CrossRoadsNews, January 16, 2015 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

Come on now ...

For weeks now, this sound barricade along I-20 near Candler Road has been damaged. What will it take to get it repaired?

... to Wilson Welding Service on Snapfinger Road, please find a better place to store your scrapped vehicles, or at least put it behind a privacy fence.

Put Litter in Its Place Let’s Do Our Part to Keep DeKalb Beautiful

EAST ATLANTA • DECATUR • STONE MOUNTAIN • LITHONIA • AVONDALE ESTATES • CLARKSTON • ELLENWOOD • PINE LAKE • REDAN • SCOTTDALE • TUCKER

January 16, 2016

Volume 21, Number 38

www.crossroadsnews.com

Community service still a major component of King Day As we prepare to celebrate the 31th annual Martin Luther King Day on Jan. 18, the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are as enduring as ever. Locally and nationally, the country and the world continue to put service into the national holiday that honors him. We do it to honor his wish, made known to us in his Feb. 4, 1968 sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church. “When I have to meet my day,...I would like somebody to mention that Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to give his life serving others.” Had he lived, King would have been 87 years on Jan. 15. King Day Service Projects abound in our

area and in our pull section – B1-B12 – inside this issue, we highlight some of them in Decatur, Lithonia, Stone Mountain, Clarkston, Atlanta and so on. All across over communities, adults and children will be helping seniors, children, and refugees, and repairing and sprucing up community centers, state parks and cemetaries, among other projects. We are also remembering King in forums, parades, and performances and discovering the timelessness of his message. Once again, as a nation, we are working and marching to honor the man who fought for civil, human and voting rights that opened doors and created a more level playing field for all Americans.

Students from Chapel Hill Elementary in Decatur marching in the 2015 DeKalb NAACP King Parade. The

2016 parade kicks off Jan. 18 at 11 a.m. in Decatur.

Jennifer Ffrench Parker / CrossRoadsNews

Georgia State University signs merger New moniker as consolidation becomes official

Georgia State University is now officially in DeKalb County, and there are signs to prove it. The 113-year-old research college, based in downtown Atlanta, unveiled its GSU signs on campuses in Clarkston, Decatur and Dunwoody on Jan. 13. Its merger with Georgia Perimeter College became effective on Jan. 13. The sign installation erased the last vestige of the old two-year college that was founded as DeKalb College for DeKalb County students by the DeKalb Board of Education in 1964. DeKalb students will now be able to access Georgia State University’s four-year bachelor’s degree program at these campuses, and with less paperwork. GPC’s signs also were removed from its old campuses in Alpharetta and Newton County. Peter Lyons, dean of the newly consolidated schools, said at a Jan. 13 sign unveiling ceremony that students who used to Peter Lyons seek four-year degrees after completing the old GPC’s two-year associate degree program will find it easier to do. “They won’t need to complete a lot of applications and submit fees,” said Lyons, who became the combined institution’s first dean and vice provost in November. “They’ll be able to fill out a one-page document. They’ll have to satisfy the entry requirements for a four-year degree, but once they do that [the process] is very easy.” The Board of Regents approved the consolidation of both institutions on Jan. 6, 2015, to help improve student retention and graduation rates. After that vote, University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby said

GSU President Mark Becker (at right) pulls away the old Georgia Perimeter College sign on Jan. 13 to reveal the Georgia State University sign and logo on the Clarkston Campus.

GSU Photo

Georgia State University officials pose beside the new sign and logo at the Decatur Campus on Panthersville Road on Wednesday.

Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews

GSU students started at the system is keenly focused on access and Georgia Perimeter. college completion. “We just want to take The consolidation became effective on something that’s worked Jan. 13, 2016. well in the past and make During Wednesday’s celebration at the it much more seamless,” Clarkston Campus, GSU President Mark Becker said. Becker said they want to take what they At the sign unveiling have done at Georgia State to promote stuat the former GPC Decadent success and roll it out to the Perimeter Mark Becker tur Campus on Pantherscolleges. He said that about 20 percent of current ville Road, volunteers served refreshments

and handed out Georgia State University T-shirts in the Student Center. The merger seems popular with students like business administration major Nicholas McDonald. “I think it’s a great move for us,” McDonald said. “It builds up the credibility of this college by linking us with Georgia State.” Keyshauna Hodges, a mass communications major, says consolidation helped her decide where to continue her education. “I always was going to transfer to a four-year university so I probably will go to Georgia State,” she said. With the consolidation, GSU’s enrollment jumps from 32,082 to nearly 60,000 students, making it one of the largest universities in the country. Mary Hickman Brown, dean of students at the Decatur Campus, said the merger will bring benefits for students beyond the classroom. “They will have passes to NCAA athletic events at the downtown campus along with student leadership possibilities,” Brown said.

CrossRoadsNews

Finance

“According to the housing report issued by Zillow, it is estimated that as much as 43 percent of homes in the Atlanta area have negative equity.”

$25,000 home improvement loans available

Johnson talks business in East DeKalb DeKalb Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson will present the “State of Business in East DeKalb Address” at the Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce’s Third Wednesday luncheon on Jan. 20. The GLCC’s fifth annual event begins at 11:30 a.m. in the banMereda Johnson quet room of This Is It in Lithonia. Visit greaterlithoniachamber.com for reservations. In her keynote address, Johnson will provide an economic overview of the Commission District 5 that she has represented since being elected in July 2015. The district has more than 140,000 constituents. Johnson, a resident of South DeKalb for three decades, has been a practicing attorney for more than 33 years, concentrating in the area of family law. In 1985, she became the first black female judge appointed in DeKalb County courts. At the time of her historic appointment, she had practiced law for less than three years. She is a co-founding partner with the law firm of Johnson Hopewell Coleman LLC. This Is It is at 2853 Panola Road. For more information, call 770-4821808.

Homeowners who want to improve and spruce up their homes can apply for funding from the $25 million FHA Title I Home Improvement Loan Fund. Brooks and Associates LLC, a Lithoniabased construction management company, and Boston-based Admirals Bank, a leading national provider of the FHA Title I Home Improvement Loans, are offering the loans that can be used for general home improvements including remodeling, roofing, siding, sunrooms, garages, basements, kitchens and bathroom replacement or upgrades. Qualified homeowners must have been in their home three to five years, have a 640 credit score or spouse credit score of 600 or higher, and their total monthly debt must not exceed 45 percent of income. Percy Brooks III, founder and CEO of Brooks and Associates, said they are lending $25,000 per loan to qualified households and that loans can close within 15 business days. “We offer qualified licensed and insured home improvement contractors that guaran-

More than 19 employers already have confirmed for the Diversity Job Expo and Job Fair on Jan. 20 at the Community Achievement Center in Decatur. Admiration Lodge No. 25 and DeKalb Super District 7 Commissioner Stan Watson are co-hosting the event that takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. It’s the second job fair that Watson and Admiration Lodge have co-sponsored. More than 159 job hunters attended the January 2015 job fair, also at the CAC. Among the confirmed employers are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

Notice of Public Hearings Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority will hold public hearings for the purpose of considering the

Revised Fare Policy and Proposed Bus Service Modifications for April 16, 2016 Proposed routing and/or adjustments and new service for the following bus routes: Route 9: Toney Valley/Peachcrest Road; Route 24: East Lake/Hosea Williams Drive; Route 34: Gresham Road/Clifton Springs; Route 73: Fulton Industrial; Route 86: Fairington Road/McAfee Road; Route 99: Boulevard/Monroe Drive; Route 140: North Point/Mansell Park & Ride; Route 143: Windward Park & Ride; Route 172: Sylvan Road/Virginia Avenue; Route 185: Alpharetta/Holcomb Bridge Road. Revised Fare Policy: In accordance with the Federal Transit Administration, MARTA adopted a revised fare policy that governs fare changes. The 2013 policy is being updated and requires public input.

All route information, a video presentation and comment forms are available at www.itsmarta.com

Tuesday, Jan. 19th

Thursday, Jan. 21st

Clayton State University Student Activity Center

Decatur Recreation Center

Fulton County Government Center Assembly Hall

Community Exchange: 6-7 p.m.

HEARING: 7 p.m.

Riding MARTA: Route 193/shuttle will be provided from bus stop to Student Activity Center.

teed their work,” he said. Borrowers don’t have to use Brooks & Associates contractors, but he said all contractors must have a license and insurance. “We will provide project management,” he said. The federally insured Percy Brooks III program offers both secured and unsecured loans for home improvement and renewable energy projects. “This FHA Insured loan does not require equity or appraisals to close,” Brooks said. Robert Briden, Admirals Bank’s Mortgage Lending director, said they recognize that financial institutions need to help address the development needs of cities across the country, especially the financing needs of homeowners with little or no equity. “According to the most recent housing report issued by Zillow, it is estimated that as much as 43 percent of homes in the Atlanta area have negative equity,” said Briden, also an

Admirals senior vice president. “The bank can leverage its unique position to offer assistance where insurance and other home improvement loans may not be available due to the typical 80 percent cap on home equity lending.” Brooks said his company, which offers public and private sector residential housing services, recognizes the need for a safe fixed rate home improvement loan program. “The FHA Title I Loan is a unique, safe fixed rate program with flexible terms up to 20 years,” he said. Clients include homeowners, hedge funds, housing authorities, real estate trade associations, nonprofit/community development corporations and financial institutions. Admirals Bank has done more than 300,000 FHA Title I loans. “It is clearly the most experience based on the volume of cases it has had endorsed by FHA,” Brooks said. Visit www.facebook.com/brooksandassociatesllc or contact Brooks at percybrooks. meb@live.com or 404-218-6445.

Lots of employers with jobs for Jan. 21 Job Fair

METROPOLITAN ATLANTA RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY

Ball Room A, 2000 Clayton State Blvd., Morrow, GA 30260

January 16, 2016

231 Sycamore St., Decatur 30030

Community Exchange: 6-7 p.m.

HEARING: 7 p.m.

Riding MARTA: Decatur Rail Station.

141 Pryor Street Atlanta, GA 30303

Community Exchange: 6-7 p.m.

HEARING: 7 p.m.

4181.

Wells Fargo Bank, DeKalb Sheriff ’s Office, the county’s Human Resources Department, General Services Administration, Georgia Department of Public Safety, and Diaz Foods. Job hunters should wear professional attire and bring plenty of resumes. Kelly Cato, Watson’s program manager, said the companies and employers have job openings and that some will interview on the spot and make job offers. The center is at 4522 Flat Shoals Parkway. For more information, contact Miguel Ramos at Ramosmi78@gmail.com or call 678-907-

CVS job fair on Candler Road The CVS drugstore on Candler Road is hosting its first job fair on Jan. 30. Positions available include sales associates, pharmacy technicians and stock clerks in Decatur, Tucker and around metro Atlanta. The job fair takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. Job hunters should bring resumes. They also can visit http://jobs.cvshealth.com. The store is at 2458 Candler Road in Decatur.

