COMMUNITY
YOUTH
Less well-known than sit-ins and marches, beach “wadeins” were integral in the fight to end Jim Crow laws . 4
An archery tournament is coming to Panola Mountain State Park, in memory of Sam Randle, who championed the sport there. 6
Beachfront battlegrounds
Honoring a beloved ranger
Let’s Keep DeKalb Peachy Clean Please Don’t Litter Our Streets and Highways
EAST ATLANTA • DECATUR • STONE MOUNTAIN • LITHONIA • AVONDALE ESTATES • CLARKSTON • ELLENWOOD • PINE LAKE • REDAN • SCOTTDALE • TUCKER • STONECREST
Copyright © 2018 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.
July 7, 2018
Volume 24, Number 10
www.crossroadsnews.com
AME churches, black banks Judge blocks Atlanta Schools expansion into Emory area team up on black wealth “This initiative will strengthen black banks across the United States and increase their capacity to lend to small businesses, to secure mortgages, to provide personal lines of credit, and to offer other forms of credit to AME churches and our members.This, of course, includes enabling members and their families to become homeowners.” Bishop Reginald Jackson, Council of AME Bishops
By Hazel Trice Edney triceedneywire.com
and General Board Meeting in Atlanta. Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, the council’s president, said the goal of partnering with the presidents of the 19 black-owned U.S. banks is to increase black wealth. “This initiative will strengthen black banks across the United States and increase their capacity to lend to small businesses, to secure mortgages, to provide personal lines of credit, and to offer other forms of
The African Methodist Episcopal Church and black-owned banks across the country are joining forces to spur business development, homeownership and wealth in the black community. The bankers, bishops and economic empowerment supporters announced the innovative economic partnership on June 26 during the 2018 Council of AME Bishops Please see PARTNERSHIP, page 2
By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
A Fulton County Superior Court judge has blocked Atlanta Public School’s expansion into the Emory area of DeKalb County that was set to take effect July 1. The judge issued the injunction sought by the DeKalb County School District on June 29, finding that the district had proved it had a substantial likelihood of demonstrating the annexation ordinance was void due to the fact it was not properly passed by the Atlanta City Council. DCSD filed the lawsuit against the city of Atlanta on June 4, challenging an ordinance it passed that allows APS to expand its boundaries as part of the city’s annexation of 744 acres that includes Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. APS would have taken nine students and more than $2 million in property tax
“We strongly encourage all parties to return to the table in a spirit of cooperation regarding the Emory annexation.”
Dr. R. Stephen Green, DCSD Superintendent
revenues from DCSD, which did not oppose the annexation because it was led to believe that it would not be impacted. Dr. R. Stephen Green, DCSD superintendent and CEO, said the district is pleased the court took the appropriate step to protect the children of DeKalb’s school system from unnecessary encroachment. “We strongly encourage all parties to return to the table in a spirit of cooperation regarding the Emory annexation,” he said.
Movable, toll ‘zipper’ lane planned for I-20 Rail service to Stonecrest still in limbo
Under GDOT’s plan, a large, slow-moving vehicle or barriertransfer machine, would lift and reposition a series of concrete barriers linked together in a chain, resembling a zipper, to create a “new” westbound lane of traffic into Atlanta during the morning rush hour. After rush hour, the barriers would be restored to their original position.
