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Volume 18 Number 1
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APRIL 1, 2012
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Atlanta weighs in on teen’s death
G
By Joshua Smith
eorge Taylor, 22, didn’t know 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, but he summed up in 10 words how he felt about the teen’s life, which was snuffed out by a Neighborhood Watch captain: “It could have been me. I could have been Trayvon,” said Taylor. Taylor joined more than 5,000 people on the steps of the Georgia Capitol to protest the Sanford, Florida Police Department’s handling of the case. The demonstration in downtown Atlanta was one of many held across the nation on March 26, which marked the one-month anniversary of Martin’s death. Many of the protestors wore hoodies as Martin had done on Feb. 26 when he was fatally shot while walking home from the store with Skittles candy and an iced
tea drink. The case has sparked a national debate over Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law, which police used to allow George Zimmerman, the 28-year-old shooter, to go free after the shooting. Zimmerman was never arrested. He claimed he acted in self-defense after he called police to report a “suspicious” person walking in his neighborhood, then pursued Martin himself and shot and killed him. Martin’s attorney has said Trayvon was talking to his girlfriend on his cell phone and told her during the call that someone was following him. Trayvon’s parents have said they believe Trayvon tried to defend himself as he was attacked by Zimmerman. Community activist Josie Dean said she traveled from Rockdale
County to demand justice for the slain teen. “I’m here today to tell our black people to never forget. They keep forgetting. We should never go to sleep on this. We have to stay focused this is the time,” said Dean. “We can’t just march and go home. We have to keep fighting this until George Zimmerman is arrested for the killing of this innocent young man.” Edward DuBose, president of the Georgia State Conference NAACP, said the demonstration st for Trayvon also must include the fight to have Georgia’s Stand Your Ground law struck down. “We are taking a stand against Stand Your Ground. I call laws like this Kill Black Folk Laws,” See Tensions, page 8
Springfield Baptist acquires Church in the Now property By Valerie J. Morgan
CONYERS—Springfield Baptist Church, one of the oldest African American churches in metro Atlanta, has entered a lease purchase agreement to acquire the 43-acre mega Church in the Now on Iris Drive. Springfield inked the agreement with Evangelical Christian Credit Union, the mortgage holder, after months Pastor Eric W. Lee, Sr. of negotiations. The 132-year-old church was founded by slaves and has served the Yellow River communities in Rockdale and Newton counties since 1879. Pastor Eric W. Lee, Sr., Springfield’s leader, said there was a great deal of competition for the Church in the Now site, including a bid from a New York church that wanted See Pastor, page 8
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Photo by Joshua Smith/OCG News
Lisa Federico happily makes a purchase from local gardener Joe Reynolds at the East Lake Farmers Market’s March 24 opening.
East Lake Farmers Market expands
$82,000 grant will help to expand urban garden By Joshua Smith
ATLANTA—Got a taste for some basil lemonade, Shitake mushrooms or maybe some Siberian kale? The East Lake Farmers Market has you covered. Local. Local. Local. That’s how fresh the produce is at East Lake. Opening for its fourth year, the market, located at Second Avenue
and Hosea Williams Drive in east Atlanta, is a great addition to the community, say gardeners like Eli and Elizabeth Dickerson, who like the Saturday shopping. “We enjoy shopping fresh because it tastes better and it’s cheaper. That’s a win-win for us,” said Eli Dickerson. “It is so rewarding to see literally the fruits of your labor come to life for you to enjoy. As our garden grows, so will our relationship with the market because we love the fact that we can just walk our dog there and shop.” As a nonprofit, the East Lake Farmers Market (ELF) received an $82,000 grant in December from
DeKalb County and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The grant, awarded by the Southeastern Horticultural Society and the CDC-funded Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) program, is a nonprofit organization that provides horticulture and environmental education and works to connect people to nature throughout the southeastern United States. ELF plans to provide a larger space for farmers to offer more fresh food. “We can now develop an urban
See More, page 9