Author

Sophia Qureshi

Sophia is the founder of 285 South, Metro Atlanta’s only English language news publication dedicated to the region’s immigrant and refugee communities. Before launching 285 South in 2021, she worked for over 15 years in media and communications, including at Al Jazeera Media Network, CNN, the United Nations Development Programme, and South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT).

Her writing has been published in Atlanta Magazine, Canopy Atlanta, the Atlanta Civic Circle, the Atlanta History Center, and The Local Palate. She won the Atlanta Press Club award for Narrative Nonfiction in 2023 and 2024; and was a recipient of the Raksha Community Change award in 2023 and was a fellow of Ohio University’s Kiplinger Public Affairs Journalism Program in 2024.

Contact her at sophia@285south.com and learn more about her here.

Sophia's Latest Articles

Violence in Gaza hits home for Metro Atlanta resident.

“I sift through messages to see what neighborhood is being bombed.”

On Memorial Drive, Le Nouveau Maquis serves up Togolese dishes, and then some.

A family-owned Stone Mountain-based restaurant serves up dishes like spicy jollof rice, ground melon seed soup, and more.

Portrait sessions in Norcross, Little Amal on Buford Highway, and kabobs with sour cherry.

285 South October Events Calendar

TPS for Venezuela, Vietnamese -American candidate for mayor in Morrow, and saffron pistachio ice cream.

Your 285 News Roundup.

Finding and hiring bilingual therapists in Metro Atlanta is a struggle.

One nonprofit is planning to recruit them from Puerto Rico, while another is searching for therapists who speak Bosnian and Korean.

Ángela quiere aprender inglés. Pero en Forest Park, ella no tiene muchas opciones donde ir.

Georgia es uno de solo dos estados que prohíbe que los residentes indocumentados asistan a clases de inglés como segundo idioma financiadas por el estado

Clases de inglés en Metro Atlanta

Dónde encontrar clases de ESL, ya sea que tenga o no prueba de residencia legal.

Estamos Aqui Festival, Dragon Boats at Lake Lanier, and a Career Fair.

Plus: local impact + generosity at Bismillah Cafe.

Angela wants to learn English. But in Forest Park, she has limited options for where to go

Georgia is one of only two states that bans undocumented residents from attending state-funded ESL classes—making many future job prospects out of reach.

English language classes in Metro Atlanta

Where to find ESL classes - whether you do, or do not have proof of legal residency.