Bakari Height of Midtown on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Bakari Height. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Bakari, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Watching the news from at least four different cities. My work is now focused on a much larger scale than Metro Atlanta, so I must now keep abreast of what goes on in real time in other cities.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Bakari. I am a Transit Organizer and the Co-Founder of the MARTA Army. For over ten years, I have led this group to be one of the go-to transit groups for uplifting the pro-transit support in Metro Atlanta. We host networking sessions along with BeltLine Rail NOW and the Georgia Sierra Club, sponsor clean-ups at various MARTA stations, and attend different neighborhood meetings to get the opinions from the public on what MARTA should do while updating them on the latest public transit developments.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
Hosting a rally in Philadelphia in front of the SEPTA headquarters. It felt like DMX at Woodstock in 1999 with everyone’s ear open to what you had to say. It really felt powerful. It really felt like I could really influence the masses.

Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
I miss being back home in south Georgia. I used to hate going back home because it was such a slower pace of life than metro Atlanta. However, as I age, I enjoy having that breath of fresh(er) air, and not having to look over your back every three seconds. It is also comforting to be around nothing but people you know instead of strangers.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Achieving all of these certifications will advance your knowledge of transportation. In theory, yes. However, the lived environments are not one size fits all. I don’t care how many suffixes you have after your title. Unless you’ve walked (or taken the bus) regularly in these neighborhood where others do the same, you don’t know anything and can’t tell those locals anything about how to help them.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Of course. I don’t seek praise. I seek understanding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.martaarmy.org
• Instagram: bacardiobama
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bakari-height-7591292b/
• Twitter: https://x.com/bacardiobama
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bakari.height
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TransitEquityNetwork