Closer Look with Rose Scott

For years, Georgia saw a robust cityhood movement: between 2000 and 2022, ten new cities were incorporated across metro Atlanta. Among them is Mableton, Cobb County’s newest and largest city at nearly 80,000 residents. Mayor Michael Owens shares the city’s 2045 strategic plan and addresses concerns about how the city might fund its own police department. Also, the “We Care, Child...

Newly published research at Georgia State University found that rental properties in historically Black, lower-income neighborhoods are mostly locally owned by absentee landlords in whiter, more affluent neighborhoods. But the rental properties in those more affluent neighborhoods are largely owned by landlords outside of the region and even the state of Georgia. Taylor Shelton, is an associate pr...

Recent racist incidents directed at athletes in the WNBA and the World Cup have renewed conversations on how athletic associations and other governing bodies should address racial abuse. In a wide‑ranging conversation on “ Closer Look with Rose Scott ,” a roundtable of guests discussed confronting racism in sports from the professional ranks to youth leagues.   The roundtable feat...

Georgia’s midterm election is less than four months away. In November, voters across the state will decide on several key federal, statewide and local races. As a part of “ Closer Look ’s ' Their Voice, Your Vote " series, host Rose Scott is joined by a panel of guests, both Republicans and Democrats, who provide analysis about the latest on the race to the midterms.   ...

July 4th marks 250 years of America as an independent nation. We're a nation founded on principles centered around democracy, equality, separation of powers, plus checks and balances. On the eve of the country’s semiquincentennial, scholars and activists warn democratic norms are eroding due to the Trump Administration ’s rapid changes to existing voting rights legislation, the expansi...

For a special call-in show on Thursday’s edition of “Closer Look,” host Rose Scott is joined by Georgia State University Constitutional law professor Tanya Washington . The longtime professor and law scholar talks with Scott about the layered goals, founding principles, and the framework of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.  Thro...

Donna Hyland is retiring. The visionary pediatric healthcare leader has dedicated the last 40 years of her professional career to prioritizing and determining how best to meet the healthcare needs of children. But now it’s a new chapter for the trained accountant who has served as the CEO of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta since 2008. Hyland joins “Closer Look” to discuss...

Erica Payton fell in love with the game of golf when she was about three or four years old.  It’s in her DNA. The lifelong golf player was recently named the head coach of Clark Atlanta University’s first-ever women’s golf team , the school’s 11th NCAA varsity sport.  This new opportunity comes as data reveals a growing number of women and girls are playing golf,...

On Thursday’s Closer Look with Rose Scott , Supervising Producer Tiffany Griffith introduces you to Elliot Hefty . After enduring several transphobic attacks, he left the U.S. in 2025 to seek asylum in The Netherlands. He’s one of the 45% of transgender Americans who wish to leave the country or have already made plans to. We also hear from officials with  The Williams Institute &...

On today’s Closer Look with Rose Scott , we receive an update from Atlanta Housing President & CEO Terri M. Lee about how her organization is helping the city meet its goal of creating 20,000 affordable housing units by 2030. But she points out the cost of home construction is skyrocketing and additional funding is needed.   Then, we learn about a collaboration between the dance org...

Closer Look continues with its analysis of the Fulton County Reparations Task Force’s Harm Report. The eye-opening, over 600-page report details the harms suffered by Black people who were enslaved or lived during the Jim Crow era. Today, we’re also joined by WABE reporter DorMiya Vance for a discussion about what reparations Fulton County might owe for massacre and mass incarceration....

Monday, June 22 began a two-part series focusing on the Fulton County Reparations Task Force’s Harm Report. The eye-opening, over 600-page report details the harms suffered by Black people who were enslaved or lived during the Jim Crow era. Among the findings were as much as $900 billion in today’s dollars in stolen labor over a decade of slavery in Fulton County. Click here to read th...

Friday marks the 161st anniversary of Juneteenth. This year, on Juneteenth, “Closer Look” hosted its annual live community event at Roosevelt Hall in the historic Atlanta University Center neighborhood. The theme of the program was We Who Remain: Black Legacy & America at 250. The conversation, led by host Rose Scott, examined how Black history is preserved, remembered and carried...

