285 South launched in August 2021, with the mission of creating a space dedicated to Metro Atlanta’s growing immigrant and refugee communities.
The region has seen immense demographic changes in the past 20 years alone – especially in the growth of its immigrant and refugee communities. The most recent U.S. Census numbers confirm this new reality: Metro Atlanta is now made up of majority non-white residents. The shifts here have been analyzed in political terms – but what do they mean on a human to human level?
Our goal is to improve the quality of life of first and second generation immigrant and refugee communities in the region through information and storytelling, as well as to increase understanding between diverse groups in the region.
In 2024, 285 South was awarded a grant from The Pivot Fund, a venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing in hyperlocal Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC)-led community newsrooms.
285 South is represented by the First Amendment Clinic at the University of Georgia Law School, and is a member of LION Publishers, a professional association for local independent news publishers in the U.S. and Canada.
285 South adheres to the standards of editorial independence adopted by the Institute for Nonprofit News.
Sophia Qureshi
Sophia Qureshi launched 285 South in 2021, shortly after returning to Metro Atlanta, where she grew up. Her writing has been published in Atlanta Magazine, Canopy Atlanta, the Atlanta Civic Circle, the Atlanta History Center, and The Local Palate.
She has worked for over 15 years in media and communications, including at Al Jazeera Media Network, the United Nations Development Programme, and South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT).
CONTRIBUTORS
Gabriella Nuñez-Garcia
Hailing from the land of palm trees and cafecito, Gabriella Nuñez-Garcia is a Cuban-Panamanian journalist born and raised in Miami. Since moving to Atlanta in 2021, she’s immersed herself in the very different, and very diverse, cultures that exist even OTP. She’s passionate about exploring different perspectives and amplifying voices that may feel overlooked.
Daniela Cintron
Born in Mexico, Daniela Cintron immigrated with her family to Georgia in 1999. As a journalist, editor and producer, she is passionate about shining light on the stories of underrepresented communities. Her work has been featured in publications such as the Los Angeles Times, Discover Atlanta and OZ Magazine.
Lola Pak
Proud Korean American born and raised in Georgia. Communications professional with published works in Atlanta Magazine, KoreAm Journal, and 285 South.
Fiza Pirani
Fiza Pirani immigrated to the United States from Saudi Arabia with her family in the mid-90s. Though she was born in India — and is still hoping to revisit her birthplace one day — Atlanta has been home for more than two decades. Fiza was previously a staff writer at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where she earned a Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism and founded Foreign Bodies, an award-winning mental health newsletter centering immigrants and next-gens. Her freelance work has been published in 285 South, Teen Vogue, The Guardian, and Electric Literature, among other publications. Fiza is currently at work on a memoir-in-progress through the University of Georgia’s Master of Fine Arts in Narrative Nonfiction Program.