Small-business basics at Stonecrest

ner, associate director of Legislative, New and aspiring business ownEducation & Intergovernmental ers can attend “Entrepreneurship Affairs for the Minority Business 101” on Jan. 30 at the Stonecrest Development Agency, U.S. DepartLibrary in Lithonia. ment of Commerce, and BB&T The program begins at 11:30 Business Banking professionals. a.m. and is open to the first 145 The program will focus on participants. small-business development and The panel discussion will prowealth creation. It is co-sponsored vide new and prospective business by the DeKalb Public Library and owners with resources and infor- Justin Tanner mation related to successful and sustainable the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc.-Decatur/DeKalb Chapter. The library is business development and growth. Featured panelists include Justin G. Tan- at 3123 Klondike Road. Call 770-482-3828.

Registration open for voters Credit, ID monitoring Credit monitoring and identity protection services are now available for 6 million voters whose personal information was exposed by the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office. Secretary of State Brian Kemp says eligible voters can register for one year of free credit monitoring and identity restoration services at http://soswebadmin.sos.state.ga.us/. “While I am confident that every voters’ personal data is secure, these services are being offered to provide Georgia voters with peace of mind,” Kemp said on Jan. 7. The deadline to register is Feb. 14 and the

coverage lasts through Dec. 31, 2016. Eligible voters’ information appeared on the Oct. 13, 2015, voter list that was released to the media and political parties. Kemp said the CSID Protector Coverage includes credit monitoring, CyberAgent® Internet surveillance, change of address monitoring, and Social Security number trace. Identity restoration services will be provided to voters whose information was included on the list if their identity is stolen. No enrollment is required. Visit www.sos. ga.gov or call 404-654-6045.

Riding MARTA: Routes 32, 49, 55, 74 & 186.

Copies of the proposed Bus Service Modifications will also be available for public viewing at MARTA’s Headquarters Office of External Affairs, 2424 Piedmont Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30324 during regular business hours, Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For formats (FREE of charge) in accordance with the ADA and Limited English Proficiency regulations contact, (404) 848-4037. For those patrons requiring further accommodations, information can be obtained by calling the Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 404 848-5665. In addition, a sign language interpreter will be available at all hearings. If you cannot attend the hearings and want to provide comments you may: (1) leave a message at (404) 848-5299; (2) write to MARTA’s Office of External Affairs, 2424 Piedmont Road, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30324-3330; (3) complete an online Comment Card at www.itsmarta.com; (4) or fax your comments no later than Jan. 27, 2016 to (404) 848-4179. All citizens of the City of Atlanta and the counties of Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton and Gwinnett whose interests are affected by the subjects to be considered at these hearings are hereby notified and invited to appear at said times and places and present such evidence, comment or objection as their interests require.

Keith T. Parker, AICP, General Manager/CEO

“Come on and be a part of the vision” First Afrikan Church is an Afrocentric Christian Ministry that empowers women, men, youth and children to move from membership to leadership in the church, community and the world. Praise & Devotion Worship Service Sundays at 10 a.m. Join us for Bible Study Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

5197 Salem Road Lithonia, GA 30038

770-981-2601 “We are building far beyond our years.”

Rev. Dr. Mark A. Lomax

CrossRoadsNews

January 16, 2016

Community

Exemptions are not automatic and mortgage companies or other entities cannot file applications for property owners.

Homeowners can now apply for tax exemptions ‘Black Lives Matter’ forum Tax Commissioner Offices on Jan. 18 in Newton Homeowners eligible for basic homestead, senior and disability exemptions need to apply now. DeKalb Interim Tax Commissioner Irvin J. Johnson said the April 1 deadline is fast approaching and homeowners need to act now for the exemption to be applied to their 2016 property taxes. New homeowners who owned and occupied their property on Jan. 1, 2016, may qualify for homestead exemption that provides Irvin J. Johnson significant tax savings. Rental property is excluded. Johnson said exemptions are not automatic and that mortgage companies or another entity cannot file applications for property owners.

Applications can be submitted by mail or the Internet, except for senior and disability Applicants for senior or disability exemption applications. Those applicants exemptions must visit a Tax Commismust apply in person. sioner Office in person: Johnson stressed in a Jan. 7 statement that n South – 2801 Candler Road, Suite 66, exemption applications are free of charge and in Decatur inside the Gallery at South property owners should not pay anyone to DeKalb mall. apply for them. n Central – 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite Senior exemptions are available to citizens 100, in Decatur. who are 62 years and older and who meet n North – 1358 Dresden Drive N.E. in certain household income criteria. Atlanta. Special exemptions are available for hoFor more information, visit www. meowners who are 100 percent totally and yourdekalb.com/taxcommissioner. permanently disabled. Applicants for senior or disability exemptions must visit a Tax Commissioner Applications received after the April Office location in person. Documentation 1 deadline will be applied to the 2017 tax of income, including 2015 federal and state year. income tax returns, proof of age, and/or disFor more information, call 404-298ability status, is required. 4000.

Panels taking on growing violence in DeKalb Two panels will discuss adult and youth violence in DeKalb County on Jan. 21 at the Porter Sanford Center in Decatur. DeKalb Commissioner Larry Johnson will moderate the adults discussing “Addressing Violence in DeKalb County,” and DeKalb Board of Health Director S. Elizabeth Ford will moderate the “Helping Youth Prevent Violence and Lead Healthy Lives in DeKalb County” conversation. Both discussions take place 6 to 8 p.m. Parents and other adults are encouraged to bring youth to participate in the conversations. The adult panel includes Dr. LeRoy Reese, Morehouse School of Medicine associate professor of community health and preventive medicine; Mosi Bayo, the Georgia Depart-

ment of Public Health’s program manager for the Sexual Violence Prevention Program, Adolescent & School Health Chronic Disease Prevention Section; Dr. Imani Michelle Scott from the Women’s Resource Center for DoLarry Johnson mestic Violence; and DeKalb County’s Chief Trial Attorney Daryl Queen. The youth forum panelists include DeKalb Assistant Solicitor General Mario Banjo; Dr. R.J. Verwayne of Standard of Care Psychological Services; Braxton Cotton of the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles; Kasey McClure, founder and execu-

tive director, 4Sarah; and Juanita Brunson, Project BRAVE’s program specialist. The forum, which is sponsored by the Fulton DeKalb Hospital Authority, is a follow-up to its October Health SumS. Elizabeth Ford mit “Violence: America’s Challenge” that offered resources and solutions to end violence. It is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Call Yvette Stevenson at 678-313-8397 to register. The Porter Sanford III Performing Arts and Community Center is at 3181 Rainbow Drive in Decatur.

Lawmakers, county officials and a lawyer will help identify solutions to stop violence against African-Americans at a panel discussion on Jan. 18. State Rep. Jaren Bennett; DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office Chief Assistant District Attorney Nicole M. Golden; Newton County Sheriff Ezell Brown; civil rights attorney Charles Coleman Jr.; Capt. Charles L. Alphin Sr., a senior nonviolence trainer; Gwinnett County Board of Education’s Luevenia Holloway; and WAOK radio personality Rashas Richey are on the panel. The 3-to-5:30 p.m. forum takes place at the Newton County Historical Court House in Covington. The forum, “Black Lives Matter: A Quest for Solutions … Violence Against African-Americans,” is a project of the Lambda Epsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. in DeKalb County in partnership with a number of sororities and other local communitybased organizations. It will address violence among and against African-Americans, reflect on the increasing incidents of violence throughout Georgia and the United States, and identify solutions to combat the problem. The Newton County Historical Court House is at 1124 Clark St. S.W. in Covington. For more information, call Jewanna Gaither at 404-934-0790.

IRVIN J. JOHNSON Tax Commissioner DeKalb County, GA

ATTENTION ALL DEKALB COUNTY HOMEOWNERS The 2016 Property Tax Exemption Deadline Is Fast Approaching! If you owned and resided in a home in DeKalb County on January 1st, you may apply for a Basic Homestead Exemption and Property Assessment Freeze with the County by April 1st of this year. The home must be your primary domicile and legal residence for all purposes, including the registration of your vehicles and the filing of your Federal and State income taxes. Applications received after April 1st will be processed for 2017. In addition to the basic homestead exemption available to all homeowners, there are special exemptions available for residents 62 and older, disabled veterans or their un-remarried spouses, and other disabled residents. Eligibility for special exemptions is based upon age or disability, and total household income. They must be applied for in person. When applying, please bring your State and Federal income tax forms, Social Security 1099, and any other forms of income you may receive, to one of our three offices across the County.

North Office

1358 Dresden Dr., NE Atlanta, GA 30319

Main Office

4380 Memorial Dr. Suite 100 Decatur, GA 30032

South Office

2801 Candler Rd. #66 South DeKalb Mall Decatur, GA 30034

Remember, the deadline for applying for all homesteads is April 1st!

Picture Yourself

www.dekalbhealth.net or contact Anika Norwood at (404) 294-3896 anika.norwood@dph.ga.gov

Apply for the Basic Homestead Exemption, the Property Assessment Freeze, or renew your tag registration online at www.dekalbcountyga.gov/taxcommissioner

Questions? Call (404) 298-4000 or email us proptax@dekalbcountyga.gov 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 100, Decatur, Georgia 30032 (404-298-4000)

OR to get involved in DeKalb County Board of Health initiatives to improve the overall health and wellness of our community, go to

NOW is the time to get fit and eat healthy!

CrossRoadsNews

Community

2346 Candler Rd. Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007

January 16, 2016

“Programs like Social Security during the Great Depression were set up so that black people were systematically excluded.”

King Center panel tackles thorny issues of race

Nancy Lee Granh (from left), Charles Alphin, Tracie Berry McGhee, Arno Michaelis, and Matthew Platt participated on the King Center panel.

www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com

Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker Assistant Editor Brenda Yarbrough Staff Writers Jennifer Ffrench Parker Ken Watts Front Office Manager Catherine Guy Graphic Design Curtis Parker CrossRoadsNews is published every Saturday by CrossRoadsNews, Inc. We welcome articles on neighborhood issues and news of local happenings. The opinions expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, nor those of any advertisers. The concept, design and content of CrossRoadsNews are copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the written permission of the publisher.

Advertisements are published upon the representation that the advertiser is authorized to publish the submitted material. The advertiser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless from and against any loss or expenses resulting from any disputes or legal claims based upon the contents or subject matter of such advertisments, including claims of suits for libel, violation of privacy, plagiarism and copyright infringement. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement.

Circulation Audited By

By Ken Watts

Prominent Americans speaking at the King Center’s Beloved Community Talks on Jan. 9 described how their lives were changed by the thorny issues of race. Charles Alphin, a retired St. Louis Police Department captain, said he was skeptical of Martin Luther King Jr.’s nonviolent philosophy in the 1960s. However, Alphin changed his mind after meeting King’s lieutenant Bernard Lafayette in 1975 and gaining a deeper understanding of nonviolent methodology. He said he used nonviolent resistance in St. Louis as part of his effort to turn at-risk youth away from gangs. “We all want to feel good about ourselves,” he said. “You can’t violate people. You can’t go after them verbally or physically. In fact, psychological violence is much more powerful sometimes than physical violence because it destroys your self-image.” Alphin was one of five panelists who discussed “The Race Factor” and “Rights vs. Responsibility.” The forum was part of a weeklong commemoration of the 87th birthday of King ahead of the Jan. 18 national King holiday. The other panelists were Nancy Lee Granh, a veteran daytime TV soap opera actress and political activist; Tracie Berry McGhee, clinical therapist, motivational speaker and founder of SistaKeeper, a nonprofit support group for young women; Arno Michaelis, a former white supremacist and author; and Matthew Platt, assistant professor of political science at Morehouse College.

