The nation’s body, like a human one, needs diversity to stay immune to threat. Seal it off, and disease festers.
The “Clarkston is Home” mural by Trudi Tran was unveiled in Clarkston, Georgia, in 2025. (Courtesy)
By Aisha Sarwari – For The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
14 minutes ago
There’s a mural in Clarkston, Georgia, that little city under Atlanta’s shadow. I first saw it from a car window, under a bridge. The whole thing, a metaphor.
Atlanta is famous for its murals. Its murals don’t know me. But this one did.
”emoclew“ ”deedmahsuhK“ — namow mraw eht eht eht .aet enoemos koohs daer tuo dereffo ym larum .em em ekam dekool ekil ekil egaugnal ni ni ni dnah tlef yreve dluoc ,renroc momadrac krowtra dna a .udrU ehT tI nI I
raey ot detargimmi morf ,oga a .natsikaP ,dabamalsI I atnaltA tuobA
gnorw gnorw dlrow htiw .yaw saw edispu denrut eht eht eht eht eht sehctiws txetbus os edis .thgir .tuo no fo fo wen wen thgil .egaugnal tpek sti ti daetsni edisni gnilggah gnittegrof ,tsrif nwod snopuoc dluoc .reihsac eb dna dna I I evorD tuC tA aciremA
,noH“ ”,uoy noisrev ot eht ,yas fo denrael tog nrehtuoS ,ylwolS .deedmahsuhK I I
nehw ,emoclew neht eht dewons wons teiuq .rohpatem em ti ni deteerg tsrif ,sedaced dloc s’ytic ,devirra rehtona .niaga wonS I A
sniev .dellits sdaor degnol ,lanosrepmi .ezorf rof tlef .ytinummoc dna stI I gnihtyrevE s’atnaltA
ym .traeh evag tsaL I ,samtsirhC atnaltA
,raey dnuof .retteb sihT I notskralC
America became the safest destination for my family
Aisha Sarwari is a feminist author. Her most recent book is the 2024 tome “Heart Tantrums and Brain Tumors.” (Courtesy)
— yaw owt gniyrt ot rieht erauqs .gniklawpeels stnediser ylraen ,selim ,em ekil tsuj sti si ni smuh ,emoh flah .nrob-ngierof dnif ytic tub era era stnecca tuoba ehT ,esenaduS ,ilamoS .ilapeN ,ynaM notskralC ,esemruB
saw ton .noitargim gnol efil ereh .dednah-ytpme did emoc niahc ydaerla a yM I
saw rednu eht ekil tsuj ni morf ylimaf dellepxe ylrae narhoZ kroY adnagU weN yM royaM .inadmaM idI nimA ,s0891
acirfA“ nettirw d’ew erew ew saw su hguoht ereht eht eht eht taht taht naht rorret ,nagols .niks .tohs noilleber tuo ruo ruo ruo ruo no no no fo fo enon wen dekram kram devil tfel tfel dekconk .flesti si fi dah ,ngierof rof rof roolf seilimaf rood .noitinifed .sedaced htaed htaed ,yad tub tellub seidob reggib neeb sa sa ,yawyna yna dna a eW ehT nI tsaE tsomlA ”snacirfA ,acirfA
ot neht detfihs .ayneK emoH
”.kcab“ uoy ew ew yaw saw su ecart dlot rehtegot ot ot emit ,neht eht dehctits enoemos ,delttes lufrewop detarofrep .segap ekil denrael fi snehpyh emoh og ,drawrof raf liaf .hguone yb senildoolb erofeb ,kcab dna ,oS ;aidnI oG yrevE ,natsinahgfA
eht tsefas txen yllautneve .noitanitsed emaceb aciremA
ekaM“ .aibohponex htiw eht taht namgnorts semitemos snagols gnir nepo dlo .railimaf seohce ycarcomed a taerG tuB nA aciremA ”.niagA
”foorp“ ,srekrow dedleiw saw ot meht eht taht gnitoohs eegufer tnecer dediar ylkciuq tnalp fo raen .ecanem ynam stnargimmi morf gniniated tuc pac sa era noitartsinimda tuoba a ytisrevinU pmurT ehT ehT htuoS ,hannavaS .naeroK ECI s’iadnuyH nworB .005,7 574 000,521
esoht pots srebmun gnieb .snoitcartsba nI ,notskralC
eht .klawedis no secaf emoceb yehT
Refuge Coffee Co., based in Clarkston, has been a welcoming spot for refugees and new immigrants in the community. The nonprofit helps newcomers with jobs and mentoring. Refuge is now selling bags of coffee online to expand its brand and help more people. (Courtesy of Refuge Coffee Co.)