On today’s Closer Look , we hear from our political panel about Georgia’s runoff election results and what it means as we look ahead to the November midterm races. Rick Jackson is now the GOP nominee for Georgia governor and will face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta. The U.S. Senate race is between Mike Collins, a Trump endorsed candidate, and incumbent Democ...

Ahead of Atlanta’s hosting of its first FIFA World Cup 2026 match, “Closer Look” host Rose Scott met with Atlanta Soccer in the Streets executive director Kaseem Ladipo at the organization’s mini pitch in East Point. Ladipo discusses the history and mission of Soccer in the Streets, efforts to elevate street soccer on a global scale, and how the organization is preparing lo...

A 2026 Deloitte summer travel survey reveals vacation plans are down across all income levels, and travel is at its lowest among consumers since at least 2022. In addition, a new report from Georgia Institute of Technology also suggests high gas prices aren't going away anytime soon amid the global energy crisis. For a call-in show on Thursday’s edition of “Closer Look,” host Ros...

A newly published investigation  by the Atlanta Community Press Collective reveals public funds were used to pay consultants promoting Mayor Andres Dickens’ Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative , including over $100,000 from the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. On Wednesday's edition of "Closer Look,"  Councilmember Matt Westmoreland, who chairs the Community Development...

On today’s Closer Look with Rose Scott , we start by speaking with Atlanta-based racial justice leader Dr. Catherine Meeks . In her new book, Bridging the Rivers of Difference: A Proclamation of Unity in Resistance , asks: Why do communities facing similar struggles remain divided, and what would it take to build true unity? Then, we follow that discussion with author and former U.S. attorne...

On today’s “ Closer Look with Rose Scott ,” with the Trump Administration cutting SNAP benefits, food pantries across the Atlanta metro area are preparing for growing demand on their donations. Santiago Marquez , who serves as the CEO of the Latin American Association, shares that a lot of Latino families are in need , but many don’t seek help due to fear or lack of informa...

On today’s  “Closer Look with Rose Scott,” the two Democrats vying for Fulton County’s top seat met at WABE’s studio for a debate. The pair clashed over multiple issues, including the Fulton County Jail, their voting records, property taxes, reparations, and arts funding. Hear where Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts and former Fulton County District 4 Com...

On today’s Closer Look with Rose Scott , we hear from a panel of Native Americans who reflect on what the 250th anniversary of the nation means to them as descendants of the country’s original inhabitants.    Then, we revisit our interview with legendary soul singer Peabo Bryson, who died Tuesday in Marietta at the age of 75. Known as “The Voice of Love,” Bryson w...

On today’s “ Closer Look with Rose Scott ,” Janis Ware, the publisher of The Atlanta Voice reflects on their 60 year history as the longest running Black-owned newspaper in the city. The publication’s inception began during the Civil Rights Movement, and Ware’s father was one of the founders.   Then, we met Kimberly Adams , the new host of “ Marketplace Mor...

On today’s “ Closer Look with Rose Scott ,” we speak to Jarred Howard , CEO of the National Juneteenth Museum . He discusses the work, history and intention being put into the museum, which is scheduled to open in late 2028. In addition to telling the story of Black American’s enslavement and emancipation, it will connect to modern efforts for liberation, and expand upon th...

On today’s “ Closer Look with Rose Scott ,” budding entrepreneurs in the food and drink industry can apply for the Georgia Tech Food and Beverage Accelerator program. Guests share how the program has empowered their businesses and the program co-director shares what they’re looking for in an applicant. The registration deadline is May 31 .  Also, college and high schoo...

On today’s “ Closer Look with Rose Scott ,” we have an in-depth discussion with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society  about a study by Princeton University’s Eviction Lab. It shows Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Clayton Counties lead the nation in evictions . Those evictions overwhelmingly affected Black households  -- more than white, Hispanic, and other racial gro...