By Lyle V. Harris
Plans by state transportation officials to install “movable” toll lanes to reduce morning gridlock along I-20 in South DeKalb are being praised by some but also renewing questions about whether the long-promised MARTA rail line along the corridor will ever become a reality. On June 14, the Georgia Department of Transportation sent a letter to DeKalb County commissioners, informing them that it intends to construct “a tolled movable vehicle barrier separated lane on I-20 westbound from Panola Road to Columbia Drive” – a 5.2-mile stretch of the highway. Commissioner Larry Johnson, who represents Larry Johnson District 3, says he is generally supportive of state efforts to relieve traffic congestion for his constituents in the short-term. But he is concerned the zipper barriers will distract from proposals to extend MARTA rail and/or bus-rapid transit from downtown Atlanta eastward to the Mall at Stonecrest. “I’m looking at the tea leaves and they’re not showing me what we’re expecting to see, which is a rail line,” Johnson said June 25. “Our community has not asked for managed lanes down I-20. We’re paying $150 million a
Georgia Department of Transportation
year for MARTA and we want buses and rail to come out to our area. I don’t know why we have to keep waiting.” Johnson said he was unaware of the zipper barrier project until he received GDOT’s letter requesting help. “Zipper barriers,” a relatively rare managed-lane approach, are being used in Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco and Boston to either widen, narrow, or separate existing roads or highways. If GDOT’s plan goes forward, I-20 in South DeKalb would be the first and only roadway in Georgia to have them. Zipper barriers are part of a larger strategy of tolled or “managed lanes” that has already been launched statewide. Matthew Fowler, a GDOT program delivery manager, said the South DeKalb project, estimated to cost $20 million, is slated to begin in 2020 and will take about a year to complete. Here’s how the zipper barriers would
work: n Sections of the stationary concrete medians that currently separate eastbound from westbound I-20 traffic would be permanently removed. n A series of concrete barriers linked together in a chain, resembling a zipper, would be installed, separating eastbound and westbound traffic with a combination of fixed and moveable barriers. The flexible barrier would allow GDOT to add an extra lane in the direction of heavy morning traffic. n A large, slow-moving vehicle or barriertransfer machine, would lift and reposition the linked barriers to create a “new” westbound lane of traffic into Atlanta during the morning rush hour, and temporarily decrease the number of lanes eastbound toward Turner Hill Road, which is typically lighter on weekday mornings. n At the end of the morning rush hour, the zipper barriers would be repositioned so that the highway had again the same num-
ber of lanes in both directions. The barriertransfer vehicle would be parked between two, permanent concrete medians on I-20 until needed again for the next morning’s traffic cycle. Passenger vehicles traveling weekdays between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. in the expanded westbound lanes would be charged either a flat fee or a variable toll based on prevailing congestion – heavier traffic, higher tolls. The flexible lane would be open to MARTA, other transit buses, and registered vanpools, for free. A comprehensive December 2015 study – “Atlanta Regional Managed Lane Implementation Plan,” completed by private consulting firm HNTB – identified a region-wide network of new express lanes. Based on that study, and to address traffic delays on I-20, Fowler said installing zipper barriers was deemed a faster, more cost-effective alternaPlease see ZIPPER, page 3
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Ministry
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The revival will culminate with Jennifer Carner of the House of Hope, described as having both the “learning and the burning.”
Camp Taifa looks Dynamic preachers for Greenforest’s 4-day revival The evening services Four dynamic at environmental, preachers on Monday, Tuesday will do their and Wednesday start at during the July ecological justice thing 7 nightly. 8-11 “Church’s Year The whole family can hone its ecological and environmental justice chops at Camp Taifa at First Afrikan Church July 10-12. The annual vacation Bible school, which takes place nightly at 7, includes Bible study, engaging discussions about ecological and environmental justice, climate change, environmental activism and hands-on experience in the church’s Community Garden. The church is at 5197 Salem Road in Stonecrest. For more information, visit firstafrkanchurch.org or call 770-981-2601.
of Vision” revival at Greenforest Baptist Church in Decatur. Pastors C harl e s Goodman from Augusta, Clinton McFarland from Stockbridge, Charles Goodman Carlos Kelly from Macon, and executive pastor Jennifer Carner from Decatur will take the podium. Goodman, the senior pastor/teacher of historic Tabernacle Baptist Church, will kick off the revival on July 8, preaching at both the 7:45 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
Clinton McFarland
Carlos Kelly
services. Goodman, a fiery preacher who was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2001 at age 21 and told he had two years to live, says he doesn’t live with fear of dying but with the joy of living.
McFarland, pastor of Grace Baptist Church, will preach on July 9. Kelly, pastor of Beulahland Baptist Church, has July 10. Jennifer Carner The revival will culminate on July 11 with Carner of the House of Hope, a preacher described as having both the “learning and the burning.” Greenforest Baptist Church is at 3250 Rainbow Drive. For more information, visit www.greenforest.org.
