Atlanta, long known as the seat of Black economic and political power, votes on its future in mayoral election

ATLANTA — Black political and economic power have long defined this Southern metropolis, which created a generation of middle-class and wealthy professionals and entrepreneurs and is a magnet for Black entertainers and creatives.

But recently, Atlanta’s image as the “Black Mecca” has been challenged by concerns over a spike in violent crime, gentrification crowding out affordable housing and a movement by the largely White and wealthy Buckhead neighborhood to secede from the city.