Atlanta stood in witness at the Georgia State University Convocation Center as Andre Dickens was sworn in for a second term, officially continuing his run as the 61st mayor of Atlanta. On Monday, January 5, city officials, residents, and community leaders gathered in the heart of downtown for an inauguration that emphasized continuity, people-centered governance, and a renewed commitment to Atlanta’s neighborhoods.
The ceremony marked a return to Georgia State University’s downtown campus, a setting that symbolized both the city’s growth and its civic backbone. Brian Blake, president of Georgia State University, said hosting the inauguration spoke to the importance of the university’s role within the city itself.
“I’ve always considered Georgia State to be Atlanta’s university,” Blake said. “For us to host the swearing-in for the mayor, the City Council, and Municipal Court in our space, right in the middle of where things are happening, is exciting,” Blake added. The moment reflects pride in the institution and optimism for Atlanta’s leadership moving forward.
While the program highlighted Atlanta’s political and academic leadership, some of the most powerful reflections came from longtime residents, particularly senior citizens who say Dickens’ leadership has been felt personally, not just politically.
Among those in attendance were Emery Wiggles, 75, and Larry Hodo Sr., 69, lifelong residents of Southwest Atlanta. The two men said they attended the inauguration representing the Adamsville Recreation Center, where they are active participants in senior programming and where they say the mayor has consistently shown up.
“We wanted to come to support the mayor because he’s always been there for us – the seniors,” Hodo said. “He comes and visits us. He sends teams out to check on us. He’s just the best mayor we’ve ever had.”
According to Hodo, Dickens’ involvement goes well beyond ceremonial appearances. During visits to the Adamsville center, the mayor often stays for an hour or longer, sitting with seniors, participating in activities and engaging directly with residents.
“He’ll dance with us, exercise with us,” Hodo said. “He actually joins in with what we do at the center.” Hodo and Wiggles said Dickens typically visits every three to four months, while members of his staff attend nearly every major event hosted by the center.
For seniors who have lived in Atlanta their entire lives, that level of engagement carries weight. Both men said seeing Dickens sworn in for a second term brought a sense of pride and reassurance.
“I’m extremely happy and thankful,” Hodo said. “To have someone as young and energetic as he is, who takes time to be with us, that means a lot.”
That emphasis on people and presence echoed throughout Dickens’ inaugural address. While outlining broader goals around public safety, transportation access, and neighborhood investment, the mayor framed progress as the result of investing directly in residents and communities.
“When we invest in people, families, and neighborhoods, we don’t just reduce the harm,” Dickens said. “We dismantle the conditions that cause the harm to exist in the first place.”
As Dickens concluded his remarks and stepped away from the podium to begin his second term, he left the crowd with a simple charge that echoed through the Convocation Center and into the city beyond:
“Let’s get to work, Atlanta.”
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