Community
Coming Up Masses flock to Rockdale for free turkeys and hams
Community Christmas festivities set for Olde Town Conyers Page 4
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SERVING DEKALB, FULTON, GWINNETT, HENRY AND ROCKDALE COUNTIES
VOLUME
20 NUMBER 34
Chess champion Orrin Hudson makes positive moves at event
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NOVEMBER 22, 2014
Calling for Peace
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Local police agencies, clergy and community leaders prepare for tensions in Ferguson, MO
Photos by Joshua Smith/OCG News
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By Joshua Smith
racing for the worst, more than 20 law enforcement agencies in metro Atlanta held a joint news conference Nov. 20 to get ahead of the jury decision in the Michael Brown case in Ferguson, Missouri. Officials say Atlanta is one of the “hotspots” where protests could get out of hand, if City of Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, 28, is not indicted. Wilson said he fired in self-defense during the Aug. 9 incident, but demonstrators say the shooting was not justified. Wilson
shot Brown, who was unarmed, six times. The body of the 18-year-old Brown was left for hours in the street after the shooting took place. Tensions have been heightened all the more because Wilson is white and Brown was African American. Ferguson experienced several weeks of unrest following the shooting and cities around the nation are expected to follow suit if Wilson is not indicted. The news conference, led by DeKalb County’s top law enforcement official, Cedric Alexander, said it was important See Calling for Peace, page 6
The auditorium at the DeKalb County School Board’s headquarters was packed with representatives from local law enforcement, clergy, community leaders and student groups looking to find safe ways to take on Mike Brown protests in metro Atlanta.
Atlanta says farewell to H.J. Russell, business icon and civil rights leader
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By Valerie J. Morgan
tlanta is mourning the loss of Herman J. Russell, a trailblazer who broke racial barriers and earned a reputation not only as one of Atlanta’s most successful business leaders but one of America’s icons. Mr. Russell passed away on Nov. 15 after a brief illness. He was 83, one month shy of turning 84. “He made his transition in a peaceful way,” Michael Russell, his youngest son said in a statement released by the family. “We know he’s at rest.” Mr. Russell was the founder and retired CEO of H.J. Russell & Co., a construction and real estate company he founded in 1957 and grew into one of the largest minority-owned companies in the country. After Mr. Russell retired in 2003, he named his son, Michael, as CEO of the company. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed called H.J. Russell one of the greatest heroes of the Civil Rights Movement, a pioneer who paved the way for African Americans. “No words can express the depth of our sorrow and nothing will ever fill the void created by the passing of Mr. Herman J. Russell,” Reed said in a statement. “As the founder of one of America’s most successful construction and real estate businesses, Mr. Russell shattered countless barriers and created greater opportunities for all, but especially for African-Americans. When history catches its breath,
H.J. Russell Dec. 23,1930 – Nov. 15, 2014
Mr. Russell’s life work will place him among the most significant heroes of the Civil Rights Movement because of his unwavering contributions and commitment to the progress of this city and nation. Few men have done more to make Atlanta a place where people of all races and backgrounds can bring and build their dreams.” Bernice A. King, CEO of the King Center, said Mr. Russell served on the King Center’s Board of Directors and was a “beloved friend and supporter” of her parents, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. “It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that The King Center acknowledges the passing of one of Atlanta’s extraordinary civic leaders and
entrepreneurs, Mr. Herman J. Russell,” King said in a statement. “Mr. Russell served with dedication and distinction as a former member of The King Center’s Board of Directors. I will always remember with fondness the times that I spent in his family home and playing with his children” Bernice King said Mr. Russell left an indelible imprint not only on Atlanta, but “throughout the country, for generations to come.” “We, at The King Center, will be forever grateful for his support and contribution to our history.” In 1985, Mr. Russell was honored with the King Center’s “Annual Salute to Greatness Award,” one of the King Center’s highest honors. The award is given to individuals and corporations for their notable leadership and contributions to the community at large. “The world and Atlanta have indeed lost a remarkable individual and humanitarian. Mr. Herman Russell will be sorely missed by many, but he leaves behind an exceptional legacy of community concern and corporate social responsibility that will be continued through the outstanding work of his children. The King Center extends its sincere prayers and condolences during this difficult time to Mrs. Sylvia Russell, his sons (spouses), daughter and the entire H.J. Russell Family,” Bernice King stated. See H.J. Russell, page 8