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Sunday, September 11, 2016 | The Newnan Times-Herald — 1D

It’s time to talk

By W. WINSTON SKINNER winston@newnan.com Coweta lives matter.

They really do. Those Coweta lives are the lives of our families, our neighbors, our co-workers. They are the people who ring up our groceries and cook our food at restaurants.

They are teachers, nurses, doctors, undertakers, insurance agents, construction workers, electricians, plumbers, preachers.

They all matter.

And it’s time for us to talk to each other, to listen to each other. Because every life lost leaves an empty chair at the dinner table – and a hole in a heart – for someone.

Sept. 11, 2001 brought us together. I remember what happened like it was yesterday. There was an Armageddon-like reaction in many people, but mostly there was a grim resolve.

Those people killed in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington were ours – they were Americans. Their race, religion and politics did not matter. Our own had been targeted, and we were united to face the foe.

Now, we seem too often torn apart.

Racial fissures have re-opened, and lives are lost. Diamond Reynolds mourns her boyfriend, shot by a nervous cop after he revealed he had a permitted gun in his car. The family of Dallas police officers mourn after a mentally unstable sharpshooter targeted white lawmen and killed five.

It’s time to talk.

My longtime friend, Don Chapman, is one of the people interviewed for this section. He took the lead role in forming Come To The Table, an organization that brought together Cowetans of all races and backgrounds to talk about things we don’t like to talk about – and to sit around a table and share a meal.

Come To The Table is no more, but we still are reminded that Coweta lives matter.

The Boys and Girls Clubs offer opportunity and guidance. Bridging the Gap and One Roof feed the hungry and offer a ray of hope to the homeless. A free public education continues to be America’s greatest gift to the next generation, and churches – big and small, in town and in the country – encourage the young, strengthen marriages and reach out to the marginalized.

Being a grandparent is, well, grand. For me that means Clair Lynn and Quinn Kight and Rohan Sreeram make my heart feel warm.

Clair Lynn and Quinn have creamy skin with pink cheeks – Clair Lynn’s with a cinnamon sprinkling of freckles. Rohan, whose father is from India, is a golden brown bundle of energy.

For me, they are America – the promise of tomorrow. They will talk together, play, tussle, fuss – and then talk and play some more, because of love that binds them. As the song I learned from Miss Mary Miller in Sunday school more than 50 years ago reminds me: “Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.”

Can we talk? We can. We must, because Coweta lives matter – every single one of them.

Dr. Steve Barker “I am encouraged by our younger generations.”

Jeff Bishop “Racial animosity and resentment runs a lot deeper than most people are willing to admit.”

Buster Meadows

Derenda Rowe

“To me, every life matters, and we try to help out as many people as we can.”

“In our ministry, we love and serve people of all races.”

Community leaders offer thoughts on race relations

By Winston Skinner winston@newnan.com R ace rel at ion s i n Cowet a County are generally good – with room for improvement.

That was the general consensus from a group of community leaders. Communication and relationships have helped to keep Cowetans of all backgrounds liv-

ing in relative harmony through decades of major social change.

George S. Harkness Jr., pastor of Dent Chapel AME Church, pointed to Sept. 11, 2001 as a pivotal day for the community.

The terrorist attacks made that day “a wake-up time and a time of ref lection – and a time of togetherness.”

Harkness added, “Many who did not think about God were moved to get to know him, and t hose who k new H i m were moved to get closer.”

County Commission Chairman Tim Lassetter spoke positively about race relations locally – and recalled personal experiences that stretched across the

color line.

“They’re good – that’s from my perspective,” Lassetter said. “It’s like anything else. It depends on who you speak with and whether that individual has any issues or has seen things that lead them to think one way or the other.”

Starting at age seven, Lassetter was active athletically.

LEADERS,“That page put 2D

2D — The Newnan Times-Herald | Sunday, September 11, 2016

PHOTOS BY SARA MOORE

Dominican hairdresser Adolfina Garcia, right, of Newnan translates for Praxede Tineo, left. Garcia rolls Isabel Swint’s hair at the salon they operate.

Being Latino often means being underestimated

By Brenda Pedraza-Vidamour Praxede Tineo of Newnan is often seen sweeping the hair off the floor at the ADPA Dominican Salon.

