Some ghosts have important stories to tell.

Dr. Rhana Gittens Wheeler, Assistant Professor of Communications, researched and shared some of those stories in publishing her first book, “Ghosts of Atlanta: Cultural Gentrification of the Black Mecca,” which highlights the threats to and loss of Atlanta’s Black culture in the years of urban renewal and gentrification of in-town neighborhoods.

“I wrote this book because I was tired of seeing people lose their homes to gentrification. Not just the physical building, but the culture, relationships, essence that make a neighborhood or city a ‘home’. ” Wheeler said. “I became committed to bringing those stories of cultural displacement to our attention, so that we can learn from them and, hopefully, stop repeating them.” 

Published by the University of Mississippi Press, “Ghosts of Atlanta” includes Wheeler’s in-depth research on the Blandtown neighborhood, one of the first Black enclaves in Atlanta established after the Civil War. Not only does she unpack the history and credit the community’s true founders, she exposes how naming and redlining contributed to the erasure of the history.

“Ghosts of Atlanta” features well-documented history, but it goes beyond exhuming the past. Wheeler exposes how current development trends are endangering the identity of Atlanta, known as “Black Mecca” and “Black America’s Capital City.”

In addition to her role as assistant professor of communications, Wheeler serves as Chief Inclusive Excellence Officer, coordinator of Oglethorpe’s African American Studies program and the Rich Urban Leadership Program. The book synthesizes her vital campus and community roles as a historian, communicator, storyteller and leader.

“Our community is fortunate to have Dr. Wheeler, and we are proud to highlight her research, which has deep significance for the entire city of Atlanta,” said Oglethorpe President Kathryn McClymond. “Oglethorpe students benefit from her knowledge and expertise every day. This publication allows a wider audience to learn from one of our amazing faculty.”

Wheeler joined the Oglethorpe faculty in August 2020 after completing her Ph.D. in Communication from Georgia State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and master of business administration from the University of Florida.

Wheeler has previously published articles in Southern Communication Journal, The Review of Communication and Theory and Events Journal. “Ghosts of Atlanta” is Wheeler’s first book, which is receiving positive reviews and endorsements.

“‘Ghosts’ of Atlanta is a deep meditation on cultural gentrification and a challenge to the image of Atlanta as the ‘Black Mecca,’ with the Atlanta Beltline project as a central focus,” said Dr. Dan Immergluck, professor of urban studies at Georgia State University. “Rhana Gittens Wheeler brings the insights of Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, W. E. B. Dubois, Clyde Woods, and others to bear on the whitening of Atlanta and the highly racialized project that is the BeltLine. Ghosts of Atlanta is relevant far beyond the city itself. It is an important book for anyone concerned with urban development in America and with the devaluation and disrespect of Black spaces more generally.”