-growth biracial alliance, I highlight the role of the Black middle class in democratic backsliding and the maintenance of white supremacy amid increasing trends of militarization and the suppression of social movements.