Rev. Dr. Marvin L. Morgan, the author of the following letter addressed to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), is an advisory board member of Urban Missiology International (UMI). He serves as Transition Stated Pastor of Rivermont Presbyterian Church, a PC(USA) congregation located at 3319 Hixson Pike, Chattanooga, TN 37415.

July 24, 2026

I’ve been a subscriber to the AJC for many years and have noticed that when a Black male is suspected of committing a crime in Metro Atlanta, the AJC will almost always show a photo of the suspect being arrested, being placed in or being led away in handcuffs.

However, in Rosie Manins’s article covering Colt Gray’s guilty plea, published by the AJC on July 24, 2026, Colt is seen walking into court without wearing any handcuffs, looking like he is an invited guest for Sunday dinner.

Such disparities in the ways the AJC covers crime give the public the impression that all violent crimes are committed by Black men, from whom the public needs to be protected, while White suspects, even those who are guilty, pose no threat at all.

Y’all need to stop doing this because it gives the public a false impression, while you claim to be dedicated to presenting the truth. This culturally biased and blatantly obvious misportrayal of Black suspects has been present in the AJC for so long, I believe your paper owes an apology to the public and a firm written commitment to avoid doing this in the future.

Rev. Dr. Marvin L. Morgan (he/him)

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” — Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Related UMI reading: For further reflection on how racial narratives are constructed and sustained, read Ronald Bonner’s Making It Plain on Racism.

Referenced article: Rosie Manins, “Apalachee High School Shooting Suspect Pleads Guilty”, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 24, 2026.