On the evening of Feb. 20 at an assisted living facility just on the edge of Southwest Atlanta, Ernestine Mann stood in front of her peers to read aloud a proclamation commemorating Black History Month. She was dressed for the occasion: delicate earrings and a flowy blouse with a little hint of shimmer.
“Good evening everyone,” Mann said, as her daughter Karla McKinney filmed. “This is my first year living here and I’m having a great time.”
Mann moved into this facility, Arbor Terrace at Cascade, in August 2019 and quickly became a prominent community member. She was a leader in a group tasked with welcoming newcomers; Once, she’d greeted a woman who was deaf by seamlessly switching to American Sign Language, a skill she’d learned years ago.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