Fox 5 news anchor Deidra Dukes served as moderator. More than 100 people, including 17 students from Martin Luther King Jr. High in Lithonia, attended the forum in the Yolanda D. King Theater for the Performing Arts. Inspired by King’s teachings, Alphin moved to Atlanta in 1992 to become a trainer at the King Center where he certifies others to conduct seminars in nonviolent conflict resolution. In 2014, he traveled twice to Ferguson, Mo., with King Center CEO Bernice King and teams from its Nonviolence 365 program to help calm racial strife after a white policeman shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen, on Aug. 9. The workshops for educators, students, police and business owners are based on King’s six principles of nonviolence taught by Jesus and Mahatma Gandhi: n Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people. n The beloved community is the goal. n Attack the forces of evil, not the people doing evil. n Accept suffering without retaliation for the sake of the cause to achieve a goal. n Avoid internal violence of the spirit as well as external physical violence. n The universe is on the side of justice. Granh recalled how she inadvertently touched off a racial uproar on social media with a series of tweets on Sept. 20, 2015, the night that fellow actress Viola Davis, star of “How to Get Away With Murder,” became the first African-American

to win an Emmy Award for best lead actress in a drama series. In an emotional acceptance speech, Davis said that “the only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity.” Granh, who has a long history of activism for progressive causes and has an Emmy for her work on “General Hospital,” said she is not a fan of awards shows and responded to Davis’ speech. “I’m a f------ actress for 40 years,” she tweeted. “None of us get respect or opportunity we deserve. Emmy’s not venue for racial opportunity. All women belittled.” Granh even suggested that Davis hasn’t experienced discrimination in Hollywood. Granh told the King Center audience she was completely clueless to the fact that it was Davis’ first Emmy win and the first for a black actress in the 67-year history of the award. Granh blamed herself, saying she was speaking of acting in the context of an awards show and had failed to recognize the historical importance of Davis’ win. Arno Michaelis, author of “My Life After Hate,” was active in hate groups for seven years in the late 1980s and early ’90s. Michaelis, 44, was a founding member of Northern Hammerskin, part of the international neo-Nazi skinhead group the Hammerskin Nation, a warrior of a self-declared racial holy war. He also was lead singer of the white power band Centurion, which sold 20,000 CDs by the mid-’90s and is still popular with racists today. Michaelis said he was responsible for many unprovoked racial

attacks on minorities but grew disillusioned with the life after the murder of a close friend in 1994 after one of Centurion’s concerts. “That was the catalyst that led to me turning my back on that,” he said. “It happened a couple of months after I became the single parent of a baby daughter.” Michaelis said what changed him most was the kindness he received from the very people he claimed to hate. McGhee found his strategy of sharing appealing and said that forgiveness is a step toward racial reconciliation but is a work in progress. Her SistaKeeper organization delivers counseling services in many St. Louis neighborhoods, including Ferguson. “Change doesn’t happen overnight,” McGhee said. “It’s important that we communicate with our children about it because they’re the ones who are affected the most by racism.” Platt said people tend to think of racism in terms of what offends them personally, but some policies were created to put blacks in positions where it is more difficult for them to achieve equality. Platt recalled how the U.S. social welfare system was designed explicitly with race in mind. “Programs like Social Security during the Great Depression were set up so that black people were systematically excluded,” he said. “Most blacks at the time were domestics or farm workers, jobs that were not eligible for Social Security.” For more, visit www.crossroadsnews.com.

Democrats Champion Middle actors stage musical irtyhost delegate twoT hChampion Middle stutraining class School dents will give Voters who want to be delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention can attend delegate selection training on Jan. 23 in Tucker. The Democratic Party of Georgia 4th Congressional District Chair Melva Hicks is hosting the session in preparation for the July 25-28 convention in Philadelphia. It starts at 9 a.m. at the Piccadilly Cafeteria, 200 Crescent Centre Blvd. The 4th District includes portions of Gwinnett, Rockdale and Newton counties, and training sessions will be held in those counties. Visit www.georgiademocrat.org.

their take on s cho ol l i fe with their pro du c t i on Joy Hammond of the multimedia musical “Middle School Madness” on Jan. 28 and 29 at the ART Station in Stone Mountain. The musical, produced and directed by drama teacher Joy Hammond, will have four performances at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. over the two days. Hammond, who has been running the drama club for six years, said the sixth- to eighthgrade students will explore the

Champion Middle School Drama Club performances of “Middle School Madness” take place on Jan. 28-29 at the ART Station in Stone Mountain.

issues they encounter in school. All the actors are members of the Champion School Drama Club, which is helping them explore their interest in the performing arts. The production includes live and videotaped segments. “We are giving them a sense of

what the industry is like,” she said. “Middle School Madness” is written by Bette Glenn with music and lyrics by Matt Corrie. Seating is limited and Hammond said tickets are going fast. They are $12 in advance at CTMS. Booktix.com and $15 at the door.

index to advertisers DeKalb Academy of Technology...................A5 DeKalb Clerk of Superior Court....................A6 DeKalb County Board of Health....................A3 DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office...A3 First African Presbyterian Church..................A2 Georgia Regional Transportation Authority.. A7 Gladys Knight’s Signature Chicken & Waffles.A7

James Smith, Sr. / Personal Ins. Broker.........A7 Johnny Harris CPA........................................A7 Johnson Hopewell Coleman LLC.................A7 Law Office of Trichelle Griggs Simmons.......A7 LR Robinson, LLC..........................................A7 Macy’s...........................................................A8 New York Life Insurance Com.......................A7

Percy Brooks & Assoc...................................A7 Quick Pass Emissions....................................A7 Comcast........................................................B9 Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton......... B10 Committee to Elect Henry “Hank” Johnson.. B7 Committee to Re-Elect Howard Mosby........B11

Georgia Piedmont Technical College............B2 Georgia Power..............................................B8 Macy’s...........................................................B5 MARTA..........................................................B8 Walgreens...............................................Inserts Office of Congressman Hank Johnson... Online

January 16, 2016

Youth

CrossRoadsNews

“Our students will be well-trained to meet the demands of one of Georgia’s strategic industries.”

Central Office revamp OK’d GPTC expands movie, TV courses

The second phase of DeKalb Superintendent R. Stephen Green’s reorganization of the Central Office has been approved by the Board of Education. It includes appointments of four seniorlevel positions previously approved by the board at its Dec. 7, 2015, meeting. “The Central Office reorganization enables the district to achieve the Strategic Plan’s goals and supports the realignment of the core business of improving the teaching and learning experience for increased student achievement,” Green said in a Jan. 11 statement. The following appointments were included in the approval: n Jennifer Hackemeyer, currently general counsel, Georgia Department of Education, to chief legal officer, Office of Legal Affairs. n Eileen Houston-Stewart, currently chief communications and community engagement officer for the Kansas City Public Schools, to interim chief communications and community relations officer, Office of CommuE. Houston-Stewart nications. n Oliver Lewis, currently DeKalb director, Professional Learning, to executive director of Professional Learning, Leadership Development, and STEM Program, Division of Curriculum & Instruction. n Manomay Malathip, currently director, Graduation and Postsecondary Research for the Kansas City Public Schools, to interim executive director of Student Advancement, Manomay Malathip

Division of Student Support & Intervention. In December, Green noted the proposed design had one goal in mind – to improve student learning. “It st re am lines, R. Stephen Green strengthens and makes the district’s executive team more effective, efficient, more responsive – ultimately leading to a higher degree of accountability,” he said. Green proposed his plan after six months of “personal observations, research, evaluations and explorations.” “This design reallocates resources – time and financial,” he said. “It flattens the layers of bureaucracy through decentralization, placing critical human capital and other services in the field. In the end, it will be cost neutral given the overall size of the district’s annual budget of $1.5 billion.” Green said it supports what he calls “the triangulation of services between the superintendent, regional superintendents and auxiliary support.” “Therefore through the elimination of unnecessary functions, the elevation of key functions and services, the reclassification of key positions and functions, and the creation of new positions, the reorganization of operational services is a means to support our ultimate goal: the improvement of teaching and learning for our students.” The 2015-2016 Central Office Reorganization (Phase 2) summary can be found at https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/Meetings/ViewMeetingOrder. aspx?S=4054&MID=48968, Item F12.

Students interested in movie and TV production will find expanded offerings at Georgia Piedmont Technical College. Continuing education classes include Production Assistant, Independent Producer, and Key Production Assistant. GPTC President Jabari Simama said students completing the courses will be poised to take part in the state’s growing film industry. “We have developed credit and noncredit courses through our Center for Television, Film Jabari Simama and New Media curricula that meet the demands of Georgia’s $6 billion industry,” he said in a Jan. 11 statement. “Our students will be well-trained to meet the demands of one of Georgia’s strategic industries.” The eight-week Production Assistant class, which begins Jan. 25, is taught by Eric Morton, a film/TV production veteran with about 20 years of experience. The course combines hands-on instruction with classroom lectures. Upon completion,

participants will have an understanding of set etiquette, the stages of production, and how to interact effectively with industry personnel. The Production Assistant course, a prerequisite for the other two production courses, will be offered Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the DeKalb campus, 495 N. Indian Creek Drive in Clarkston. Eric Morton It also will be offered during the same time slot on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Newton campus, 8100 Bob Williams Parkway in Covington. The 12-week Independent Producer 101 course will be offered on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. beginning Feb. 10. The Key Production Assistant class is a two-day workshop that will be held on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on March 19 and again on March 26. They will be taught by Morton at the Newton campus. To register, email contedu@gptc.edu or call 404-297-9522, Ext. 1121.

App Challenge deadline extended DeKalb high school students now have until Jan. 21 to create and submit their own software application for the new Congressional App Challenge. The deadline has been pushed back to Jan. 21 at 3 p.m. The winner will be selected in February by a panel of local computer science professionals and congressional representatives. The contest, which began Nov. 9, is open to all U.S. high school students in participat-

ing districts, including Georgia’s 4th District. It is aimed at encouraging students to learn how to code by creating their own applications, to highlight the value of computer science and STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – education, and encourage students to engage in these fields. For more information and to register, visit www.congressionalappchallenge.us or call U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson’s office at 770987-2291.

