Passing the Torch: A Legacy Continued at The Atlanta Voice

For nearly five decades, Janis Ware has worked out of the same building—the longtime home of The Atlanta Voice. Now, she’s stepping back and passing the paper to the next generation.

“To be in a position… to transfer to the third generation is something that has to be celebrated,” she said.

In community journalism, that kind of transition is rare. And it doesn’t happen by chance.

A Legacy Rooted in Community

Ware didn’t just lead The Atlanta Voice, she grew up in it.

Founded in 1966 by her father, J. Lowell Ware, during the Civil Rights Movement, the paper was created to ensure Black communities in Atlanta had access to information and representation often missing from traditional coverage.

Its mission has remained clear: “A people without a voice cannot be heard,” Ware said. 

From an early age, Ware saw that mission in action and learned what it meant for journalism to function as a direct line between community and power. Over decades, that work has meant: covering local issues, documenting community milestones, and building a trusted source people return to week after week. 

Under Ware’s leadership, the paper evolved into a multimedia platform reaching hundreds of thousands of readers, while continuing to serve as a trusted source of news, culture, and advocacy for Atlanta’s Black community. Her father’s work also included neighborhood development efforts that supported housing and strengthened the communities the paper serves.

Ware carried that commitment forward, leading major community development efforts — separate from the newspaper — that helped create affordable housing and strengthen neighborhoods like Mechanicsville, one of Atlanta’s oldest neighborhoods founded in the 1870s for railroad workers. It’s just south of the city’s downtown. The work reflects the core mission: serving the community.

That foundation, built by her father and carried forward through her leadership, is what she now passes to the next generation.

How the Transition Is Happening

Ware is passing leadership to her nephew, Richard Dunn, the Voice’s current COO, and her niece, Jazmine Brazier, the company’s development specialist.

“The Atlanta Voice has never been just a newspaper. It is a trusted voice for the community, a platform that amplifies stories, perspectives, and issues that might otherwise go unheard, ” Dunn said. “Following in Janis’s footsteps means honoring that legacy while also pushing it forward, adapting to a rapidly evolving, digital-first world without losing the soul of what makes this institution matter.”

Dunn grew up in the newsroom — helping produce and distribute the paper — and always saw himself continuing the work.

“As a preteen, I worked alongside my grandfather and the staff, helping lay out the paper, assisting on the printing press, and delivering copies across the city,” Dunn said. “There has never been a time when I didn’t believe I would one day lead The Atlanta Voice. My grandparents and I spoke about it often. It wasn’t just a dream; it was always part of the plan.”

His focus: Expand reach, deepen connection to the community, and create new pathways for storytelling, economic empowerment, and cultural impact. 

“I bring with me the lessons of entrepreneurship and the relationships I’ve cultivated across the music and restaurant industries, spaces that have taught me how culture moves, how communities rally around what they trust, and how to build something that endures,” he said. 

Lessons for Publishers

Ware’s experience offers clear guidance for community publishers:

• Be willing to adapt. “Everything changes.” Staying rooted in old ways can hold you back.
• Stay grounded in your mission while evolving how you deliver it — what doesn’t change is the foundation: honesty, integrity, and truth.
• Balance purpose with sustainability. Passion matters, but so does building something that can last.
• Make space for the next generation. That means more than bringing people in, it means trusting their ideas, even when they look different from your own.

And importantly: start early. Succession is built over time—through mentorship, shared leadership, and gradual transition.

For Ware, this shift also requires something deeper: letting go.

“I have to learn to listen more than I speak,” she said. That move, from leading every decision to creating space for others, is at the core of a successful transition.

Like many long-time leaders, Ware has spent decades building something deeply tied to her identity. Letting go isn’t easy. But she points to what makes it possible: openness, flexibility, and a willingness to change.

What This Looks Like in Practice

The Atlanta Voice model shows it’s important to:

• Identify and mentor future leaders early
• Give them hands-on experience across roles
• Have ongoing conversations about succession
• Transition leadership gradually

For many publishers building hyperlocal outlets today, the focus is survival—getting the next story out, growing an audience, sustaining the work. But Ware’s transition is a reminder to also think beyond the present:

• Who are you bringing along?
• Who are you making space for?
• What will this look like without you?

Because building something that lasts isn’t just about starting it. It’s about knowing when and how to pass it on and ensuring it continues.