She doesn’t speak or understand English. Most assume she’s “the help,” unaware that the 53-yearold owner of the salon was a lawyer in the Dominican Republic for 10 years. Away from the salon, most presume she’s Mexican. “ R ig ht away t hey a sk ‘A re you from Mexico?’” says Alice Cornejo, owner of the DUI School of Coweta. “No, I’m not from Mexico. I’m from Peru, and they didn’t even have a clue where Peru was … When I say South America, and you talk about Machu Picchu, now considered one of the Seven Won-

LEADERS

Continued from page 1D Starting at age seven, Lassetter was active athletically.

“That put me in a situation to play sports with all different races and even ages. I feel that my relationship with all races has always been good,” he said.

He also recalled his friendsh ip w it h t he late Wi llie Pritchett, a longtime coworker at Eckerd. “He and many other African-Americans have been good friends of mine for years,” Lassetter said.

Dr. Steve Barker, the Coweta County School System’s superintendent, also emphasized personal connections.

“I am encouraged by our younger generations. They work well together, exhibit a spirit of cooperation, and often set a great example for others to follow. I see our young people expressing appreciation for their racial and cultural differences,” Barker said.

He said the attitude of the young toward race gives him hope for the future.

R a c i a l h a r m o n y, h o wever, has also been a goal for prior generations. “I have an

ders of the World,” they still didn’t know.

“People are not rude,” she adds.

“They say, ‘Oh, I like your accent,’” or they’ll ask other “peculiar questions.” After one too many encounters like that, Cornejo asked her professor at the University of West Georgia, where she received a master’s degree in professional counseling, why so many lacked cultural awareness.

“He said they don’t get out of their comfort zone, don’t get out of town. They don’t know anything else (about Latinos) except that people are from Mexico,” she says.

Most Latinos in Coweta County have had similar experiences, especially if they are Spanishspea k ing, rega rdless whether they speak English with an accent

opportunity to work alongside community leaders who are striving to improve relations throughout our community. Community forums and special task force groups help encourage dialogue. …

This can only help as we continue to make Coweta County a great place for all to live,” Barker said.

Cowet a Cou nt y Sher i f f Mike Yeager and Newnan Police Chief Douglas “Buster” Meadows both said their roles and departments help people and keep order without regard to a person’s race.

“To me, ever y life matters, and we try to help out as many people as we can. We don’t differentiate from one life to another,” Meadows said.

“Every one is just as important as the next.”

“In our line of work, we deal with people. I don’t look or care about the color of skin.

What I look at is, ‘Did you violate the law, or not?’” Yeager said.

Yeager said he is sometimes told he does not understand situations because he is not black. “People tend to fixate on it, but I don’t,” he said.

Derenda Rowe of One Roof Ecumenical Alliance helps people who are in need. “In our ministry, we love and

Celebrating y.. . t i n u m m o C r u O

or not. No one is offended about being mistaken for Mexican, yet there is an implicit understanding that Mexicans suffer a bad rap in the United States.

Not all Latinos in Coweta are Mexican The U.S. Census has 30 classifications for groups of Hispanic or Latino origin. Coweta enjoys representation from a wide crosssection including Mexican, Puerto Rican, Colombian, Dominican, Salvadoran, Cuban, Guatemalan, Spanish, Peruvian, Nicaraguan, Honduran, Spaniard, Panamanian, Costa Rican and Ecuadorian, according to 2014 Census estimates, the most recent available.

Hispanic and Latino are used interchangeably although some

serve people of all races,” Rowe said. One Roof does keep records of who is helps and usually helps about 100 more white individuals each month.

She said the group’s volunteers also are diverse.

“We’re an organization that is built on love, so we love each other. No matter what color a person is, they are taken care of and served here,” she said.

Rowe hears reports of violence “in certain parts of the community” and has concerns “when I know that many of my clientele have to live in those areas.”

Leaders in the arts and culture com munity had a nuanced view of race relations.

“R ace relations could always be better, couldn’t they?” asked David Boyd Jr., a local painter and teacher.

Boyd said he believes time

argue it’s really not the same.

When the Census addressed it and other criticisms about race and ethnicity by allowing people to self-identify, it resulted in a large share of Americans who didn’t pick a race on the last Census, of which the vast majority were Hispanic. Added to the statistical muddling is the fast-growing share of Americans who are more than one race or ethnicity.