DEKALB ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE CHARTER SCHOOL

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Feb. 8–11; Feb. 16–18 7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Mondays – Thursdays

February 18th is the last day for application submission. For more information or to download an application, please visit us at www.dekalbacademy.org

Lottery Dates Kindergarten - 5th: Feb. 23 • 9:00 a.m. Notification date: Feb. 26 Middle School: March 3 • 9:00 a.m. Notification date: March 9 School Tours 7:30 a.m. 2nd and 3rd Fridays monthly through March 25.

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CrossRoadsNews

Wellness

January 16, 2016

“There is some evidence that hypothermia may be able to slow the progression and improve the swelling that occurs after the injury.”

Komen raises concerns over mammogram recommendations Susan G. Komen President and CEO Judy Salerno says women and their doctors should be the final decision-makers when it comes to breast cancer screening as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issues recommendations that would raise the recommended age for the start of routine mammograms from 40 to 50 for women of average risk. The task force issued Judy Salerno similar recommendations in 2009. Salerno and breast cancer survivor Cati Diamond Stone, executive director of Komen Atlanta, say women and their health care providers should have the final say on mam-

mogram schedules and that screening tests, if recommended by a health care provider, should be covered by insurers and government regardless of a woman’s age. On Jan. 12, the task force issued final recommendations by age: n 40-49 – Informed, individualized decision-making based on a woman’s values, preferences and health history. n 50-74 – Mammography every two years. n 75 and older – More research needed. Current science inadequate to recommend for or against. The latest recommendations would not be implemented immediately due to a twoyear moratorium imposed by Congress. Salerno said Komen is concerned that the recommendations could effectively bar

access to screenings for millions of women under 50 because third-party payers often use task force recommendations to decide whether they will pay for certain tests. “A lack of coverage would be most harshly felt in high-risk and underserved populations,” she said. “African-American women, for example, are often diagnosed at younger ages with aggressive forms of breast cancer and die of breast cancer at rates over 40 percent higher than white women. Screening at younger ages is a critical tool for these women.” Stone said Komen Atlanta’s recommendations haven’t changed. “We recommend that women at average risk for breast cancer have an annual mammogram starting at age 40,” she said. “We

also recommend that women have a clinical breast exam at least every three years starting at age 20 and every year starting at age 40.” Stone said clinical breast exams have long been a lifesaving screening tool for many people. “Five years ago, I was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer, which was detected by a clinical breast exam,” she said. “If I Cati Stone hadn’t received this breast exam during a routine doctor’s visit, I don’t know if I would have been diagnosed in time to survive breast cancer.” Visit komenatlanta.org or call 404-8140052 for questions or assistance.

Traumatic brain injury study uses induced hypothermia in treatment Some traumatic brain injury patients admitted to Grady Memorial Hospital may be eligible to participate in a trial involving induced hypothermia. The Hypothermia for Patients Requiring Evacuation of Subdural Hematoma Trial is a collaboration between Grady and its faculty physicians at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Faiz Ahmad, di- Faiz Ahmad rector of spinal neurosurgery and surgical neurotrauma at Grady, is principal investigator for the trial. Ahmad is also an Emory assistant professor of neurosurgery.

Dr. David Wright, director of the Emergency Neurosciences Section in Emory’s Department of Emergency Medicine, is coprincipal investigator for the HOPES Trial. Wright said traumatic brain injury is the No. 1 cause of death in people younger than 44. “We have yet to find a treatment that improves David Wright the outcome of a brain-injured patient,” Wright said in a Jan. 6 statement. “There is some evidence that hypothermia may be able to slow the progression and improve the swelling that occurs after the injury, thereby

Sickle Cell Day at Ga. State Capitol Sickle cell patients, families, providers, and supporters will converge on downtown Atlanta on Jan. 21 for the third annual Sickle Cell Day at the Georgia State Capitol. The Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia is host for the event, which begins at 11 a.m. at the Capitol South Wing, 206 Washington St. S.W., followed by a reception. Patients and supporters from around the state will visit lawmakers to share challenges experienced by the sickle cell community and to advocate for improved treatment, inclusion of sickle cell among the disorders specified in medical cannabis legislation, and for Medicaid expansion.

Sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait are genetic blood disorders that primarily affect African-Americans, but not exclusively so. The disease is painful and can be fatal. Trait carriers experience few, if any, symptoms and may not take necessary precautions. Since 1971, the foundation has advocated for improved treatment, research, and a better quality of life for patients and their families. It encourages athletes and everyone of child-bearing age to be tested for sickle cell. Testing is available at the foundation by appointment and throughout the state aboard its mobile laboratory. Visit www. sicklecellga.org or call 404-755-1641.

Legal Notices 12/26, 01/02, 01/09, 01/16

Notice OF PUBLICATION in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++15CV12097-3++ Venet E. Charles Plaintiff Vs. Hamlet Charles Defendant To:Hamlet Charles 5212 Grass Wood Trace Stone Mountain, GA30088 By Order of the Court for service by publication dated Dec. 08, 2015 you are hereby notified that on Dec. 04, 2015, the above-named Plaintiff filed

suit against you for Divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of the Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Venet E. Charles, 1043 Holcombe Rd., Apt.G, Decatur, GA30032. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Dec. 08, 2015. Witness the Honorable Clarence F. Seeliger, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 09th day of Dec., 2015 12/26, 01/02, 01/09, 01/16

Notice OF PUBLICATION in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++15CV12188-7++

Tiffany Laraina Lane Plaintiff Vs. Patrick Bass Defendant To: By Order of the Court for service by publication dated Dec. 10, 2015 you are hereby notified that on Dec. 08, 2015, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for Divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of the Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Tiffany Laraina Lane, 2396 Tiffany Place, Decatur, GA30035. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Dec. 10, 2015. Witness the Honorable Daniel M. Coursey, Jr., Judge of the DeKalb

providing hope for a treatment for traumatic brain injury.” The trial seeks to prove the benefit of induced hypothermia. Cold, iced saline will be administered to randomly selected patients during surgical evaluation and continued for a minimum of 48 hours and up to five days. The patients will be followed for six months to track outcomes. Due to the emergency nature of traumatic brain injury and urgency to get these patients into the operating room, doctors will use Exception From Informed Consent to avoid delay of treatment. When appropriate, the patient or legally authorized representative will be given full written and verbal consent to continue participation in the study.

Ahmad said that Grady, one of the nation’s busiest trauma centers, is an ideal location for the study. Grady is among the Southeast’s premier Level I trauma centers. Emory at Grady is one of the five centers in the country participating in the HOPES Trial. Traumatic brain injury resulting in subdural hematoma occurs in more than 40,000 Americans each year, with up to 70 percent of the injuries resulting in death or severe disability. The trial is funded through the Vivian L. Smith Foundation for Neurologic Research at the University of Texas at Houston. For more information, visit www.emory. edu.

Seed swap features garden blogger Author, garden blogger and heirloom plant expert Ira Wallace will speak at the fourth annual Seed and Scion Swap on Jan. 23 at the Decatur Library. The program, part of the Living the Green Life series, begins at 10:30 a.m. Gardeners of all experience levels are invited to share seeds Ira Wallace and scions – cuttings from fruit trees – with experts, members and friends of the Wylde Center, Park Pride and Slow Food

Atlanta. Wallace, author of “The Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening in the Southeast,” is a Central Virginia Master Gardener and a worker/owner of the cooperatively managed Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. She blogs at www.Motherearthnews.com and www.southernexposure.com. After Wallace’s presentation, attendees may swap seeds and talk to gardening experts at the Decatur Recreation Center, next door to the library, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. The library is at 215 Sycamore St. in downtown Decatur. Visit www.dekalblibrary. org or call 404-370-3070.

hereby notified that on Dec. 16, 2015, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for Divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of the Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Makini Johnsonm, 1927 Singer Way, Lithonia, GA30058.Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Dec. 16, 2015. Witness the Honorable Daniel M. Coursey, Jr., Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 17th day of Dec., 2015 Superior Court. This the 10th day of Dec., 2015 12/26, 01/02, 01/09, 01/16

Notice OF PUBLICATION in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++15CV12411-7++ Makini Johnson Plaintiff Vs. Nathaniel L. Wingo Defendant To:Nathaniel L. Wingo 707 W. Galena, Apt. 434 Milwaukee, WI53205 By Order of the Court for service by publication dated Dec. 16, 2015 you are

Your Source for Neighborhood News

12/26, 01/02, 01/09, 01/16

Notice OF PUBLICATION in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++15CV12178-9++ Glory Coley Plaintiff Vs. Aaron Coley Defendant To:Aaron Coley 128 H Grier Dr. McDonough, GA By Order of the Court for service by publication dated Dec. 10, 2015 you are hereby notified that on Dec. 07, 2015, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against

you for Divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of the Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Glory Coley, 4377 Lincolndale Dr., Ellenwood, GA30294.Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Dec. 10, 2015. Witness the Honorable Clarence F. Seeliger, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 10th day of Dec., 2015 12/26, 01/02, 01/09, 01/16

Notice of Petition to Change Name of ADULT in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: ++ 15CV12454-7++ Mercedes Guzman Garcia filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on Dec. 15, 2015 to change name from: Mercedes Guzman Garcia to Mercedes Guzman. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed. Dated: Dec. 11, 2015 Name:Mercedes Guzman Garcia 649 Heathmoor Pl. Decatur, GA30032 404-907-5338

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CrossRoadsNews

January 16, 2016

People

“We really appreciate these individuals and hope to honor more before the season is over.”

Southwest DeKalb Lady Panthers recognize seven volunteers Seven volunteers who give of their time at Southwest DeKalb High School were recognized by the school’s Lady Panthers during the halftime of their varsity basketball game on Jan. 5 against Dunwoody High. Toni Allen, Margaret Lewis, Rick Morrow, Willie Pringle, Greg White, Keith White, and Rossie Williams were honored for volunteering their time, talent, funds and support long after their children have graduated from Southwest DeKalb. The three women serve as ticket takers, kept scoring and stats, and help with concessions. The four men, members of the FBI – Fathers Being Involved, an advocacy group founded by Greg White in 2011, accompanied the team on local and out-of-town trips and provided public address announcing, videotaping of all games, and security of the team and coaching staff. When the Lady Panthers traveled to Arizona and Alabama during the Christmas break, several of the volunteers showed their support by keeping books, filming games, and being in the crowd for the team. Coach Kathleen Richey-Walton called the acknowledgments “our first edition.” “We really appreciate these individuals and hope to honor more before Volunteers Toni Allen, Margaret Lewis, Rick Morrow, Willie Pringle, Greg White, Keith White and Rossie Williams were the season is over,” Richey-Walton said. honored by the Southwest DeKalb High Lady Panthers on Jan. 5.

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PUBLIC NOTICE Notifying the public of and requesting comment on proposed revisions to the GRTA Title VI Program.

