A look back at 2025 with UATL’s Brooke Howard

As the year winds down it’s time to rejoice, recap and reflect.

UATL’s staff members are looking back at Black culture and remembering what mattered in 2025. In this story, reporter Brooke Howard shares memories of the year that was.

What was one of the biggest moments in Black culture in Atlanta in 2025?

Target boycott, Brandy and Monica’s The Boy Is Mine tour.

What was one of your favorite albums released in 2025, and why?

First up, Cardi B’s “Am I the Drama?”

Cardi B made a hard return after a lengthy album hiatus. “Am I the Drama?” is what the girlies needed as a confidence booster and a reality check to never accept mess. It’s female empowerment wrapped in trap beats and cheeky jabs that only Cardi could deliver.

Next, Metro Boomin’s “Metro Boomin Presents: A Futuristic Summa (Hosted by DJ Spinz).”

Metro Boomin was really in his bag with this mixtape: bringing back Young Dro with his lyrical word play, having Travis Porter deliver us another twerk anthem, and re-creating the iconic Atlanta hip hop sound of the early 2000s. This is what we needed.

Tell us which movie you loved most this year, and why:

“Sinners” was a cinematic interpretation of Black people breaking the colonial chains of white supremacy. There was so much reclamation in the film, and it extended to other cultures as well. I love intelligent symbolism in film and literature, and this movie went above and beyond its peers with that level of researched meticulousness. Additionally, I love horror, and you don’t always get Black people who are the protagonists of a serious horror film.

What is something you hope to leave in 2025 and not revisit in 2026?

Those grizzly bear boots. Y’all know the ones. Poor dental hygiene. Calling everybody your “twin.” People relying on artificial intelligence to orchestrate complete sentences. Folks who didn’t do well in grade school magically becoming subject matter experts on social media. Young Thug as a hot topic.

What was something that people should have paid more attention to last year, in your opinion?

Reading more books and less social media commentary.

What do you expect Atlanta to be like during the World Cup?

Besides the chaotic busyness, I hope there will be an even exchange with the additional culture that floods Atlanta during the World Cup. I’m optimistic the city will be able to utilize it to its advantage, spread Atlanta pride that is infectious and uplifting.

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