“We were on Bankhead before the Bounce.”
That was how Lathan Murray greeted us as we settled into a booth for what began as a small gathering of classmates and quickly became a conversation about the people, places, and experiences that connect us to Atlanta’s Westside.
We graduated together in 1983 from West Fulton High School. Although life took us in different directions, we found ourselves back around the same table last week, sharing memories.
The unexpected star of the gathering was a blue and gold yearbook.
As we settled in, Melody Thurston placed her copy on the table. It turned out she was the only one among us who still had the original 1983 yearbook. Some of us remembered purchasing one back then but couldn’t find it after all these years. Others admitted they didn’t buy one until years, even decades, after graduation.
But that didn’t matter.
What mattered was that one yearbook became everyone’s yearbook.
As it made its way around the table, we pointed to old photographs, called out names, shared stories, and filled in memories for one another. A familiar face would spark a story. A class photo would lead to a conversation about a teacher, a neighborhood, or a shared experience. Some memories came back instantly. Others required a little help from friends sitting across the table.
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Together, we filled in the gaps.
The moment reflected something deeper about the Westside.
We didn’t focus on who didn’t have a yearbook. We focused on the one we did have.
That’s what we’ve always done in Bankhead. We share what we have. We help one another remember. We make sure everyone has a place at the table and a connection to the story.
The conversation flowed naturally between laughter, storytelling, and reflection. We reminisced about growing up on the Westside in the early 1980s, walking past Bankhead Seafood and Mrs. Winner’s, shopping at Kmart, going to class with Mrs. Carmichael, our favorite English teacher, the classmates and community members whose influence helped shape our lives.
But the conversation wasn’t only about the past.
My classmates wanted to know what was happening on the Westside today. They asked about Microsoft’s land holdings and what future development could mean for surrounding neighborhoods. They wanted updates on community development and whether longtime residents would benefit from the changes taking place around them.
And then came a question that may be just as important to any native Atlantan:
Does Bankhead Seafood still taste as good as it did back in the day?
We also talked about the former Kmart site, now a mixed-income housing development. What was once a familiar shopping destination has become a symbol of the changes taking place across the Westside. My classmates wanted to know how the development was working for residents and what impact it was having on the neighborhood.
As the yearbook continued making its way around the table, one thing became clear. While much has changed, our connection to the Westside has not.
Melody’s parents still call the Westside home, but some of us have moved to other parts of metro Atlanta. Joycelyn Stokes, Kathie Tommie, and Lathan Murray now live elsewhere. Yet no matter where life has taken us, we still carry the Westside with us.
The values, friendships, memories, and sense of community we learned here continue to shape who we are.
For a few hours, we weren’t retirees, grandparents, professionals, or community advocates. We were classmates again, laughing at old photographs, remembering where we came from, and talking about where our community is headed next.
The Westside’s story doesn’t live only in buildings, developments, or headlines. It lives through the people who carry its memories wherever they go and who still care deeply about what happens here.
The places may look different. New businesses have arrived. Familiar landmarks have disappeared. Entire blocks have changed.
But around a table, with a single yearbook in hand and stories flowing freely, the spirit of the Westside remained exactly the same.
After all these years, we’re still doing what we’ve always done: sharing what we have, looking out for one another, and keeping an eye on the Westside we call home.
Westside Voices will continue documenting the people, places, and changes shaping Atlanta’s Westside and sharing the stories that connect our community, past and present.
This is Westside Voices by Genia Billingsley.
Photos by Genia Billingsley
Edited by Mariann Martin