The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority In compliance with requirements and guidelines outlined in Federal Transit Administration Circular C 4702.1B, the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) will revise its Title VI Program, including revisions of the service standards, disparate impact policy, and public participation program policy for the Xpress regional commuter service. Comment is requested on the GRTA Title VI program proposed revisions. The formal public comment period begins on January 25, 2016 and concludes on February 25, 2016. Copies of the proposed revisions will be available by January 25, 2016, on the GRTA website at www.GRTA.org, the Xpress website at www.XpressGA.com, or by contacting GRTA at the electronic or physical address below. Additionally, a public comment meeting will be held from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM, Thursday, February 11, 2016 at the GRTA Headquarters, 245 Peachtree Center Ave. NE, Suite 400, Atlanta, GA 30303. Comments on and requests for copies of the proposed revisions may be submitted: By email:

customerservice@xpressga.com

In writing:

Xpress Title VI Program GRTA 245 Peachtree Center Avenue, NE Suite 400 Atlanta, GA 30303

By telephone: In person:

Xpress customer service at 404-463-4782 During the public hearing scheduled for Thursday, February 11

Persons wishing to comment orally may also email customerservice@xpressga.com to schedule a call back from GRTA staff so they may submit their comments. Please contact Xpress customer service at 404-463-4782 by February 4, 2016, with any request by a person with disabilities or other special needs who requires special assistance in order to participate in the public meeting, if information is needed in another language, or if interpretation is required at the public meeting.

CrossRoadsNews

January 16, 2016

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January 16, 2016

Section B

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Enduring legacy: King’s ideals celebrated worldwide On Aug. 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech before 200,000 people on the mall in Washington D.C.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose life and legacy we celebrate on Jan. 18, is the most widely known leader of his era. He is definitely the most widely known African-American leader of the 1960s U.S. civil rights movement. His life, work and the ideals he espoused have been celebrated annually on the third Monday in January since 1986 when the first federal holiday honoring him went into effect. Locally, nationally and internationally, schools and public buildings also are named after him. In 2010, a King Memorial was erected on Independence Mall in Washington, and there are statues in his honor all over the world. King’s legacy is enduring because he believed in equality and fairness and because he inspires us all to live a life of service.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A Timeline of His Life

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested in September 1958 in Montgomery, Ala., for “loitering.” In April 1963, he wrote “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” where he spent 11 days.

on Dec. 1 for refusing to give up her seat to a white man.

1956 1929 After 382 days of walking to work, haMartin Luther King Jr. is born on Auburn rassment, violence and intimidation for the Avenue on Jan. 15. Montgomery African-American community, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Nov. 13 1944 that bus segregation was illegal – a victory King skipped both the ninth and 11th for the boycott. grades at Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta to enter Morehouse College as an 1957 early-admission student at age 15. In January, King, Ralph David Abernathy and 60 other ministers co-founded the 1948 Southern Christian Leadership Conference He became a minister in his father’s to fight segregation and achieve civil rights church, Ebenezer Baptist Church, on Feb. for black Americans. 25. In June at age 19, he received a B.A. in 1958 Sociology from Morehouse College. In February, the SCLC sponsored more than 20 mass meetings in key Southern cities 1953 to register black voters. King met with reliKing married Coretta Scott, a budding gious and civil rights leaders and lectured all singer and musician he met while he was a over the country on race-related issues. graduate student at Boston University. n “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” King’s first book, was published 1954 on Sept. 17. He became minister of Dexter Avenue It tells the story of the 1955-56 MontBaptist Church in Montgomery, Ala., on gomery Bus Boycott. King describes it as Oct. 13. “the chronicle of 50,000 Negroes who took to heart the principles of nonviolence, who 1955 learned to fight for their rights with the On June 5, at the age of 26, King received weapon of love, and who in the process, achis Ph.D. from Boston University. quired a new estimate of their own human He became the leader of the Montgomery worth.” Bus Boycott after Rosa Parks was arrested n King was almost killed when Izola Ware

The law authorized the federal government to enforce desegregation of public accommodations and outlaw discrimination in publicly owned facilities. n Oct. 14, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolence.

1965

n March 7, which came to be known as

Bloody Sunday, took place when police beat and threw tear gas at peaceful protesters trying to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma on their way to Montgomery to press for voting rights. The violence against the marchers was televised nationally. n March 9, King attempted to lead 2,500 protesters on the 50-mile march from Selma to Montgomery, but instead knelt, prayed and turned back. The march finally took place on March Curry stabbed him with a letter opener in 12. About 3,200 marchers walked 12 miles Harlem, N.Y., while he was on a book tour. a day and slept in fields. By the time they reached the Capitol on March 25, they were 1959 King visited India, home of Mahatma 25,000-strong. Gandhi, architect of India’s nonviolent resis1966 tance and civil disobedience movement, in On July 10, King began a campaign to end February. The five-week trip that began Feb. 3 affected him in a deeply profound way and discrimination in housing, employment and increased his commitment to America’s civil schools in Chicago. rights struggle. 1967 King marched in support of sanitation 1960 King becomes co-pastor of the Ebenezer workers who were on strike in Memphis, Baptist Church with his father, Martin Luther Tenn. King Sr. 1968 April 4, King was assassinated on the 1963 n In the spring, King organized a demon- balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. stration in downtown Birmingham, Ala., He was in Memphis to support the striking attended by families. The police turned dogs sanitation workers. King was 39 years old. and fire hoses on the demonstrators. 1984 King and Abernathy were arrested on Morehouse College unveils a King statue Good Friday, April 12, by Birmingham Police Commissioner Eugene “Bull” Connor for on the college’s King Chapel plaza. demonstrating without a permit. He spent 1983 11 days in jail during which time he wrote President Ronald Reagan signed the “Letter From a Birmingham Jail.” n At the March on Washington on Aug. national Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday 28, more than 200,000 people heard King’s into law. It is observed on the third Monday in famous “I Have a Dream” speech. January beginning in 1986. 1964 2000 n The Civil Rights Act of 1964 that outlawed The first year that the King holiday was discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin was enacted on July 2. observed in all 50 states.

CrossRoadsNews

King Holiday

January 16, 2016

“We’ll go through the sculptors list and narrow it down to four or five candidates for interviews.”

New sculptor for King statute expected by April 2346 Candler Road Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007

www.CrossRoadsNews.com editor@CrossRoadsNews.com

The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Special Section is a publication of CrossRoadsNews, Atlanta’s award-winning weekly newspaper. Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker Graphics Editor Curtis Parker Reporter Jennifer Ffrench Parker Copy Editor Brenda Yarbrough CrossRoadsNews is published every Saturday by CrossRoadsNews, Inc. We welcome articles on neighborhood issues and news of local happenings. The opinions expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, nor those of any advertisers. The concept, design and content of CrossRoadsNews are copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without . the written permission of the publisher © 2016 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

By Ken Watts

The statue of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. slated for the Georgia State Capitol is now more than a year away as the state searches for a new sculptor. State Rep. Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus), who is working with the Georgia Capitol Arts Standards Commission, the Martin Luther King Jr. Advisory Commission, and the King Estate, said Calvin Smyre they are vetting a list of 22 sculptors from across Georgia and the country and they hope to select one by April. “We’ll go through the sculptors list and narrow it down to four or five candidates for interviews that we’ll do within the next month,” Smyre said on Jan. 11. Sculptor Andy Davis, 53, who was picked 12 days before his death to create the King statue, was killed in an accident near his home in Henry County on July 11, 2015. The 8-foot bronze statue will stand on the northeast corner of the Capitol, a short distance from Auburn Avenue, site of King’s birth home, where he grew up; Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he was co-pastor with his father; the headquarters of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which he co-founded; and home to the King Center, established by his widow, the late Coretta Scott King, to carry on the work he started. Smyre said it will likely sit on a pedestal inscribed with quotes from King speeches and sermons on all four sides. House Bill 1080, or the King Monument Bill, which authorized the long-anticipated memorial to the late civil rights leader and Georgia native son, was signed into law on

State and King Estate officials are vetting a list of 22 sculptors to create a statue of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the Georgia State Capitol after the death of sculptor Andy Davis.

April 29, 2014, by Gov. Nathan Deal. Smyre, who has served in the Georgia House for 42 years, said that this time around, the sculptor search process is a bit more complicated. “Someone recommended Andy and we eventually chose him on the strength of his work, especially the sculpture of [music legend] Ray Charles in Albany, Ga.,” Smyre said. Davis also was willing to do the King project at cost, and Smyre said he left behind a prototype sculpted image of King that the civil rights leader’s family likes.

Smyre said it’s not clear whether the new sculptor will start from scratch or build on Davis’ work. “Lot of sculptors have pride of authorship so that’s hopefully something that we can work through,” he said. Once the sculptor is identified, Smyre said it will be a six- to eight-month process to have the statue completed. “Ideally we would love to unveil the work at a major event like the King Advisory Commission’s annual MLK tribute to be hosted by Gov. Nathan Deal at the Capitol during King Week 2017,” he said.

“ .

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.

INTELLIGENCE PLUS CHARACTER

”

- that is the goal of true education. ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Equal Opportunity Institution

www.gptc.edu 404-297-9522

CrossRoadsNews

January 16, 2016

King Holiday

The ecumenical service, hallmark of the King Holiday Observance, engages members of various religious traditions and governments.

Stellar line up for King Day Eecumenical Service at Ebenezer The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, president of the North Carolina NAACP, will give the keynote address at the 31st annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Service on Jan. 18 at Ebenezer Baptist Church. The ecumenical service, which is the hallmark of the King Holiday Observance, engages William Barber II members of various religious traditions and local, state, national and international governments. It begins at 10 a.m. in the Horizon Sanctuary on historic Auburn Avenue. It is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Ambassador Jeffrey D eL aurent is, charge d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, will attend, and there will be performances by gospel recording artist Anthony Jeffrey DeLaurentis Brown and “America’s Got Talent” contestant Heavenly Joy-Jerkins. Barber, pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, N.C., is convener

Heavenly Joy-Jerkins (left) and gospel recording artist Anthony Brown will perform at the King Commemorative Service on Jan. 18 at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

of the Historic Thousands on Jones Street Peoples Assembly Coalition, a broad alliance of more than 140 progressive organizations with more than two million members who champion a 14-point anti-racism, antipoverty, anti-war agenda. He and the coalition aided in the passage of North Carolina’s Racial Justice Act of 2009, which allowed death row inmates to appeal

their sentences on the grounds of racial bias in the court system. The coalition also successfully advocated for voting reforms such as same-day registration and early voting and reframed marriage equality as a civil rights issue and helped mobilize black churches to support a ballot initiative in 2012. He has mobilized the Forward Together Moral Monday Movement, a multiracial,

multigenerational movement of thousands for protests at the N.C. General Assembly and around the state. Gov. Beverly Purdue presented Barber with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina’s highest citizenship award. Ebenezer Baptist Church is at 407 Auburn Ave. N.E. in Atlanta. Visit www.thekingcenter.org or call 404-526-8968.