AME bishops, bankers envision funding for homeowners, businesses PARTNERSHIP,
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credit to AME churches and our members,” Jackson said. “This, of course, includes enabling members and their families to become homeowners.” The specific details of a memorandum of understanding are being formulated and will be announced later this summer, but the goals are to: n Increase deposits and loans with Black banks. n Increase black homeownership to more than 50 percent or 2 million homeowners. n Grow the number of black businesses to 4 million from 2.6 million and total gross receipts to $150,000 from an average of $72,500. Preston Pinkett III, chairman of the National Bankers Association, called the spirit of partnership “outstanding.” “Thank you for your willingness to step
outside of the norm to do something that I would say is extraordinary here in America and extraordinary in the world,” said Pinkett, who is also the chairman and CEO of the City National Bank of New Jersey. “It is safe to say that this kind of commitment; this kind of demonstration will go a long way in supporting our banks and the banks to be able to support the community. With God’s blessings, we will accomplish great things.” Jackson, who was surrounded by all 20 bishops of the 231-year-old AME denomination, said the historic partnership grew out of a Black Wealth 2020 initiative launched in Washington, D.C., in 2015 to provide an economic blueprint for black America. Michael Grant, a founder of Black Wealth 2020, said the civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others has now morphed into a full-fledged movement for economic empowerment. “The offspring of African slaves and their
unrewarded labor have catapulted a small colonial outpost into the greatest industrial giant the world has ever known,” Grant said. “Now, as a people, we are turning our efforts toward our own enrichment. We must now create those economic opportunities for ourselves.” Grant said students of history would not be surprised that the church of Richard Allen would be leading an effort to close the wealth gap across the United States. “We do this with malice towards none,” Grant said. Allen, one of America’s most influential back leaders, founded the AME church in 1794. It was the first independent black denomination in the United States. James L. Davis, bishop of the Second Episcopal District, likened the partnership to a union between a church and its community. “It is a marriage that says a church that is concerned about its people, concerned about the good and the bad, all of the things our people have had to go through,” he said. Vashti Murphy McKenzie, chair bishop of the AME’s General Board, said black church leaders not only articulate ideas, but strategies, and that in the next decade, the AME church and black banking will see both evolution and revolution as they deal with increasing governmental intrusion, growing membership and higher customer demands. News of the economic partnership was applauded by national civil rights leaders like U.S. Rep. John Lewis and National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial. Lewis thanked the bishops for making
economic development a priority. “Hopefully, your visionary leadership will inspire other denominations to replicate your efforts nationwide,” said Lewis, who represents Georgia’s 5th Congressional District. Morial said it’s time to address the challenges of black homeownership and increase the viability and profitability of AfricanAmerican businesses. Robert James, CEO of the Carver State Bank in Savannah, recalled when his bank was the only funding source for Savannah churches and underscored the need to sustain relationships in the black community. “This program will get us back on the path,” he said, adding that the bishops have authority to oversee and encourage AME church leaders to do business with blackowned banks. “We can talk to the bishops about those local churches,” he said. “And you can talk to your elders and your preachers.” African Union Ambassador Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao promised the bishops that she will encourage Africans in America to also put their deposits in black-owned banks and stressed the need for the institutions to unify, cooperate, and not turn on each other. She said the Africa Union has already listed all U.S. black banks on its website. “I’m already encouraging all black people when I do presentations to say we’ve been stupid for too long,” Chihombori-Quao said. “We drive past black banks to give our money to people who don’t give a hoot about us. And they take our money so they can get rich; not only here, but in Africa. We’ve got to change this.”
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“Children’s must grow to continue to meet the vital needs of kids and their families in our state.”
Children’s Healthcare seeking 446-bed hospital
By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
Children’s Healthcare of Egleston has filed a Certificate of Need application with the state to build a 446-bed hospital in Brookhaven. If approved, the $1.5 billion project will go up near the 1-85 and North Druid Hills Road interchange. The 1.8 million-square-foot hospital will be one of the state’s largest ever and will include two patient bed towers with rooms large enough for parents to stay comfortably with their children. Jonathan Goldman, board chairman of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Egleston’s parent company, said the CON filing is “a significant milestone” for developing a transformative healthcare campus that meets the needs of Jonathan Goldman Georgia’s children. “Our rigorous planning process shows that Children’s must grow to continue to meet the vital needs of kids and their families in our state,” Goldman said. When completed, the North Druid Hills campus will include the relocated hospital, the Center for Advanced Pediatrics, office buildings, a central utility plant, and more than 20 acres of green space and miles of walking trails and paths on and around the site. Children’s says the hospital rooms will be larger because kids and parents “made it clear” during its planning process that they want the opportunity to stay together. Children’s said it is also committed to improving the area surrounding the campus
The proposed Brookhaven campus will include the relocated hospital, the Center for Advanced Pediatrics, office buildings, a central utility plant, and more than 20 acres of green space.
