Overview
At a time when race relations in our nation have torn at the social fabric of cities large and small, a time when interracial contact is characterized by the mistrust and violence that divide so many communities, it is more important than ever to tell stories that embody the full promise of blacks and whites working side by side on shared dreams—and succeeding. And that’s a story that Atlanta is uniquely positioned to tell.
A True Story Never Told
"The Games in Black & White" presents a compelling narrative about the single most successful Black and White partnership in the American South in the civil rights era. Framed against the backdrop of Atlanta’s vibrant civil rights history, this documentary tells the story of two men, Billy Payne and Andy Young, and the improbable quest they mounted to win the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games for the city they loved.
Beyond the tale of their thrilling victorious mission to host the Games, beyond the athletic highlights reel and the extraordinary social and economic legacy the Olympics left the city, "The Games in Black & White" demonstrates how two men, one Black, one White, embodied the promise of the civil rights movement and helped fulfill the destiny of the "City Too Busy To Hate."
Rave Reviews Around Rialto Premiere
Andrew Young, Dallas Austin and Billy Payne share a red carpet moment at the premiere of "The Games in Black & White" as part of the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival at the Rialto Center for the Arts on April 26. Photo by Hannah Bradford for ASP
Billy Payne (left) speaks with reporters along the red carpet during the world premiere of "The Games in Black & White" at the Rialto Center for the Arts on April 26. Photo by Hannah Bradford for ASP
Billy Payne (left) with George Hirthler and Ambassador Andrew Young shared the Rialto Center for the Arts stage for a post-screening Q&A during the premiere of "The Games in Black & White" on April 26, 2025. Photo by Hannah Bradford for ASP
“While the doc covers the Olympic Park bombing, it doesn’t skimp on other aspects of the Games,
such as the organizers’ commitment to hiring minority businesses and the development of an aid program that helped immunize kids and reduce conflict in countries all over the world.”
— Rodney Ho, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“The documentary, the first by Atlanta Story Partners, highlights the unique partnership and friendship
between Ambassador Andrew Young and Olympic CEO Billy Payne, who successfully brought the
Centennial Games to Atlanta by harnessing the city’s civil rights history.”
— Maria Saporta, Editor, Saporta Report
“‘The Games in Black & White’ is the story of an incredible partnership in the South in the Civil Rights Era, illustrating how two men—one Black, one White—embodied the promise of the Civil Rights Movement and helped fulfil the destiny of ‘the city too busy to hate.”
— Rachel Bachman, GPB-TV's NEXT Magazine
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"We were excited, not only to premiere this film, but also to present it within walking distance of where all this history took place."
— Christopher Escobar, Atlanta Film Festival
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"Even though I lived through the Atlanta Olympics, I learned a lot from this film. It's impressive. The Games were a very small part of this story, and that's what people don't realize. What went on before and after [Atlanta '96] is hardly known
— William Wages, ASC​
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"It preserves such an important part of our city's history in such a special, in-depth way, covering stories never heard before."
— Cheryl Preheim, WXIA-TV NBC 11 Atlanta
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"Goes beyond the headlines to spotlight the legendary friendship between two Georgia icons who built bridges between Atlanta and the world."
— Kristi York Wooten, Digital News Director, GPB Radio
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"Directed with a keen sense for both history and personal narrative, the film reveals how the 1996 Olympics were about more than athletic achievement; they became a defining moment of civic pride."
— Noah Washington, Reporter, The Atlanta Voice
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"'The Games in Black & White' redefines Atlanta."
— Ambassador Andrew Young
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"Astonishing. A must see for every Olympic fan."
— Dan O'Brien, Olympic/World Champion, Decathlon
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"Required viewing for Olympic dreamers. Whether big screen or smart phone, 'The Games in Black & White' should be on the playlist of anyone courting Olympic dreams. Shows how Atlanta got the job done from start to finish."
— Ed Hula, Hula Sports Media/Around The Rings​
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"A fantastic piece of art that received, rightly so, a standing ovation at its premiere."
— Craig Kidd, Host, Appen Media's Georgia Politics Podcast​
​This is more than a documentary; it’s a historic civic opportunity. The Games in Black & White will recast the story of Atlanta’s two greatest achievements—the Civil Rights Movement and the Centennial Olympic Games—to reveal how the latter would have been impossible without the former.
This is a story that Atlanta needs to tell future generations, reminding them of the city’s early emergence as a black mecca and a beacon of hope for racial harmony. It is time to set the record straight and tell the full—and true—story of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in the context of Atlanta’s larger history—to show how the city harnessed a global sporting event as an engine of social, political and economic transformation that expanded the city’s civil rights heritage in ways that have too long been hidden from the public conversation.