Paraders marching to remember King Hundreds of indiviudals and groups will march in parades in Decatur and Atlanta on the Jan. 18 National King Holiday remembering and commemorating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In Decatur, the DeKalb NAACP’s 14th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Rally kicks off at 11 a.m. at Green Pastures Christian Ministries, 5455 Flat Shoals Parkway in Decatur. Marchers will make a right on MLK Jr. Parkway/Highway 155 and parade to MLK Jr. High in Lithonia. Grand marshall for this year’s parade is lifelong NAACP member and former DeKalb School Board member Sarah Copelin-Wood, who coordinated the parade and rally for years. Marchers will report at the church S. Copelin-Wood at 9:30 a.m. To register for the march, visit http:// youcondev.com/MLKRegistrations.aspx or call 404-241-8006.

Downtown Atlanta parade Atlanta’s annual King Week Holiday March & Rally gets under way at 2 p.m. on Jan. 18. Marchers will assemble at 1:15 p.m. at Peachtree Street and Baker (Xernona Clayton Way) Street. This year’s march will focus on education, technology, medical, investment, transportation, housing environmental justice, job creation, conflict resolution, interfaith, cultural exchange, peace, justice, and voter registration. For more information and to register, visit www.mlkmarchcommittee.com.

Georgia Power employees

Georgia Power is proud to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day – a nationwide celebration of service to mankind and community – by encouraging its employees and customers to use their time off to serve others.

Free admission to parks, museums

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, let us all come together to spend a “day on“ by extending a helping hand to help those who need it most.

National parks, including the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, are offering free admission in honor of King Day on Jan. 18. Admission also is free at the Atlanta History Center, Centennial Olympic Games Museum and the Margaret Mitchell House, where the epic “Gone With the Wind” novel was written. For more information, visit www. events12.com/atlanta/january.

CELEBRATING A DAY ON AND NOT A DAY OFF

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King Holiday

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January 16, 2016

“Our nation has dynamic and creative philanthropic projects – those being honored are a powerful example.”

Coretta Scott King, shown with husband Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., established and awarded the King Center’s Salute to Greatness Award in 1983 to honor her husband’s legacy.

Salute to Greatness Gala honors King-like qualities Farmer and philanthropist Howard G. Buffett and TIAACREF will be honored at the King Center’s Salute to Greatness Awards Gala on Jan. 16 at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta. My Brother’s Keeper Task Force, a signature White House initiative of President Barack Roger Ferguson Edith Jennings Broderick Johnson Maya Penn Obama, will be given a special Howard Buffett award. The annual gala, which begins at 7 p.m., is the center’s Buffett is being recognized for his work to improve the primary fundraising initiative, and the award recognizes standard of living and quality of life for the world’s most national and/or international individuals and corporations impoverished and marginalized populations. that exemplify excellence in their leadership and have demTIAA-CREF is being honored for its philanthropic efonstrated a commitment to social responsibility in the spirit forts, dedication to diversity in the workplace, and commitof Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ment to education, including service its employees provide Dr. Bernice A. King, King Center CEO, said the center is through the Employee Giving Campaign. Roger W. Ferguson honored to spotlight such individuals and corporations. Jr., president and CEO, will accept the award. “Our nation has dynamic and creative philanthropic The Coretta Scott King A.N.G.E.L. – Advancing Nonprojects – those being honored are a powerful example of violence Through Generations of Exceptional Leadership how focusing humanitarian efforts, in a single geographic – Award also will be presented. It recognizes a youth or location, helps to transform lives,” she said. young adult ages 12-25 and a youth organization/initiative The Salute to Greatness Award was established and that exemplifies exceptional leadership in the areas of peace, awarded for the first time in 1983 by Coretta Scott King. social justice and nonviolent social change.

Youth honoree is fashion designer and cartoonist Maya Penn, founder of Maya’s Ideas, for her commitment to education, bridging the digital divide, focus on environmental preservation, and concern for humanity. The youth organization honoree is Sojourn to the Past, established by Jeff Steinberg. It was selected because of its Jeff Steinberg commitment to educating and empowering young people to gain a greater understanding and knowledge of the impact and importance of the civil rights movement in this country. The Christine King Farris Legacy of Service Award, which recognizes individuals who have a lifelong history of service and exemplify the values based on the leadership philosophy of King and his methods of nonviolence, will be given to civil rights pioneer Edith Savage Jennings. My Brother’s Keeper Task Force is being honored for its commitment to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color. Broderick Johnson, task force chair and assistant to the president, will accept the award. The hotel is at 265 Peachtree St. N.E. For tickets and more information, visit www.thekingcenter.org or call 404-5268968 or 404-526-8911.

Morehouse most famous graduate celebrated with talk, rally and more Morehouse College is celebrating its most famous graduate, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with a march, conversations, discussions, an open house and the screening of a powerful documentary on the civil rights movement. The college, which welcomed the precocious 15-year-old King as an early-admission student in September 1944, kicks off its commemoration of his 87th birthday with a Communitywide Interfaith Harmony March and Rally on Jan. 17. King, a sociology major, graduated from Morehouse in 1948. His father, grandfather, brother and his two sons are all Morehouse men. The “Embracing the Beloved World Community” march kicks off at 2 p.m. from Sisters Chapel at Spelman College and will terminate at the King statue on the plaza at Morehouse. On the Jan. 18 King Day, Morehouse students will participate in service projects as part of the federal holiday’s Day of Service.

L e w i s , t he 5th District representative who worked with King in the 1960s civil rights movement, will offer insights on civil and human rights Delman Coates John Lewis Otis Moss Jr. Otis Moss III and reflect on the Projects begin at 8 a.m. and are sponsored by 1960s and today’s challenges. On Jan. 22, students will have a “Public the Bonner Office of Community Service. On Jan. 21, the Rev. Dr. Delman Coates, Conversation With the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss a Morehouse ’95 graduate, will speak on Jr. ’56 and the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III ’92” at “The Black Church and LGBTQ Rights: A 4 p.m. in the Bank of America Auditorium, Quest for the Beloved World Community” Massey Center. The topic is “Generation to at the Martin Luther King Jr. Crown Forum. Generation: Who’s Got Next?” Moss Jr., who was co-pastor of Ebenezer It starts at 11 a.m. at the Bank of America Auditorium, Shirley A. Massey Executive Baptist with the Rev. Martin Luther King Sr., is pastor emeritus at Olivet Institutional Conference Center. Later that day at 6 p.m., students will Baptist in Cleveland. His son, Moss III, is spend “An Evening With Rep. John Lewis” in senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center.

On Jan. 26, the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection is hosting an Open House at 3 p.m. at the Archives Research Center, Atlanta University Center, Robert W. Woodruff Library. Participants can join Dr. Vicki L. Crawford, director of the Morehouse King Collection, and the library archival staff for an overview of the collection and viewing of selected documents. On Jan. 27, the documentary “Soundtrack for a Revolution” that tells the story of the U.S. civil rights movement will be screened at 6 p.m. in Dansby Hall, Room 200. The 2009 film uses the freedom songs of protesters on picket lines, in mass meetings, and in jail cells as they fought for justice and equality. The 2016 commemoration culminates on Jan. 29 with the King Legacy Scholarship Fundraiser at 6 p.m. in the Massey Center. For tickets and more information, contact kevin.booker@morehouse.edu or 404-6537893.

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King Holiday

CrossRoadsNews

January 16, 2016

At Lou Walker Senior Center, Kaiser Permanente workers will provide basic housekeeping services, paint, and host a mini health fair.

Volunteers embrace King’s message of service On Feb. 4, 1968, two months to the day before he was killed on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn., on April 4, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told a packed Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta how he wanted to be remembered when he died. “I’d like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody,” he said. “I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. “I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison. “I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.” When his widow, Coretta Scott King, succeeded in her quest for a national King holiday to remember her husband, she declared the third Monday of January “A Day of Service.” And every year since then, volunteers in thousands of communities locally, nationally and worldwide honor King’s memory by helping others. The 2016 King holiday on Jan. 18 is no different. Individuals, families and corporate employees will fan out across DeKalb, metro Atlanta, the nation and the world to make a difference in their neighborhoods. Volunteers will paint, spray wash, repair, rake and trim the grounds and buildings of nonprofits, the disadvantaged and other sites; collect and repackage rice for refugees; facilitate discussions about tolerance; and participate in other service projects. At the Lou Walker Senior Center in Lithonia, more than 100 Kaiser Permanente employees and clinicians will provide basic housekeeping services, paint and host a mini health fair for adults 55 and older from 8 a.m. to noon. The health fair, offering adult medicine, geriatrics, nutrition, and pharmacy, begins at 9:30 a.m. Bettye Davis, the senior center’s director, said the Kaiser Permanente Day of Service Project at the center will include pressure washing the front of the building that opened Jan. 6, 2006; sprucing up the center’s aquatic area and locker and exercise rooms; and deep cleaning the gym floors with environmentally friend products. “This facility is 10 years old,” Davis said. “We are so excited about the resources they are bringing here. They are going to replace

‘Say that I tried to love

Students from Georgia Perimeter College clean the summit of Arabia Mountain in 2015 to protect solution pits in the granite surface that are the habitat for endangered species.

Panola Mountain State Park cleanup project Volunteers can help clean up at Panola Mountain State Park on Jan. 18 as part of the park’s National Day of Service dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The project takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers must come prepared to

some of the old floor moldings and ceiling tiles, and they are going to remove dirt and grime that have built up over the last decade.” For the health fair, Davis said seniors should bring all their medicine to discuss drug reaction. There also will be screenings for diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol. Seniors don’t have be Lou Walker members to participate. For more information, contact Davis at 770-322-2900.

First Afrikan Church projects First Afrikan Presbyterian Church’s Creation Care and Property Commission will be hosting a “Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Day” project with Hands On Atlanta from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers will beautify the church’s Vanessa G. Knight building and work in the First Afrikan Community Garden. The church is at 5197 Salem Road in Lithonia. For more information, call Elder Lucius Gundy at 404-735-7626.

work and bring water, sturdy shoes, and work gloves. Pre-registration is required – call the Nature Center at 770-389-7801. The park is at 2620 Highway 155 S.W. in Stockbridge. For more information, visit http://gastateparks.org/PanolaMountain.

Hands On Atlanta opportunities The nonprofit Hands On Atlanta, which coordinates volunteer opportunities across metro Atlanta, has a host of opportunities at local elementary schools, Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power & Potential, Habitat for Humanity, Trees Atlanta, and Keep North Fulton Beautiful. MLK Day of Service volunteer opportunities are available at www.handsonatlanta. org. They include: Helping seniors in Decatur More than 1,000 volunteers will work at senior citizens’ homes in the Oakhurst community making greatly needed repairs and doing yardwork that elderly homeowners have been unable to do or afford. The 14th Annual King Day Service Project is sponsored by the city of Decatur in partnership with the Decatur Preservation Alliance. Shifts are available from Saturday, Jan. 16,

Teams of volunteers picked up trash and debris in downtown Lithonia for a 2015 King Day of Service cleanup project in collaboration with Keep DeKalb Beautiful.

