LaDonna Strickland was one of the first babies born to a family in Crescendo Valley, a subdivision in the Collier Heights community in Northwest Atlanta.
She was sometimes called “the Crescendo Valley Baby,” and growing up in the close-knit community helped define the woman she would become.
“Growing up there was such an enriching experience,” says Strickland, a 1981 graduate of Frederick Douglass High School and currently an administrative assistant for the Cobb County School District. “This was a community of accomplished and educated Black individuals, and it really helped form the way I saw the world. There were lawyers, doctors, educators, business owners, and ministers. I had role models all around me.”
Several of the streets in Crescendo Valley carry unique names that are associated with music, including Symphony Lane, Lyric Way, and Allegro Drive. As one of the earliest neighborhoods in the nation established by Black planners and builders, the street names were chosen to appeal to a rising Black middle class.
Growing up there had such a profound impact on Strickland’s life that as an adult, she didn’t move far—just one street over from her split-level brick childhood home where she raised a family of her own.
Early days in Collier Heights
Strickland’s parents, Walter and Helen Strickland, grew up in Savannah, and later moved to Carrollton.
In 1961, her father landed a job as a math teacher and, eventually, principal in the Atlanta Public School System, while his wife, Helen, worked as a science teacher.
“It was a new community and geared toward Black families. Everyone there took pride in ourselves.”
A year later, businessman Ivan Allen Jr. began his first term as mayor, two years before the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Allen was a huge proponent of urban renewal, which was criticized by some as destroying longstanding Black neighborhoods to make way for newer development.
In some ways, that was why Collier Heights stood out. Instead of tearing down, Black Atlantans were building.
“It was a new community and geared toward Black families,” says Strickland. “Everyone there took pride in ourselves.”
Among its well-known residents then were Herman J. Russell, a prominent businessman and builder; Isaac Newton Farris Sr., an entrepreneur and a founding member of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change; Christine King Farris, an educator, civil rights activists and the sister of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.; and Attorney Donald Lee Hollowell.
Strickland’s parents drilled into her and her two older sisters to be good citizens and to live by the Golden Rule, to “treat people the way you wanted to be treated.”
“I wanted to stay in my community for generations to come and keep it as a legacy.”
Neighbors looked out for them, including a lady who operated a day care center out of her home. “She would look out the window, making sure we got off the bus. If you were supposed to walk left and walked to the right, your parents would know,” Strickland says.
“Our neighbors helped raise us,” she adds. “If you were acting ugly or doing something that you shouldn’t be doing, believe me, your parents would know before you hit the door.”
Sometimes her friends from nearby Bowen Homes would tease her, “Oh, you live in Crescendo Valley. Y’all living in a ritzy neighborhood.”
Keeping her home as a legacy
When Strickland married, she and her family moved one street over from her parents. Her mother died in 2001, and her husband died in 2011.
Strickland’s father had a stroke, and she moved back in with him and later purchased the home.
“I wanted to stay in my community for generations to come and keep it as a legacy,” she says.
Strickland and her husband raised two children: a daughter and a son, who died in 2017 after a battle with an aggressive form of lymphoma.
She’s noticed the changes in her community. More whites are moving in, “and we have opened up and greeted them and welcomed them.”
On her street, she can name five families who are the original owners. Others died, sold their homes to move elsewhere, or the homes are now occupied by renters.
They are cordial and still look out for each other, but it’s not like it was when she was growing up.
“It’s a little different,” she says. “But we’re trying.”
Editor: Mariann Martin
Fact Checker: Ada Wood
I hope this story leaves you inspired by the power of community-focused journalism. Here at Canopy Atlanta, we’re driven by a unique mission: to uncover and amplify the voices and stories that often go unheard in traditional newsrooms.
Our nonprofit model allows us to prioritize meaningful journalism that truly serves the needs of our community. We’re dedicated to providing you with insightful, thought-provoking stories that shed light on the issues and stories that matter most to neighborhoods across Atlanta.
By supporting our newsroom, you’re not just supporting journalism – you’re investing in Atlanta. Small and large donations enable us to continue our vital work of uncovering stories in underrepresented communities, stories that deserve to be told and heard.
From Bankhead to South DeKalb to Norcross, I believe in the power of our journalism and the impact it can have on our city.
If you can, please consider supporting us with a small gift today. Your support is vital to continuing our mission.
Floyd Hall, co-founder
The post “Keep it as a legacy” appeared first on Canopy Atlanta.