Given all the variables, there are about 9,300 Latinos in Coweta, which represents 6.8 percent of the population, according to 2015 Census estimates.

were his parents and grandparents. His great-grandmother is from Mexico. He says his Aztec and Mayan ancestry goes way back, and on his mother’s side, the ancestry leans more Spaniard.

“I identify myself as a Hispanic with Mexican descendants,” he says.

When he’s asked if he’s Mexican, the gut response is “Yeah and nay.

I was born in America. I am American. I don’t have a green card with me … but I’m still Latino.”

Gomez “quietly made Georgia history” last year when he was recognized as the first Latino to be elected as a mayor pro-tem in the How Latinos deal with state. He’s often in meetings where identity politics he’s the only minority or the only Councilman Leonard Gomez of Latino. He fulfills the roles that are Grantville was born in Texas, as expected, whetherLATINO, it’s to represent page 4D

and “generational turnover” will eventually make race no longer an issue.

Boyd grew up in Newnan and ref lected on that experience. “I feel so fortunate to have grown up in a place where we all know each other and raise each other up, help each other out,” he said.

“We want to believe that race is no longer an issue, and that we are now a ‘post-racial’ society, but I don’t think we are quite there yet,” said Jeff Bishop, local writer and playwright and director of the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society’s programs.

“Un for tunately t here is a very long tradition in the South – and also in Newnan and Coweta County specifically – of callous mistreatment and exclusion of people based on their race or ethnicity, not to mention gender and sexual

orientation,” Bishop observed.

“That’s a difficult wound to heal. It takes not only time, but honest effort,” he added. A former Times-Herald reporter, Bishop said he clearly remembers covering the election of the first female county commissioner and the first black county commissioner.

“I think we are in a better place now than we were before, but I also think racial animosity and resentment runs a lot deeper than most people are willing to admit.

Too often, I think, we want to gloss over everything, and say it’s all okay. It would be easier for us. It would let us off the hook,” Bishop said.

“Could it be better?” Lassetter asked. “I’m sure it could.

But unfortunately there is evil in this world, and some people deal with individuals differently because of their skin.”

“Just drive around to the different neighborhoods around town – and be honest about what you see. Look at our jails, and who’s in them. Look at who’s running our businesses and industries, who has the high-paying jobs,” Bishop said.

“Are we truly an equal society, with equal opportunities for all? Maybe. I personally don’t think so. But isn’t it pretty to believe it?” Bishop asked.

“We have miles to go before I could ever say race relations were good,” Boyd stated. “We continue to move forward, but people on both sides of this issue want to keep us in the past. I wish we could move forward more quickly, but I guess that shows us how deep that chasm is.”

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Sunday, September 11, 2016 | The Newnan Times-Herald — 3D

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4D — The Newnan Times-Herald | Sunday, September 11, 2016

Communication at the core of police work in Newnan

By CLAY NEELY clay@newnan.com

After a summer f illed with reports of attacks on police, Newnan remained relatively unscathed by the violence. However, officers were not impervious to the national dialogue and the feelings that go along with it.

Across the nation, police departments are still dealing with the aftermath of officer ambushes in Texas and Louisiana. For many families, having a loved one involved in law enforcement is even harder these days, according to Newnan Police Chief D.L. “Buster” Meadows.

In his department, officers have remained at a heightened sense of awareness.

“It’s sad to say, but the blue band around our badges has rarely come off lately,” he said, noting the band that honors an officer killed in the line of duty.. “After Baton Rouge, kids told their parents (on the force) they didn’t want them going to work anymore, but we’ve worked through that now."

Violence against law enforcement isn’t something that only happens in big cities. In June 2016, Coweta County Sheriff’s Deputy John Curtis came under fire after a routine traffic stop turned deadly. Michael Dimitri Johnson fired over five shots at Curtis before f leeing into the woods where he was ultimately killed after raising his gun once again on law enforcement.

While attacks on police officers across the nation hasn’t stopped many young people from getting involved, recruitment in Coweta County has remained relatively steady.

However, Sheriff Mike Yeager said that it’s getting harder and harder to get viable candidates for positions like deputy sheriff.

“Our application base has been down for the last year or more,” Yeager said. “There’s been so much negativity in the media about public safety over the last several years, so I think that has a bigger effect on recruiting than people think.”

While their application stack might not be optimal, Yeager said that it won’t affect their hiring procedures.

“We’re not going to water down our standards,” he said. “We get applicants who are certified and have worked with other agencies, but we have some issues with their background checks, so we don’t pursue them.”