“If any of you are around when I have t want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the e talk too long. And every now and then I wonder what them not to mention that I have a Nobel P important. Tell them not to mention that I have thre awards – that’s not important. Tell them n went to school. I’d like somebody to mention that day th life serving others. I’d like for somebody to say that day that body. I want you to say that day that I tried to I want you to be able to say that day tha And I want you to be able to say that day were naked. I want you to say on that day that I di prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Feb. 4 through Monday, Jan. 18. Volunteers meet at the Solarium at the Community Center of South Decatur. The project takes place 1 to 5 p.m. on Jan. 16 and Jan. 17 and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. on Jan 18. Highly skilled amateurs and tradespeople, especially roofers, plumbers, electricians and carpenters, are crucial to this effort. Help with logistics, gardening, landscaping, and the food committee also is needed, To sign up for a shift, visit www.mlkserviceproject.com/volunteers or contact Lee Ann Harvey at leeann.harvey@decaturga.com or 678-553-6548. Unskilled volunteers and anyone over the age of 12, including supervised Boy Scout or Girl Scout troops, are also welcome. Volunteers younger than 18 must have a parent or guardian sign a release form and bring it with them to the project. Volunteers are encouraged to bring tools like hammers, saws and drills, rakes, clippers, loppers and other yardwork implements and to mark them for identification purposes. To make this project more environmentally friendly, volunteers also are asked to bring a reusable water bottle. After the work, a celebration cookout for volunteers takes place on Jan. 18 at 5 p.m. at the Solarium. The food committee is seeking donations of sandwiches and homemade desserts to feed the hundreds of hungry volunteers. For more information, visit www.mlkserviceproject.com/volunteers/#sthash.5D1jwtpc. dpuf.

Readers needed for elementary school Twenty-seven volunteers, who are at least 18, can read to kindergarten through second-grade students at Whitefoord Elementary School on Jan. 26. The Project Open Dialogue MLK Reading Day

Georgia Perimeter College student Gayle Sutton assists with a bingo game at the Mountain View Personal Care Home in Decatur in 2015.

January 16, 2016

King Holiday

CrossRoadsNews

The Human Rights Campaign and Lost-n-Found Youth are collecting clothing, toiletries and gift cards for metro homeless youth.

e by helping others around their communities Rice for Refugees Project Youth and adults are gathering on Jan. 18 at Rock of Ages in Stone Mountain to work on Lutheran Day of Service projects, Rice for Refugees and Teaching Summit on Immigration and Tolerance, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants are asked to collect and bring bags of rice that will be repackaged into family-sized bags for distribution to newly arrived families being resettled by Lutheran Services of Georgia. Bring a box of quart-size zip-lock bags for each five pounds of rice collected. The teaching summit is designed to open up dialogue and build understanding about Islam in local churches and the community. The church is at 5135 Memorial Drive. To sign up and for more information, visit http://www.allforgood.org/volunteer/opportunity/13255.

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Indian Creek Elementary in Clarkston was spruced up by members of Jack and Jill of AmericaStone Mountain who painted the halls for King Day 2015.

Project Open Dialogue is Hands On Atlanta’s newest initiative that is training id try in my life to visit those who were in volunteers to engage children in ways that build a vocabulary of expression through d serve humanity.” reading, thoughtful conversation and active listening. 4, 1968, Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta The school is at 35 Whitefoord Ave. S.E. in Atlanta. Registration is required at www. takes place from 8 to 10:30 a.m. handsonatlanta.org/HOC__Volunteer_OpIt is one of several Ready Days being held in portunity_Details_Page?id=a0C1200000nI January and February in honor of Martin Luther w9xEAC&wrs=HOC0008-002-d91d8c02King Jr. Day and Black History Month. aba8-4fa0-90d2-d2bd20102325.

Cleanup at Leila Mason Park in Shermantown Volunteers clear away brush from historic Shermantown Cemetery as part of a Day of Service for King Day on Jan. 19, 2015.

Leila Mason Park in the historic AfricanAmerican Shermantown neighborhood in the Village of Stone Mountain will get a cleanup on the Jan. 18 King holiday. The three-hour King Day community service project begins at 8:30 a.m. Volunteers will clean, paint and spruce up the park’s baseball field, basketball court, playground equipment and three pavilions with picnic tables. Wear work clothes and bring work gloves, paintbrushes and rollers.

If the weather is below 45 degrees, volunteers will go to Plan B – picking up trash throughout Shermantown. The park is at 5510 Stillhouse Road near Shermantown Cemetery. To volunteer, visit http://www.allforgood. org/volunteer/opportunity/13319. For more information, visit www.stonemountaincity.org or contact Steve Wells at stonemountainwells@gmail.com or 803447-1632.

Clarkston Community Center The nonprofit Clarkston Community Center needs up to 50 volunteers to help clean up the community center’s activity field, organic garden, and art supply room. Its King Day service project, which takes place 9 a.m. to noon on Jan. 18, will help the immigrants, refugees, ethnic groups and other residents served by the center at 701 College Ave. in Clarkston. Volunteers must be at least 13 with adult supervision. Sign up at www.handsonatlanta.org/ HOC__Volunteer_Opportunity_Search_Pa ge?dstnc=0&k=mlk+day&p=Se&z=30034. For more information, visit www.clarkstoncommunitycenter.org or call 404-5081050.

Collection drive for homeless youth Residents can donate clothing, toiletries and gift cards for metro homeless youth during the Human Rights Campaign and Lost-nFound Youth’s King Day service project. The nonprofit groups are targeting LGBT youth who they say make up 40 percent of homeless and at-risk youth. Items to donate can be purchased through a Wish List at http://www.hrc.org/ events/mlk-day-of-service-in-atlanta. To organize a donation drive at work, school, or place of worship, contact HRC Atlanta MLK Day of Service project manager Melinda Greene at MelindaHRC@gmail. com. Donated items labeled “MLK DOS” also can be dropped off Monday-Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Lost-n-Found Youth, 2585 Chantilly Drive. N.E. in Atlanta. For more information, visit hrc.org/mlkdayofservice.

Tree plantings for King’s first resting place Tree lovers can plant trees on Jan. 18 in South-View Cemetery in Atlanta where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was first buried. The South-View project is one of several Trees Atlanta Day of Service projects that include tree plantings at the Atlanta Center for Medical Research and Adair Park. King was buried at South-View in 1968. His body was relocated in 1977 to the King Center on Auburn Avenue. His parents, Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta King, are buried at South-View Cemetery, 1990 Jonesboro Road S.E. For more information, visit https:// treesatlanta.org/event/martin-lutherking-jr-day-2.

Celebrating the Dreamer! We must face our challenges today with the same strength, persistence, and resolve as Dr. King, guided by the enduring values of hope & justice embodied by our civil rights leaders – like C.T. Vivian, Dr. Joseph Lowery, Andy Young, and my friend & colleague Congressman John Lewis. Congressman Henry “Hank” Johnson 4th Congressional District Paid for by the Committee to Re-elect Henry “Hank” Johnson

King Holiday

CrossRoadsNews

January 16, 2016

The award is named for King’s “Drum Major Instinct” speech delivered at Ebenezer Baptist two months before his assassination.

Gregory and Betty Levett to get 2016 Drum Major Award Funeral home businessman Gregory B. Levett and his wife, Betty, are getting the 2016 Drum Major Award on Jan. 18 at New Bethel AME Church’s 15th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major Award Celebration. The Levetts are owners of Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory, which operates four facilities in Decatur, Scottdale, Lawrenceville and Buford. They opened their first funeral home in 1980 in Scottdale. Levett’s father started the family business in Conyers in 1950. The ceremony, whose theme is “Standing for Righteousness,” is held in honor of the late civil rights leader. It starts at 2 p.m. The church, lead by Pastor Richard Allen Washington Sr., also is honoring Dr. Jerry and the Rev. Adella Brewster with its Gregory B. Levett, and his wife, Betty, will Pillar of Strength Award for their decades receive the 2016 Drum Major Award on Jan. of service. 18 at New Bethel AME Church in Lithonia.

Church member Carol McNeil will receive the Women of Courage Award for her years of service with the church’s Sankofa Ministry. State Rep. Karen Bennett is getting the Community Service Award. Lithonia civil rights attorney Gary Parker, a former state senator and death penalty opponent, will deliver the keynote address. The award, named for King’s “Drum Major Instinct” speech delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church on Feb. 4, 1968, two months before his assassination on April 4, 1968, acknowledges the work and life of King and recognizes the unsung foot soldiers who continue to carry the torch and fulfill the dream. In the speech, King encouraged his congregation to seek greatness, but to do so through service and love. He concluded

the sermon by imagining his own funeral, downplaying his accomplishments and emphasizing that he had lived in his life in service to others. “If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice,” King told the congregation. “Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter,” he said. The celebration is sponsored annually by the New Bethel AME Church Lay Organization, led by President Judy Fultz. The church’s MLK Committee is chaired by Zelma Pressley. The celebration, held on the national King holiday, is free to attend. New Bethel is at 8350 Rockbridge Road in Lithonia. For more information, visit www. cbtwatl.org or call 770-484-3350.

Teen artists explore civil rights challenges in King Day production Teen artists in the Alliance Theatre’s Palefsky Collision Project will explore the issues and ideas that challenge their generation at performances beginning on Jan. 17. They revisit the 2015 production “Troubling Our House: In Search of the Beautiful Stranger,” explore themes found in the classic play “Inherit the Wind,” and examine current civil rights issues in the United States. The student artists collaborated with playwright Pearl Cleage and director Patrick McColery to re-imagine the original script through the lens of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of hope and peace amid civil unrest. The performances take place: n Jan. 17 – Rich Auditorium at the Woodruff Arts Center as part of the free Woodruff Family Fun Day. It begins at 2:30 p.m. R.S.V.P. is required. For free tickets, visit at http://www.alliancetheatre.org/content/current-

project. n Jan. 18 – A special performance at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, 11 a.m. (requires admission to the museum). n Jan. 18 – Rich Auditorium, 2:30 p.m. Additional events: n Jan. 18 – ArtsVibe Teen MLK Day Poetry Slam, 3:30to-6 p.m. in Rich Auditorium. Free to attend. For more information, visit www.artsvibe.com. n Through Feb. 5 – ArtsVibe Teen Voices for Social Justice Exhibit. A photography and works on paper exhibition surrounding themes on social justice and civil and human rights at 1280 Gallery, first floor of the Memorial Arts Building. For more information, visit www.artsvibe. com/teen-voices-for-social-justice-exhibition. The arts center is at 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. in Atlanta. Visit http://alliancetheatre.org or call 404-733-4601.

The Alliance Theatre’s Palefsky Collision Project will be on stage at Woodruff Arts Center and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights during the King holiday.

NEW CARD!

Effective

January 9, 2016 MARTA converts to a more secure Breeze Card and the Breeze Ticket returns.

Breeze Card Changes for Regular Fare Customers The cost of new silver Breeze Card will be $2 and will be valid for 3 years. SILVER CARDS will be available for FREE with card registration at the RideStores January 2016!*

(Mon. the 11th – Fri. the 29th, weekdays only)

*BLUE CARDS will no longer be usable after July 9th, 2017 *Breeze Tickets Return! The cost of the Breeze Ticket will be $1

Questions? Visit www.itsmarta.com or 404-848-5000. Information regarding company, school, or university issued cards will be provided at a later date by your company or school.

