Olympic transformation of metropolitan cities--for better or for worse

In 1996, the city of Atlanta hosted the Centennial Olympic Games, a global spectacle that promised to transform the city and elevate its status on the world stage. However, beneath the glitz and grandeur of the Olympics lay a more sobering reality: the displacement of communities, particularly people of color, through the use of eminent domain. Eminent domain is referred to as "the power of the government to take private property and convert it into public use." However, federal and state governments can only exercise this power if just compensation, a form of payment, is given to property owners. This event serves as a poignant example of how large-scale sporting events can significantly impact urban communities, especially in terms of environmental and racial justice.