At the police department, Meadows recalled several candidates pulling out at the last minute when spouses ultimately vetoed the idea of going on patrol.

“You have to have a heart for it,” Meadows said. “You have to be willing to help people, get in the trenches and it’s not always the best of conditions. You have to be able to go from a sedative moment to high intensity at the drop of a hat."

The Newnan Police Department hires new officers from outside the community, but the overwhelming majority ultimately move to the area and become residents. According to Meadows, the department enjoys a reputation for being a well-run organization and progressive.

“Recruits do a lot of research before they come to a department,” he said. “Their biggest criteria is wanting to see a difference, and this department has a stellar reputation.”

Good communication and an emphasis on transparency are two principles both the sheriff’s office and police department adhere to.

A recent study revealed that the majority of

Americans believe the use of body cameras by law enforcement officers can reduce tension in communities.

Sixty percent of Americans believe the technology can heal rifts between police and the communities they protect. The report — released last November by the research firm YouGov and commissioned by body camera manufacturer Reveal — found that 47 percent of respondents believe tensions would be reduced significantly.

Both the Newnan Police Department and Coweta County Sheriff’s Office implemented the technology in 2014 ahead of most other agencies in the country, and each says they have seen nothing but positive results.

“It makes it much easier to look into complaints,” Meadows said. “When there is a video, things change."

For over two years now, both the Newnan Police Department and Coweta County Sheriff’s Office have been using body cameras and say they have seen nothing but positive results.

The utilization of video technology has not only helped alleviate potential complaints about officers, but has also provided another layer of transparency.

“If there is ever a perceived issue with one of our personnel, I simply inform the concerned party that we’ll go back and review the footage of the incident,” said Sheriff Mike Yeager. “They’re generally surprised to know a camera was running and it ends their argument pretty quickly."

For Meadows, the need for body cameras was very real. With the rise of amateur video in the social media realm, many could argue that the police have continued to battle a pub-

LATINO

Praxede Tineo, who owns a local hair salon, is from the Dominican Republic and does not speak or understand

icans, an ironic distinction for a country that’s obsessed with hyphenated Americans.

Continued from page 2D “I consider myself Cuban and also American,” he says, Latino. He fulfills the roles that but rejects being identified as are expected, whether it’s to Cuban-American. represent Latinos, Grantville Minority-majority scales or h i s e m ploye r G e or g i a are tipping Power. B a l a nc i n g ot her s ’ At 17.6 percent of the U.S. expectations of “acting white, population, people of Hispanic acting Hispanic” is difficult, he said, but he welcomes it origin are the nation’s largest as opportunity to counteract ethnic or racial minority. By 2060, Hispanics are projected stereotypes.

“I’m OK with it, to be a face to constitute 28.6 percent of for that. I can do both of these the population, per Census as well and in a professional releases this past June. Hispanic youth are driving the way,” he says.

R o b e r t o “ B o b ” G o n z a - numbers.

Jose Casablanca of Newnan lez of Newnan was born in New York. His parents are is the director of student profrom Havana, and he didn’t grams and grants at Coweta speak English until he started C o u n t y S c h o o l s , w h i c h school. He was not consid- includes the English as a Secered Latino when he traveled ond Language program. Elito 33 countries where his work gibility numbers here have with the State Department or remained fluid and steady at 3 the Federal Aviation Admin- percent while the Latino share i st r at ion s omet i me s to ok of the school system’s demohim. He explains that outside graphic pie has increased to 9 the United States, we are all percent, according to the Georviewed by others as just Amer- gia Department of Education.

lic relations nightmare in the court of public opinion.

“I think the national media is to blame for a lot of the issues we’re facing nowadays,” he said. "They put things out without any substantial proof or facts. But when the full story comes out, there’s never any correction on their part."

The idea that police departments are at war with the community is something else that has been twisted in the realm of national media, according to Meadows. Local residents have been very supportive of public safety in the wake of the officer shootings and protests against the police.

“We’re very fortunate in so many ways being here in Newnan,” he said. “Our communities will talk to us – maybe not at the scene of a crime, but later. The community at large supports what we do, and that really helps in so many ways."

The art of communication is something that can help tear down barriers that exist in the community and strengthen relationships between friends, neighbors and strangers.