and will invest more than $40 million in traffic and infrastructure improvements. Egleston filed its letter of intent to the Georgia Department of Community Health on May 24. The Certificate of Need was filed June 25. There is a 120-day review process, and the final decision from the state is expected in late 2018. The nonprofit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, which manages more than a million patient visits annually at three hospitals – Hughes Spalding, Egleston, and Scottish Rite – and 27 neighborhood locations, is one of the country’s largest providers of pediatric care. It said its mission is anticipating the growth of Georgia’s pediatric population,
20 East Moveable Barrier
and it concluded that it could no longer meet the needs of the state’s children within its primary campuses, which no longer have room for physical expansion. Donna Hyland, Children’s CEO, said the new hospital and campus along with other key improvements are a vote of confidence in the future of Atlanta and Georgia. “Georgia’s children will continue to need access to the kind of specialized pediatric Donna Hyland care that only Children’s can provide,” she said.
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tive to adding new highway travel lanes. “We know that the level of congestion on I-20 has grown more intense and we can deploy [zipper barriers] much quicker than a traditional road widening while accomplishing the same objective,” Fowler said. GDOT is not considering plans to reverse the zipper barriers in the opposite direction during the evening rush hour because eastbound lane improvements on I-20 completed several years ago have helped ease that commute, Fowler said. In its letter to the DeKalb BOC, GDOT requested assistance from commissioners in identifying “low income and minority neighborhoods” along the I-20 corridor that might be impacted by the project. “We would like to be certain that these communities are recognized and given the opportunity to fully participate and provide meaningful input in the project development process” wrote Eric Duff, GDOT’s Environmental Administrator who sent the letter. Fowler said the zipper barrier project was still in the environmental review process and public meetings have yet to be scheduled. He called the zipper barriers an “interim fix” that would not impede or conflict with more ambitious plans for high-capacity transit along I-20 in DeKalb County that have been on the
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drawing board for more than 30 years. Construction of rail to Stonecrest will require a local funding commitment in addition to the penny sales tax that DeKalb currently contributes to MARTA. The source of that revenue has not been identified. District 5 Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson also applauded the planned traffic improvements on I-20, but she said residents have good reason to be frustrated and impatient. “Managed lanes are fine but I’m not a big proponent because it limits who can utilize those lanes based on paying tolls,” she said June 25. “We’ve been talking about [MARTA rail] for 30 years and we still don’t have it.” After decades of ignoring and neglecting MARTA, and transit in general, Georgia leaders and transportation officials have recently embraced the idea that buses and trains are a viable and attractive alternative to commuting by car, and are worthy of state investment. During the 2018 legislative session, the General Assembly passed a historic bill that will enable 13 metro Atlanta counties to create a truly regional transit network called the Atlanta Transit Line, or “A-T-L.” On June 19, Gov. Nathan Deal announced that $100 million in the state’s 2019 budget would be used to launch a bus-rapid transit route along the bustling GA 400 corridor
If GDOT’s plan to construct a tolled movable vehicle barrier separated lane on I-20 westbound from Panola Road to Columbia Drive goes forward, I-20 in South DeKalb would be the first and only roadway in Georgia to have the zipper barricade.
north of Atlanta. In the meantime, DeKalb planners last month started work on the county’s first-ever Transit Master Plan to determine the appropriate mix of rail, buses and other vehicles that would best serve residents and businesses in the years ahead. MARTA has had the I-20 East Transit Initiative under environmental review since 2014 but there are is no available funding that would allow the 12-mile, $2.4 million project to move forward.
