Still, he worries that “we’re not having this conversation rooted in what should be commonly accessible facts,” citing disinformation that the White House has so far held off on confronting head-on.Not everyone agrees.
Trump might be divisive and divide the city, but Joe Biden divided the world.
Deonte Atkins, owner of Za’Acai Cafe
“I don’t like what Biden is doing,” said Deonte Atkins, 37, owner of Za’Acai Cafe in Midtown Atlanta, which he opened just six months ago. “Trump might be divisive and divide the city, but Joe Biden divided the world.”Atkins is also seeing strong business. Sales have nearly doubled to “six figures,” he said, and he’s already building a pizza joint and speakeasy-style event space adjoining the acai bowl spot.
But Atkins attributes his successes more to Atlanta’s entrepreneurial scene than to any federal policy, and he’s more focused on geopolitical issues anyway. After he and his fiancée welcomed a baby in March, he worries about U.S. involvement in Ukraine or Israel.
Ari Skin for NBC News
“It really boils down to who can help you accomplish your goals,” he said, adding, “For me as an entrepreneur, I want to not experience a war for me or my kids.”Both campaigns are working to win over Black voters like Wilson and Atkins, particularly in Georgia, whose 16 electoral votes are critical in most paths to victory.
“I’m not saying he’s racist; I’m not saying he’s not,” Atkins said of Trump, who has accused immigrants of “poisoning the blood of our country” and said Black voters relate to him because he has been “discriminated against” by the criminal justice system, most recently citing his historic conviction in New York last month.
Atkins echoed that view. As a Black man with a felony record himself, he said, “they’ve been doing that to us for years.” While Wilson finds many of Trump’s overtures to Black voters “insulting,” Atkins so far sees the Republican as the lesser of “two evils.”