“I think if we concentrate on becoming more connected as a community, we can be the example for the rest of the country,” Meadows said. “Neighborhoods used to ask for their streets to be closer so they could have a get together.

“I’d love to see more of that. It’s okay to be friends with people you might not know or who are different. The more you talk to each other, the better the community you have." **** Clay Neely: clay@newnan.com, @clayneely

He explains ESL numbers remain steady because, as students exit the program, new students enter. Students are also exposed to more English through social media and enjoy more access to cable programming with English content, resulting in English being “the language of choice” for many.

While most new arrivals in the past were from Mexico, Casablanca says more students lately are coming from Venezuela, largely due to Venezuela’s failing economy.

Keeping cultural identity important Regardless of where Latinos originate, how they selfidentify or acculturate, they’re proud of their heritage and strive to retain aspects of their cultural identity, either through food, music, language or customs.

“It is who I am,” explains Gonzalez, who enjoys cooking Cuban dishes like ropa vieja and arroz con pollo.

Xiomara Reyes of Newnan, a mother of three, started a

“Boricuas en Coweta-Fayette” Facebook page last year to promote and celebrate Puerto Rican events and customs. Jose Casablanca, also Puerto Rican, gets together annually with former classmates to enjoy native foods, play percussion and compete on the golf course in what he affectionately calls “the Bacalao Open.” Other Latinos, including Dominicans like Tineo and her sister, Adolfina Garcia, stress the importance of retaining Spanish language skills to their children.

“In school, it’s English. At home, it’s Spanish,” Garcia says.

W h i le a l l h ave e x p e r ienced their share of bias, most have largely enjoyed positive experiences in Coweta, repeatedly characterized as family-friendly.

Ricardo Medrano, a Salvadoran who moved to Newnan two years ago from New York, offered this simple assessment.

“At the end, everybody has the same blood color,” he says.

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Sunday, September 11, 2016 | The Newnan Times-Herald — 5D

Attorneys discuss the right way and wrong way to interact with police

By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL sarah@newnan.com It’s late at night, you’re heading home, and suddenly, there are blue lights in the rearview mirror. You pull over – with no clue why you’re being stopped.

Do you want to know? Sure.

But demanding the officer to tell you why he stopped you isn’t the best idea, according to loca l attorneys.

If you ask the officer why you were pulled over before you hand over you r l icen se you’re already creating a hostile situation, said Harry Daniels, a local civil rights attorney and former deputy with the Mecklenburg, N.C., sheriff’s office.

You do have a right to ask – but first, the offi“A few negative incidents shouldn’t cer needs to know who affect the outcome of every interaction you are. with police.”

“T hese g uys a re out there every day, putting their lives on the line.

When they pull a car over, they don’t know what they’re coming into. They don’t know if this person is a wanted fugitive that’s not going to be taken alive,” Daniels said.

That’s why the first thing officers do is run a check on the license.

If someone is cagey about showing a license, that may cause the officers to become cautious, suspicious or call for backup. Officers tend to be extremely cautious and ask questions to make sure the motorist doesn’t pose a threat.

“You do have a right to ask ‘why are you “I understand their constopping me? Give me your badge number.” cerns. At the end of the day, the main thing that I wa nt is to go home…

I want to get my check, have my benefits, and go home to my family. Law enforcement is in that situation,”

he said.

Once your identity is verified and the officer knows you’re not a wanted fugitive, then you can start asking questions.

“You do have a right to ask ‘why are you stopping me? Give me your badge number,’” said local attorney Graylin Ward. “You’re just asking questions. And by law, you don’t have to answer any questions.”

Officers can ask questions, too, but there are limits, the lawyers say. “‘Where are you going?’ ‘Where have you been?’

No, I don’t have to tell you that,” Ward said.

But when you start challenging officers, “there’s a right way to do it, and there’s a wrong way to do it.”

“This is a free country,” said local attorney Rufus Smith. “A lot of these things are none of their business.”

You don’t have to answer their questions, but that’s not a reason to be disrespectful. An argument with officers is likely to be unproductive.

“I don’t think you’re going to win it on the side of the road,” Smith said.

Coweta County has escaped the headlines of confrontations turning deadly, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some incidences, the lawyers say.

“Some officers are very good; some citizens are very good,” Smith said. “It is an interpersonal relationship.”

But in that relationship, one person – the officer – is the trained professional. The other is a citizen who isn’t trained.