Teacher job fair at July Cultural Exchange meeting Aspiring teachers can attend a mini career fair at the July 14 DeKalb Cultural Exchange meeting at The Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church/House of Hope. DeKalb County School District, which is still seeking 350 teachers, is hosting the job fair during the monthly meeting co-hosted by Stonecrest City Councilman Rob Turner and his wife, District 5 School Board member Vickie Turner. Rob Turner said they are excited to inform the community about employment opportunities for teachers. Breakfast will be served at 9 a.m. Community updates will also be shared. The House of Hope is at 4650 Flat Shoals Parkway in Decatur. For more information, email thedekalbexchange@ gmail.com or call 678-861-8199.
Update on Flat Shoals project Residents can get an update on the Flat Shoals/I-285 interchange project on July 9 at New Life Baptist Church. The Georgia Department of Transportation is hosting a community conversation about the $34.8 million project from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The 3.5-mile project, which has been underway since Feb. 2015, was originally slated for completion in September 2017. In June 2017, GDOT changed the completion date to February 2019. The church is at 3592 Flat Shoals Road in Decatur. For more information, email tobrown@ dot.ga.gov or call 770-216-3813.
Gun violence to be discussed By Bryce Ethridge
A panel of DeKalb elected officials will discuss rising gun violence in the community during “What’s Going On? Gun Violence” at Ray of Hope Church on July 10. The discussion, which will include DeKalb Superior Court Judge Asha Jackson, District 5 School Board member Vickie Turner; District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson, and state Reps. Pam Stephenson and Doreen Carter, will seek answers to the question, “What can we do to fix this escalating problem?” It is part of the church’s “Let’s Talk” summer series, which replaces Bible study. It takes place at 7 p.m. in the chapel. The church is at 2778 Snapfinger Road in Decatur. For more information, visit rayofhope.org or call 770-696-5100.
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July 7, 2018
“This [information] should be in all the libraries and in all the schools, and it should be accessible.”
Beaches were also battlegrounds in civil rights movement The final wade-in to desegregate the beach in Biloxi, Miss., took place in 1963, led by Dr. Gilbert Mason. Sixty-five demonstrators, black and white, were arrested for trespassing on private property.
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Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker Staff Writer Jennifer Ffrench Parker Editorial Interns Rosie Manins Bryce Etheridge Front Office Manager Catherine Guy Multimedia Editor Sharif Williams 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 advertisements, including claims of suits for libel, violation of privacy, plagiarism and copyright infringement. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement.
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By Linda Poon
Clemon Jimerson still remembers his first time on the beach in Biloxi, Miss. It was April 24, 1960 – Easter Sunday – and Dr. Gilbert Mason, a local physician, had organized a gathering of more than 120 people on three sections of the 26-mile shoreline. Jimerson was 14 years old at the time, and he marked the occasion with a brand new swimsuit and a top-of-the-line, gold-banded Elgin watch. Jimerson lived just two miles from the beach, but Jim Crow laws barred him and the rest of the black community from visiting. (Blacks were allowed on a small part of the beach that was some 10 miles away from his neighborhood.) That led Mason, who would become one of the leading civil rights activists in Mississippi – to plan a “wade-in” as both an act of civil disobedience and a family event. Women, children and teenagers were there “just having a good time,” Jimerson recalls. At worst, the protesters expected to be ordered off the beach by police, and maybe some arrests. That was what happened in the two previous wade-ins. What they didn’t see coming was a mob of white men armed with clubs, brass knuckles and bricks. That day would come to be known as Mississippi’s Bloody Sunday.
Early acts of civil disobedience Nearly six decades later, Biloxi Beach is open to everyone, and while it’s a popular spot among locals, few who visit are aware of the sacrifices that made that possible. To keep that history alive, a new initiative called “Witnessing the Beach” aims to bring the stories of Jimerson and the other wade-in participants – or witnesses, as they’re called – into the forefront. With help from a $100,000 grant from the Knight Cities Challenge, the project involves building a pop-up stage with chairs and a rollout, wheelchair-accessible surface on which organizers will host regular meet-ups with tourists, local residents, and community activists who still live in the area. Project leader David Perkes, who has been working with the residents to rebuild the community in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, says there are some really amazing people in the community who have been part of its history. “The beach as a kind of public space now is taken for granted, and [the project] brings attention to the fact that this space had to be fought for,” said Perkes, the founding director of Gulf Coast Community Design Studio and a professor at Mississippi State University. The Greensboro sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, and the integration of Little Rock Central High School are all familiar civil rights events. Less known is the fact that beaches and other recreational spaces, including parks and skating rinks, also became battlegrounds for equal rights. And it wasn’t just in Biloxi – the black community also fought to end segregation of the beaches in cities across the country, from Miami and Fort Lauderdale to Chicago and Santa Monica. The wade-ins on Biloxi Beach were, in fact, Mississippi’s first organized act of civil disobedience in the civil rights era. There were three in total between 1959 and 1963 – four if you count the time that Mason went to the beach alone and got arrested, an incident that sparked action in
Associated Press
Dr. Gilbert Mason is flanked by officers who escorted him to court in Biloxi, Miss., after he expressed fear for his safety following the violent response to his peaceful “wade-in.”