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January 16, 2016

CrossRoadsNews

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Comcast® celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by honoring his strength to love — even when the law was against him. On this day, we remind everyone of the power of love and serving one another.

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CrossRoadsNews

King Holiday

January 16, 2016

“We welcome the public to come out and join us for this special event honoring Lynwood and Brookhaven’s proud history.”

Georgia NAACP president to keynote Emory’s King Day fete The Rev. Dr. Francys Johnson, president of the Georgia NAACP, is the featured speaker at Emory University’s King Week celebration and community service awards program on Jan. 21. The theme of the program, which begins at 4:30 p.m., is “Refusing the New Normal: Being a Part of the Change.” This year’s honorees are the Atlanta Children’s Shelter, Books for Keeps, Covenant House Georgia, Georgia Law Center for the Homeless, the Health Initiative, Intown Collaborative Ministries, Kelly Francys Johnson On My Mind, New American Pathways, Marjy Stagmeier, Street Smart Youth Project, and Warrick Dunn Charities. The program, which takes place in the auditorium of the Claudia Nance Rollins Building in the Rollins School of Public Health, includes performances by Emory’s AHANA A Cappella – African, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American – as well as spoken word artist Paula Fontana, a career coach

Pembroke and Magnolia Missionary Baptist in Statesboro. Johnson is the convener of the Moral Monday Georgia Movement, a multiissue, multiracial, nonpartisan coalition of organizations aimed at restoring positive morality to public discourse, policy and politics. For more than 23 years, the Rollins School of Public Health and the Goizueta Business School have honored King’s legacy through the Martin Luther King Jr. Paula Fontana Community Service Awards Program. It grew out of a 1993 conversation between Dr. Joyce Essien and Ray Greenburg, then dean of the School of Emory’s AHANA A Cappella group will perform at its Jan. 21 King Week celebration and community service awards program. Public Health, and an agreement between the two to align the mission and values of Public Health with the precepts of social justice. in the Goizueta Business School at Emory. The Rollins School of Public Health is at 1518 Clifton Johnson, who was elected state president in October 2013 at age 34, is the youngest person to hold that office. He is a Road N.E. in Atlanta. For more information, visit www. civil rights attorney and pastor of Mount Moriah Baptist in emory.edu.

Lynwood Park students who integrated DeKalb Schools to be honored By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Seventeen students from the all-black Lynwood Park High and Elementary School who integrated DeKalb County Schools in 1967 will be recognized at a Jan. 18 Martin Luther King Jr. Dinner by the city of Brookhaven. The men and women – called the Lynwood Integrators – were the first black students to attend Cross Keys and Chamblee high schools, 13 years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1954 that racial segregation of public schools was illegal. Students who followed them in 1968 and 1969 before the School District closed the black school and other Lynwood Park High and Elementary School alumni also are expected to attend the dinner that is open to the community. The dinner, held on the national holiday that honors the civil rights icon, takes place at 5 p.m. at the Lynwood Community Center. This week, some of the students remembered the hostile environment they went into in 1967. Barbara Shaw, one of the 17, went to the eighth grade at Cross Keys High. She remembers being terrified every day. Lynwood Park, DeKalb’s oldest black neighborhood, is located off Peachtree Road in Brookhaven. It dates back to 1933 when the first black family moved into the Cates Estate, later renamed Lynwood Park, after Realtor Mel

“It took all of these years for someone to recognize that technically we weren’t treated right.” Barbara Shaw

Lynn. Shaw’s parents, Peter and Frankie Scott, moved to Lynwood Park in 1954 and raised 15 children there. In the late 1950s, they had eight children at Lynwood Park High and Elementary School. They lived on Osborne Road, one of 10 streets in the community. Shaw, who used to walk to the black school, had to ride a school bus to the all-white Cross Keys High that was five miles away. She said the white bus driver clearly did not want to drive them. “He drove that bus much too fast,” she recalled. Shaw remembers the threats from some of the white students, the treatment of prejudiced teachers, and the fights that broke out daily. She remembers vividly the day her father had to come and pick her up from school after a group of white male students threatened her and the other black students with violence. He ended up escorting her to school for weeks until things settled down. Now Shaw feels honored that someone is

��n� there comes a �me when we must take a posi�on that is neither sa�e, nor poli�c, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right”.

recognizing what they went through. “It took all of these years for someone to recognize that technically we weren’t treated right,” she said on Jan. 12. By the time she graduated in 1970, Shaw said things had settled down to where black students were able to play on the basketball and football teams and be part of the band, chorus and 4-H Club. “We even had cheerleaders and people on the drill team,” she said. “It wound up being an OK school.” Still after she left Cross Keys, those early memories kept her from visiting the school for any reason until just two years ago. During the Jan. 18 MLK Day Dinner, the city of Brookhaven will present a proclamation to Lynwood Integrators and it will facilitate a discussion about their experiences. Students who left the Lynwood Park schools in 1968 and 1969 for the white schools also are expected. DeKalb Schools shuttered the Lynwood Park schools in 1969. The MLK Dinner came about after Brookhaven’s District 1 Councilwoman Linley Jones, who represents the community, brought a city proclamation last December to the 99-year-old Little Vine Missionary Baptist Church for U.S. Army Gen. Richard N. Dix and discovered Lynwood Park’s rich history. The church was recognizing Dix, who grew up in Lynwood Park, for his accomplishments. Jones enlisted Shaw’s help to organize the Black History event. At Monday’s dinner,

she will present the city proclamation to the “Integrators.” “We welcome the public to come out and join us for this special event honoring Lynwood and Brookhaven’s proud history,” Jones said. The public also is asked to loan photos and memorabilia from the Lynwood schools to display at the event. For more information, call 404-637-0508. Shaw is not sure how many old classmates will make it to the recognition dinner. “Maybe 10 or more,” she said. On Tuesday, Ann Marie Quill, Brookhaven’s communication manager, sent a list of 22 Lynwood Park schools alumni who had responded so far. They are Eldredge Jackson, Steve Daniel, Deborah Field, Peter Scott, Cassandra Bryant, Alfred Juban, Margaret Sawyer, Frances White, Elizabeth Bray, Mariah Richardson, Gary McDaniel, Sam Hudson, Charlie Richardson, Terry Sawyer, Audrey Coltus, Victor Martin, Barbara Scott, Faye Ricker, Eugenia Calloway, Barbara Howard, Ann Sawyer and Marion Johnson. Shaw said alums of the Lynwood Park schools include comedian George Wallace, his nephew Steve Wallace who retired from the San Francisco 49ers, and Olympic gold medalist Mel Pender. The community center, where the dinner is being held, is the old segregated elementary and high school building. Tickets for the dinner are on sale at the center, 3360 Osborne Road. Call 404-637-0534.

Don’t let anything stand in your way

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We celebrate his memory and legacy during the 31st Anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

In the spirit of greatness, we salute those who refuse to let adversity deter them from their dreams. Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton, District 4 1300 Commerce Drive, 5th Floor, Decatur, GA 30030 (404) 371-4907 www.SharonBarnesSutton.com

2346 Candler Road • Decatur, GA 30032 • 404.284.1888 • www.crossroadsnews.com

King Holiday

Amelia Boynton Robinson

Jamal-Harrison Bryant

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January 16, 2016

The shoes used to create the footprints also will be on display during the ceremony and the unveiling.

Frederick D. Haynes III

Jim Holley

Gordon L. Joyner

Raphael Gamaliel Warnock

Six activists’ footprints to join Civil Rights Walk of Fame The footprints of a 1960s civil rights warrior, four pastors and a lawyer will be added to the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame in Atlanta on Jan. 22. The newest honorees are Dr. Amelia Boynton Robinson, Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, the Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, the Rev. Dr. Jim Holley, Gordon L. Joyner, and the Rev. Dr. Raphael Gamaliel Warnock. Their footprints will join 86 others that have been inducted since 2005. The Walk of Fame, which honors activists involved in the 1950s and 1960s civil rights movement and others involved in the struggle for civil rights, was created in 2004. It is located at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta in the historic Auburn Avenue district. The 2016 induction ceremony takes place at 10 a.m. on Jan. 22 at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 101 Jackson St. in Atlanta, during the 2016 Trumpet Awards festivities. The event is hosted by Trumpet Awards Foundation member Danny Bakewell. The International Civil Rights Walk of

Fame gives recognition to the foot soldiers of justice who sacrificed and struggled to help make equality a reality for all Americans. The shoes used to create the footprints also will be on display during the ceremony and the unveiling, which are both free and open to the public. Boynton Robinson, a Savannah native who died in August at the age of 104, was a civil rights activist from the Selma, Ala., movement. She crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in her wheelchair holding hands with President Barack Obama in April as part of the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the day Alabama state troopers beat back her and other marchers, including U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who were attempting to cross the bridge on a march for voting rights for blacks. In 1990, she was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Medal. Bryant, founder and pastor of the Empowerment Temple AME Church in Baltimore, is a philanthropist, author and motivational speaker.

Haynes, pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, is a committed community activist who formed alliances with local leaders and Dallas city officials to fight violence. Under his leadership, the church grew from 100 members in 1983 to more than 12,000 today. Holley is pastor of Historic Little Rock Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit. His “ministry of liberation” began in 1972 at the church that was founded in 1936. Holley is a sought-after pastor/businessman in Detroit and is rated among Michigan’s top five ministers by the Detroit Free Press. He is a 2010 Trumpet Award recipient. Holley is a committed Christian, eloquent preacher, scholar, and compassionate pastor and a loyal friend to those who have no voice in the affairs of the community. He said he believes “the will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.” Joyner, a lawyer and former Fulton County commissioner, served as executive director and administrator of the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity for 11 years. He

has been recognized for his leadership by two U.S. presidents, five Georgia governors, and two city of Atlanta mayors. Warnock is pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church where he is a defender of civil and human rights and has taken on the contradictions of the criminal justice system through his fierce public advocacy. The Civil Rights Walk of Fame is the brainchild of Xernona Clayton, founder and executive producer of the Trumpet Awards and a civil rights figure in her own right. It is a walkable promenade with actual footstep impressions of its honorees marked in granite and bronze. The National Park Service, which runs the historic site, said the Walk of Fame was created “to give recognition to those courageous soldiers of justice who sacrificed and struggled to make equality a reality for all.” The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site is at 450 Auburn Ave. N.E. in Atlanta. For more information, visit http://www. nps.gov/features/malu/feat0002/wof.

DeKalb County State Court Judges

Commemorating the 31st Anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Seated, from left: Janis Gordon, Alvin Wong, Wayne Purdom, Johnny Panos, Dax López Standing: Ronald Ramsey, Keisha Storey, Mike Jacobs, Stacey Hydrick, Shondeana Crews-Morris, Brian Ross

commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

(404) 656‐0287

howard.mosby@house.ga.gov

We have more Dreams to Achieve...

“Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream”

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January 16, 2016