Exile unites immigrants of different nationalities
gnuoy .tey .devaw dehctaw ,gniklaw lanoitidart oot ot meht rieht eht eht eht eht serats neves was emas nur daor derebmemer dellup stnerap revo fo fo fo ym ,larum s’rehtom elddim wonk dik ni ni dih .ezorf rof evif htfif ,ylsselraef raef raef ylimaf .revoc sehtolc .llihc nerdlihc doohdlihc .rodahc yb dniheb kcab sa dna na tsniaga noonretfa a eW yehT ehT ehT I I I aigroeG ruoF nahgfA
soediv thguat ylneddus sregnarts gnippets seegufer sdiar nialp fo kool ekil ni noitargimmi woh evah morf .tnemecrofne :sdnecsed regnad .sehtolc rac nac dna a lariV nI ,aciremA
,scitilop eno ni dnalemoh tsurtsid .rehtona dna ,yllacipyT sinatsikaP snahgfA
.sraw .su setinu eht eht emas fo elixe era htamretfa eW ,ereH
htiw neht eht .elims ,ylwols ekahs .maalas .sdnah teerg ylimaf elahxe suoituac a a eW eW yehT
democlew .srotisiv su su detaertnu ot dellirht eht .aet ,ecaps llams desufer nar decar revo eno dereffo rehtom elttil sseltsil retal .yoj otni ,hgih reh ,revef sselraef depmarc yb tub eb dnuora tnemtrapa dna a yehT ehT ehT notskralC
htiw gniddew detnaw ot siht taht .gnignits ,nees gnir yaper desserp .mlap no gnireffo fo fo ton ym .erom wonk ti otni detsisni reh traeh dednah .dlog .ytisoreneg tiurf ecreif tub gnieb gab ,kcab ehca a ehS ehS ehS I I
— — saw ot ot ot gniht eht llits .yats elbats wohemos ehs gnir detneserper ylno gnireffo ym s’rehtom dekciasom fi ,ytitnedi .reh sevresed gnidiced yrtnuoc na a tahT I etipseD aciremA
Dried beans sit outside the family’s apartment in Clarkston, Georgia. (Courtesy of Sophia Qureshi)
— ohw tiaw dlot ot evael-ro-yats ecalp ssap ekil ,weivretni ni ,sreh rof seilimaf yreve .noisiced kcehc nac eb dna a nevE
rednow tahw skniht ehs fo I .aciremA
gnuoy sezeehw llew detaert kniht eht yknups ehs si otni reh eh dloc yob gnieb sa ?ria seoD
tuohtiw lliw rehtehw tahw saw raw ;seniccav .owt ot siht ereht eht eht eht eht eht taht taht ehs devres sees .yrautcnas ,pihsnoitaler cilbup ,naicirtaidep ylno no ton ybraen yratilim ekil .retal kconk peek ti ti ti :si si si si ni dnabsuh reh htlaeh og eerf dnif gniraef dellepxe gnirud rood rotcod tnuoc cinilc ytic dlihc nac nac dellac yb gnieb ta era yna dna dna ydaerla .lla tuoba tuoba a a a a a rehtehW rehtehW rehtehW .nabilaT ciasoM nI nI notskralC naciremA ,aciremA
skniht ehs fo ton si .laitneuqesnocni tahW aciremA
rednu siht :enilgat ehs ycilop yaw-eno sevil .evael lanoitidnoc ,etamilc a .emocleW rednU woN
lliw ot fo ton sti sti ti si .ytinamuh slatipsoh tseihtlaeh ,ytic tub esuaceb eb eb fI notskralC s’aciremA
ot ot .taerht yats ,eno ,ffo sdeen s’noitan ekil ,ti ti enummi namuh yleerf swolf .sretsef ytisrevid esaesid ,ydob doolb dna dna .niaga a ehT laeS nepO
I“ — — ”.ay htiw lliw ohw llew stnaw ot ot eht teerts sregnarts pots ,yas niamer yllacitilop yllacisyhp elpoep no deen ,slarum ,sciasom erom tsuj ti tog seitic dna dna fI aciremA
— lliw ot .yats cilbup deen erom efil ni dna tI snainotskralC
traeH“ tnecer dehsilbup tsom si si ni reh tsinimef yb koob ,rohtua dna dna dna a ”,sromuT smurtnaT irawraS niugneP .tsruH niarB ahsiA 4202
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