the rest of the community. And while marches and bus boycotts were led by prominent names like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, the front lines of these protests were made up of mothers, children, and teenagers like Jimerson. (These were the groups that Mason, who died in 2006, approached when organizing; men, who were often the breadwinners, risked retribution from their employers.) For them, it was a fight not only over the right to use public space, but also over their right to leisure. “This is a resort town, and in the late ’50s and early ’60s, the beach was the place of access of choice,” says Mason’s son, Gilbert Mason Jr. The younger Mason was only 5 when the 1960 wade-in happened, but he’s been trying to keep his father’s legacy alive. “[My father], in high school, was a swimmer and a Boy Scout, so being able to swim was very important to him,” he said.
Beaten by a mob Private property owners near the beach extended their property rights to the shore, making it easier to justify the denial of access for blacks. But Mason challenged that notion early on, arguing to city authorities that the beach was man-made and funded by taxpayers, which included the black community. Those were the sorts of rules that made Jimerson realize the injustice of the Jim Crow laws during his teenage years. He recalls how, when he’d take the city bus, he had to pay at the front, then exit and use the back door to get back in. “I guess as a child, I wasn’t happy with that, and when you’re not happy with a situation, you’d be willing to risk arrest to see if you can make changes,” he said. Under the guidance of Mason, who was both his physician and his scout master, Jimerson eventually became a youth leader. On the day of the 1960 wade-in, Jimerson headed straight for the water with a classmate. His Elgin watch was tucked away in the pockets of his neatly folded pants (also new), which he had left on dry land. It wasn’t long before the white mob, apparently organized by a hardware store owner who caught wind of Mason’s plan, showed up with their arsenal of weapons. Just hours earlier, Mason had told all his participants to leave behind anything that could be misconstrued as a weapon. Even a nail file was deemed too risky to bring along. Unarmed, the protesters were beaten so badly that, according to Jimerson, one person was nearly decapitated. The police, meanwhile, stood by and watched.
One witness, speaking to local TV station WLOX during the 50th anniversary, even recalled the police encouraging the mob. Jimerson ran for his life, crossing the seawall and threading the traffic on the highway that runs parallel to the beach. All the while, a white teen chased him into the surrounding neighborhoods. It wasn’t until Jimerson, cornered in an alley way, threw a punch at his opponent that the two finally fled separate ways. He calls it a miracle that he was able to meet up with his family afterward unharmed. But Jimerson never saw his watch again; when he and his stepfather went back to the beach to retrieve it, they found a pile the protesters’ belongings afire. “We might need to go back [home],” his stepfather told him. “We can get another watch and some more clothes, but you can’t get another life.” It would be several years before beaches were finally desegregated. Just a month after the wade-in, the U.S. Justice Department sued Biloxi for not allowing blacks on the beach – a lawsuit that included Jimerson’s testimony of the beatings that day. Biloxi lost the case in 1967, and in 1968, the beaches were open to the black community for the first time.
