Susan Percy is an award-winning Metro Atlanta-based journalist and columnist, who has covered Georgia business, politics, and government. She was executive editor and editor of Georgia Trend Magazine from 2001 through 2013 and a regular contributor for another 11 years.
Learn MoreChosen for their impact, insight, or personal significance, each item offers a glimpse into the moments and stories that have defined her work and voice as a journalist.
When Jimmy Carter was inaugurated in 1971 as Georgia’s 76th governor, he famously announced, “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over. No poor, rural, weak or Black person should ever again have to bear the additional burden of being deprived of the opportunity of an education, a job or simple justice.”
Over the course of her career, Susan Percy has interviewed a wide range of influential figures—from elected officials and business leaders to artists, educators, and advocates shaping life in Georgia and beyond. Her conversations go beyond headlines, offering thoughtful, well-researched questions and space for reflection.
View All Interviews >Drawn from Susan Percy’s personal collection, this section features scanned articles originally published in print outlets that are no longer available online. Each scan is presented as it first appeared—part of a living archive that honors both the journalism and the era it captured.
View the Archived Items >This collection features Susan Percy’s published work that remains accessible online, spanning topics from politics and public policy to culture, health, and leadership. Each article reflects her clear-eyed reporting and thoughtful analysis, offering a window into the issues and individuals shaping Georgia and the region.
View All Digital Articles >My first meeting with a super-strong woman occurred the morning I was born, when I was officially introduced to my mother. I arrived a bit ahead of schedule, but she was ready – and never missed a beat thereafter, not even when she was widowed at a young age and left to raise a six-year-old daughter by herself.
The first time I was ever completely alone with my now-grown daughter was in the hospital where she was born. When she began to cry, the thing that popped immediately into my head was a hope that some responsible adult would show up and take care of things.
I’m a pushover for traditions, rituals, customs – even a little pomp and circumstance every now and then. All those things, I believe, strengthen families, communities and countries. They enrich our private lives and lend stability to our public institutions.
Fortunately, most people living in the South these days have no memory of the “white only” signs on water fountains and restrooms that once were commonplace. And the idea of complicated and humiliating registration procedures (counting jellybeans in a jar or naming all the counties in your state, for instance) for African Americans seeking to exercise their Constitutional right to vote seem as distant as horse-and-buggy transportation, if considerably less benign.
Over the course of her career, Susan Percy has been honored by peers and professional organizations for her journalism, commentary, and contributions to the field. These awards reflect her commitment to clear-eyed reporting, fearless commentary, and a deep respect for the role of journalism in public life. From national press associations to regional honors, each recognition marks a chapter in her legacy.
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