Amid Proposed MARTA Name Changes, A Look At The History And Cultural Importance Of 'Bankhead'

This past summer, MARTA was considering renaming five train stations in Atlanta. It was an effort to keep up with changes in the city and to reflect surrounding neighborhoods. Today, MARTA says no decision on renaming stations has been made, but that they are currently refining the process of making those decisions in the future. One station proposed to be re-christened: Bankhead. The area was named after the highway that ran through it, which was in turn named after an Alabama family. But the Bankhead name is perhaps more closely associated with the torrent of rap and hip hop that grew from Atlanta's Westside and nearby neighborhoods. So, what's in the name "Bankhead"?