Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Politics/National
NationalNews

‘What Does MARTA Stand For?’ Google Returns Racist Answer About Atlanta Transportation System 

Posted byBy Tia Berger | Published on: CommentsComments (1)
Atlanta Marta

Atlanta Marta Station (J Tes Faye/ Atlanta Curbed)

An unnamed Reddit user Googled the roundabouts of Atlanta’s public transportation system MARTA and the answer left people puzzled.

The man who identifies himself as a 23-year-old “white guy”, was reportedly driving into town from Charlotte, North Carolina and wanted tourist advice on taking the transportation system according to the AJC. He googled “what does Marta stand for?”. But instead of the correct information Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Google Search Engine returned an offensive alternative, “Moving Africans Rapidly Through Atlanta.”

MARTA

(Becca Godwin/AJC)

Google removed the inaccurate racist language after receiving a few questions from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The tech giant’s search engine spokeswoman Crystal Dahlen reportedly released a statement Wednesday evening, “Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We’ve looked into it and acted quickly to address the issue.”

MARTA’s spokeswoman Stephany Fisher also added to the AJC that they’re aware of the racist acronym “that was created to marginalize rapid transit and the people who depend on i.” She noted that while they’re aware of the offensive language, fixing it was not on their priority list because “attempting to control internet search results is not a productive use of our time.

We proudly serve all who need transportation and anyone who denies our passengers are diverse, doesn’t ride MARTA.”

Independent journalism doesn't fund itself.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top