The officer “should be trained to deescalate the situation no matter who the citizen is,” Smith said.

The people getting pulled over could have mental issues. Or maybe they’re hard of hearing. Or perhaps their English isn’t the best.

Wait for the officer’s instructions If you need to search for your license, it’s better to wait until the officer is at your window.

“You want to make sure that they see your hands. They don’t know who you are. You could have a gun,” Smith said.

If you have a gun, a legal gun, “every case is different,” Smith said. If the officers have a reason to know there is a gun, tell them you have it. If you think you’re about to be searched, “it’s best to tell them,” he said. If you’re wearing in in a holster, tell the officer that, too. But if it’s put up somewhere, you don’t necessarily need to volunteer that information.

Officers are concerned about their own wellbeing. And so are motorists.

“So anything you can do to de-escalate that type of conflict, you should do – on both sides,” Smith said.

De-escalation is the advice from other attorneys

as well.

In addition to being a former deputy himself, Daniels is the brother, brother-in-law, and first cousin of law enforcement officers.

“The question of what to do when you encounter the police is a very f luid question. It really depends,” he said.

If an officer gets behind Daniels, he knows he doesn't have drugs or alcohol in the car, he knows his insurance is valid and he doesn't have a weapon.

“I’m not going to be nasty to the police. I understand they’re doing their job,” Daniels said. If he’s speeding or not wearing his seatbelt or doing something else illegal, the officer is just doing his job to protect the public. “I’m not going to give him any crap about pulling me over.”

Some people do have a chip on their shoulder when they encounter officers, Daniels said.

They may think the police is harassing them. And maybe they are.

Police involvement reduces incidents here In Coweta, we don’t have a lot of the problems between law enforcement and citizens that are experienced in other places, said Daniels, who represents clients claiming civil-rights violations by officers and considers part of his role to remove unprofessional officers.

He thinks a big reason for the amiable relations here is we’re a small community and place where a lot of people know each other. Local law enforcement officers are active in the community and at community events. They go to games; they’re in the schools. And that can lead to a positive attitude.

But in places where officers don’t live in the communities they serve, “you’re cautious. You may be quick to pull your weapon and shoot and do some things that you shouldn’t be doing,” Daniels said.

“When you interact, let them do their jobs. Be respectful,” he said.

A few negative incidents shouldn’t affect the outcome of every interaction with police, Daniels said.

“Just because they show up with that badge and uniform doesn’t mean they’re the enemy. At 3 in the morning, you will call your so-called enemy, and they will come running to your rescue,” Daniels said.

“We do have bad apples. We do have things that happen. We do have racism that is behind the badge. We have racism on the (judge’s) bench, in the jury box. It is there. That doesn't mean as a whole of people that we concede to it,” Daniels said.

“Treat the police like human beings, and they treat you like human beings.”

“Proudly Serving Our Community” “Some officers are very good; some citizens are very good,”

T h a nk You . . .

It takes each and every one of us to make our community prosperous and peaceful. Our law enforcement community is a key component of our success.

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32 JEFFERSON STREET (DOWNTOWN NEWNAN)

576 Main Street Palmetto, Ga. 30268 770-463-3156 www.jackpeekssales.com

6D — The Newnan Times-Herald | Sunday, September 11, 2016

By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL sarah@newnan.com

Local civil rights attorney Harry Daniels was a deputy in North Carolina before going to law school, and has family members who are current law enforcement officers.

Daniels: ‘All lives matter’

Black Lives Matter. Blue Lives Matter.

Wait. Don’t All Lives Matter?

“You get a lot of opposition with you start talking about black lives matter, blue lives matter,” said local civil-rights attorney and former sheriff’s deputy Harry Daniels.

“Here’s the thing: As a culture, as a whole, everybody’s lives matter,” he said. “Black lives matter, Mexican lives matter, police lives, gay lives, straight lives, Muslim lives, Christian lives matter. We all know that.”

Fifty-one percent of white adults between the ages of 18 and 30 say in a GenForward poll they now strongly or somewhat support Black Lives Matter, a 10-point increase since June, while 42 percent said they do not support the movement.

But most young whites also think the movement's rhetoric encourages

violence against the police, while the vast majority of young blacks say it does not. And young whites are more likely to consider violence against police a serious problem than say the same about the killings of African-Americans by police.

Black, Hispanic and Asian youth already had expressed strong majority support for the Black Lives Matter movement in the June poll.

