Overcoming Hardships Key To Success For Riverdale Mayor

It is, however, located near a major freeway. Interstate 75 passes just northeast of the city and there’s easy access to Interstate 85 from Riverdale as well. Marta recently extended a new bus line into Clayton County with Riverdale on the route.

The small, urban community has a population of just over 15,000 according to the 2010 Census and can boast of having several well-known artists and athletes who once called the city home – including singer/actress Ciara, rapper Wacka Flocka Flame, and NFL player Cordy Glenn.

But perhaps one of the most interesting people in Riverdale now is its mayor, Evelyn Winn-Dixon.  Winn-Dixon freely admits she never “had a desire to be mayor,” but instead, said during an interview on “A Closer Look,” she was asked to run by residents and a council member.

Before her foray into town politics, however, Winn-Dixon tells a story of hardship and struggle that may have actually helped her when she won the mayor’s office.

”It opened up a Pandora’s box for me to give back to people because of my unique beginning of being homeless twice, [a] mother of four, [including] a daughter that was disabled,” she said.

“When my husband left me with those four babies, I had to sleep on a mattress in an apartment that had gigantic rats,” Winn- Dixon explained.

She survived and persevered by cleaning houses and by collecting food stamps and welfare.

“I used the system to get off the system.”

You can listen to more of Winn-Dixon’s story and what she’s done as mayor of Riverdale on “A Closer Look.”

WABE’s Mary Claire Kelly, Rose Scott and Denis O’Hayer contributed to this report.