Remember the sacrifices Today, many cities have made efforts to commemorate their own wade-in protests with special events and markers. Biloxi placed a memorial in 2010 on the spot where the 1960 wade-in happened on its 50th anniversary. But with many of the activists aging, there’s a real concern that the stories, and the legacy, might soon be forgotten for good. That’s partly why Jimerson has such a vivid memory about the events of that day, and the aftermath. For years, he’s been sharing his story to anyone who will listen. He’s also been keeping a list of witnesses and encouraging them to do the same in hopes that the community will remember the sacrifices and that, perhaps, the wade-ins will become a bigger part of the national conversation. Yet he laments that the event isn’t taught in classrooms. “I coordinated the Black History program when I was a teacher [in Biloxi], so I would always have programs about the history of the wade-ins, but teaching it isn’t required as far as the school district is concerned,” he says. “This [information] should be in all the libraries and in all the schools, and it should be accessible.” He and Mason believe the “Witnessing the Beach” project can make that happen. Perkes, the project leader, says the details are still being planned out with the local organizations and the city’s parks and recreations department. “For me it would be a finer success if people begin to recognize that we have a history that not only is important, but has the potential to be why people come here,” he says,. “It’s not just about telling the important stories, but how they can be a catalyst to set in motion other work that can help this city.” Linda Poon is an assistant editor at CityLab covering science and urban technology, including smart cities and climate change. She previously covered global health and development for NPR’s Goats and Soda blog. For more information, visit www.citylab.com.
July 7, 2018
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Youth
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“I didn’t expect to get that much. I was really happy that my parents don’t have to spend too much money to send me to school.”
Signup open for SWD tennis standout lands $80K scholarship archery tournament honoring park ranger
Danielle Mattis, who graduated from Southwest DeKalb High School with a 3.4 grade point average, has landed a $20,000-a-year scholarship to Brescia University in Kentucky.
By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
Families can participate in the 2018 Sam Randle Memorial Archery Tournament on July 28 at Panola Mountain State Park, but they have to register now because space is limited. The static and 3-D range competitions for beginners, intermediates and advanced levels for ages 8 and older will honor the memory of the late park ranger Sam Randle, who died suddenly in 2017 at age 34. The deadline to sign up is July 20, at archerytournament@gmail.com. Randle was a popular park ranger and the park’s archery instructor, who often wore a snake around her neck in the nature center to encourage people to get over their fear of them. Her sister, Melissa RanSam Randle dle, who is co-hosting the Archery Tournament, said the 2018 event marks the return of the annual competition, started by Sam in 2013. The tournament is hosted with Panola Mountain State Park and the Friends of Panola Mountain State Park. Randle said they are hosting the tournament as a way to remember Sam, and continue her legacy of introducing new people to the sport that she was so passionate about. It will take place on what would have been Sam’s 35th birthday. “She is still a beloved figure to patrons of the park and in the community, having instructed some estimated 6,000-plus students in archery, in addition to her other responsibilities, including tending to the animals in the Nature Center and educating visitors about the many species that inhabited the park,” Randle said. During her tenure at the park, Sam Randle appeared in several TV news segments and print media demonstrating the park’s robust archery programming that she was instrumental in developing. To honor her memory, Panola Mountain State Park has also named a climbing tree for her. A bench also was recently installed outside the nature center dedicated to her memory, and in May, a collection of almost 100 books was purchased in her name and unveiled at the Stonecrest Library branch where she was an active member. Randle said that when Sam was not working she shared her passion and love of the outdoors by volunteering at AWARE, tending to many of the sick animals in their care. “In a short time she affected the lives of so many within the community, both near and far,” Randle said.
By Bryce Ethridge
Danielle Mattis, a 2018 Southwest DeKalb High School graduate, has landed a $20,000-a-year tennis scholarship to Brescia University in Owensboro, Ky. Danielle, who graduated on May 22 with a 3.4 grade point average, competed at No. 1 Singles where she compiled a 13-28 record against top, state-level competition, posting a record of 17 wins and 11 losses in 2017-2018 school year. At Brescia, she will play for head coach Olga Chernova, who was a No. 1 player at Michigan State University. Southwest DeKalb will celebrate Danielle with a signing ceremony during its tennis awards banquet on July 11 in the school’s Performing Arts Center Auditorium. Danielle, who lettered in tennis three year at SWD, joined the tennis team in fall 2015 after she relocated from her native Jamaica. She quickly demonstrated her skills on the court and was voted captain by her teammates two consecutive years. She got news of the scholarship on June 25 and was bowled over by the size of the offer. “I didn’t expect to get that much,” she said July 2. “I was really happy that my parents don’t have to spend too much money to send me to school.” She is the seventh Southwest DeKalb tennis player since 2012 to land a tennis scholarship, following in the footsteps of Jasmine Riddick and Kaylin Roman to Johnson C. Smith University in 2012 and 2014; and Felicia Penn to Tuskegee University and Kalin Harrison and Odell McCree to Fisk University in 2012. Brescia University is a Division II member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics with an energetic fan base. Chernova has been head coach for three years. Danielle, who draws inspiration from renowned tennis pro Serena Williams, dreams of a friendly match with her
Children’s Ministry summer fun day replaces regular Sunday School Instead of traditional Sunday School on July 15, children can attend “Splish, splash – it’s all about the water” at Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur. The Children’s Ministry Fun Day takes place 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the grounds of the church’s Christian Education Building.
