ABOUT US

Bravest ATL was founded by brothers Marty and Chris Buccafusco, two lifelong fans who grew up in Augusta, Georgia, loving Atlanta’s baseball team. They were there for the down years of the powder blue uniforms through the team’s amazing run in the 1990s. And like hundreds of thousands of other fans, they were doing the chop to cheer on Greg, Chipper, Andruw, and the rest of the guys.

Over time, they came to understand that the chop and the team’s branding and identity were disrespectful to many people in the Native American community. They learned how negative stereotypes can harm Native American youth. As they began introducing the next generation of their family to Atlanta baseball fandom, they became increasingly uncomfortable encouraging them to chop and chant.

They love Atlanta baseball but realized you can’t fully love something if you know it hurts someone else. Love and harm don’t belong together. That insight became the foundation for Bravest ATL – an effort to change the brand while preserving the love.

The Bravest idea grew out of a conversation with Paul Lukas, formerly of Uni Watch, about how to reinterpret the team’s existing imagery to represent a less divisive concept and carry it into the future. Bravest ATL is supported by Dr. Natalie Welch, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and an expert on Native American athletes and Cherokee stickball, and has recently partnered with the 11th Hour Project and Running Strong for American Indian Youth to offer a new opportunity for Atlanta baseball fans!