Rebecca Burns is an author and journalist who focuses on Southern history, race relations, and the intersection of race, religion, and politics.

In 2006, she  published Rage in the Gate City: The Story of the 1906 Atlanta Race Riot (Emmis Books). That non-fiction historical narrative was described in Booklist as “a detailed and riveting account” of a little known but horrific slice of Atlanta’s history. It was praised by Congressman John Lewis who said: “Perhaps, if more Americans read Rage in the Gate City—the story of this important, but often overlooked, chapter in Atlanta’s history—it might save our nation from the painful repetition of these acts of hatred and violence.” The book was a finalist in the 2007 Georgia Author of the Year Awards. In Spring 2008, Burns was selected for the PEN/Faulkner Writers in Schools program for Atlanta Public Schools.

A second edition of Rage in the Gate City was published by the University of Georgia Press in July 2009.

Rebecca is at work on her second book, an account of the 1968 Atlanta funeral for Martin Luther King Jr.—the working title is Burial for a King: Martin Luther King’s 1968 Funeral and Seven days that Shaped America. The book is to be published by Scribner in late 2010.

Rebecca also is writing the Atlanta title in the “Yesterday: Today” book series produced by Publications International. It is scheduled for publication in summer 2010.

Rebecca was editor in chief of Atlanta magazine from September 2002 to March 2009. Under her direction, the magazine received dozens of local, regional, and national awards for its journalism and design excellence. She also oversaw Atlanta magazine’s ancillary titles, including the successful launch of Georgia College Guide. In 2009 she became Interactive Director for Atlanta magazine, overseeing online strategy, web content, and digital editions. In March 2010 she was named Director of Digital Strategy for the magazine's parent company, Emmis Publishing. In this role she works with the editors and publishers of the company's family of magazines.

She is a frequent speaker at civic and community events and often guest lectures at colleges and high schools. She has taught as an adjunct at the University of Georgia. A graduate of Georgia State University's Masters program in Communication, she serves as a board member for VOX Teen Communications. Rebecca lives in Avondale Estates, Georgia, with her daughter and husband, the designer and illustrator James Burns.