There will be a water slide, obstacle course, games, races, face painting and food. Kids should come in bathing suits or clothes that can get wet. The church is at 2778 Snapfinger Road in Decatur. For more information, contact the Rev. Gloria McCall at 770-696-5100, ext. 243.
06/16, 06/23, 06/30, 07/07
Notice of Petition in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia
Civil Action Case Number: 18FM1909-8
Mario Sullivan PLAINTIFF VS Garcia Raven DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Jun. 06,
Youth ministry offering ‘Friday Night Live’ at Ray of Hope Church Teens and young adults can participate in Friday Night Live on July 13 at Ray of Hope Christian Church. There will be games, karaoke and friendly competitions. Amazing Youth Empowered, the church’s youth ministry, is presenting the event to help young people enjoy their summer and
(60) days of Jun. 06, 2018. Witness the Honorable Linda W. Hunter, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 7th day of June, 2018
Legal Notices
06/16, 06/23, 06/30, 07/07
2018. You are hereby notified that Feb. 6, 2018, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Mario Sullivan #965797, Autry State Prison; P.O. Box 648, Palham, GA 31779. Answer in writing within sixty
idol. “I used to watch her play when I was in Jamaica,” she said. “Hopefully, one day I’ll get to play with her, not against her.” Danielle’s road to the court began in physical education classes in St. Catherine, Jamaica. Watching Williams compete on the world stage fueled her passion for the sport. She said she knew she wanted more from tennis, and she got that chance when she moved to the United States in 2015, and got to play for SWD coach Lance Davenport. “She always strived to be great on the court and classroom,” Davenport said. “She sets high standards for herself and her teammates, and she’s been pretty assertive since day one.” In Jamaica, Danielle was taking 22 classes a week. At Southwest DeKalb, she had to take only four. “I adjusted pretty quickly,” she said, admitting a penchant to “eat, sleep and breathe tennis.” With the help of Davenport, teachers and willpower, she quickly got into the swing of things. Off the tennis court, Danielle is a member of Rho Kappa Social Studies Society, Spanish Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Math Society, Beta Club and National Honor Society. She loves talking to people and plans to either turn tennis pro or become a forensic psychologist. “I want to understand why you did what you did,” she said. As for college tennis, Danielle was also courted by Rheinhardt University, Guilford College and College of New Rochelle. She picked Brescia because she believes that it will allow her to have the best on the court and in the classroom. “I cannot wait to start,” she said. “It’s a new school, new city, and new people, so I just can’t wait.”
Notice of Petition to CHANGE Name OF ADULT in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia
Civil Action Case Number: 18FM5933-10
stay out of trouble. Participants can also bring videos they would like to watch, and board games and gaming consoles. Television sets will be provided by the church. Ray of Hope church is at 2778 Snapfinger Road in Decatur. For more information, call 770-696-5100.
Gregory Stanton filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on Jun. 06, 2018 to change name from: Gregory Stanton to Gregory Paige Stanton. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed. Dated: Apr., 2018 06/16, 06/23, 06/30, 07/07
Notice of Petition to CHANGE Name(S) OF MINOR CHILD(REN)
in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia
Civil Action Case Number: 18FM6546-1 Tabu Sophie filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on May 01, 2018 to change name(s) of the following minor child(ren) from: Tuliya Tabu to Ahishakiye Quinthia Dorcas. Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within the time prescribed in OCGA 19-12-1(f)(2) and (3). Dated: May 01, 2018
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July 7, 2018
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