Eighty-f ive percent of AfricanAmerican young adults now say they support the protesters. Sixty-seven percent of Asian and 62 percent of Hispanic young adults agreed with that sentiment.

The GenForward survey of adults age 18 to 30 is conducted by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The first-of-its-kind poll pays special attention to the voices of young adults of color, highlighting how race and ethnicity shape the

opinions of a new generation.

But some people have the mindset that “just because I say all lives matter, I’m saying that black lives don’t matter,” Daniels said. “Last time I checked, ‘all’ encompasses everybody.”

Daniels said when people ask him what he thinks about black lives matter and blue lives matter, he posts two photos, side by side: one of him in a Mecklenburg County, N.C., sheriff’s department uniform, and one of him standing side by side with Jesse Jackson, talking to the new media.

“You get that tit for tat with people who want to keep crap going,” Daniels said.

Instead of all races marching together, things are separated.

“When we get into an argument about whose lives matter, we’re missing the whole point that all lives matter,” Daniels said.

But do all lives really matter?

“African Americans are getting killed by police and nothing is happening about it … African-Americans are being killed in the streets of Chicago, and not a damn thing is being done about it either,” Daniels said. “How can you say black lives matter if you’re killing one another?”

“If black lives matter, truly matter, as you claim, you need to make sure this is a deep impact. That black lives matter not just to law enforcement. That they matter when you’ve got shootings in your neighborhood, shooting in the community and nobody wants to tell who did it, and they come back and do it again.”

If black lives really matter, “let’s act accordingly,” Daniels said. “If you aren’t concerned, people aren’t going to be concerned. That is the ultimate truth that a lot of people don’t want to admit to.”

Note: The Associated Press contributed to this story.

oweta County has much to be thankful for in the area of community relations. Our law enforcement officers not only ensure our safety but also treat our citizens with respect. And our people treat each other with dignity and grace. We add our names to this roll to show our support for the Coweta way that honors the civic leaders, officers and individuals who work so hard to keep our community a safe, prosperous and friendly place to live.

Amazing Smiles, P.C.

Discovery Point

The Heritage School

3229 Hwy. 34 E., Ste. 101 • Newnan 770-304-0034 • amazingsmilespc.com

11 Market Square Rd. • Newnan 770-252-2166 • discoverypoint.com

Pre-K to 12th Grade Independent School

The Barbershop of Newnan

Discovery Point

Holly Hill Memorial Park

20 Baker Rd., Ste. 7 • Newnan 770-254-2227

3052 Hwy. 154 • Newnan 770-254-1880 • discoverypoint.com

The Bedford School

Dogwood Veterinary Hospital & Laser Center

For Children with Learning Disabilities Maximizing Potential Maximizes Success

Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits 2800 Hwy. 34 E. • Newnan 678-633-6200 • bojangles.com

C.S. Toggery

6 E. Court Square • Downtown Newnan 678-621-0373 • cstoggery.com

Central Christian School 3613 GA Highway 34 • Sharpsburg 770-252-1234 • cccrusaders.com

Charlie’s Towing

229-C Greenville St. • Newnan 770-253-8767 • charlieswrecker.com

CharterBank

An Entirely New Banking Experience

www.charterbank.net

Committee to Elect Cynthia Bennett www.bennettforgeorgia.com

24 Hospital Rd. • Newnan • 770-253-3416 • dogwoodvet.com

Dragonfly Running Company

www.heritageschool.com

359 NW Broad St. • Fairburn 770-964-6014 • HollyHillMemorialPark.com

Huddle House

1430 Hwy. 29 S. • Newnan 770-253-1749

Insignia Living of Georgia

10 LaGrange St. • Newnan 470-414-1430 • dragonflyrunningcompany.com

Senior Communities Centered Around Family

Drayer Physical Therapy Institute

Glenn & Barbara Lee

47 Postal Pkwy. • Newnan 770-252-5279 • drayerpt.com/newnan

Dr. Eric J. Echols, D.D.S. www.northgaorthodontics.com 678-423-0100

Georgia Bone and Joint, LLC

770-251-6639 • www.insigniaofnewnan.com

In memory of Heslip “Happy” Lee

Let Them Eat Toffee 18A North Court Square • Newnan 770-683-0137 • www.letthemeattoffee.com

Macedonia Hills Weddings & Events

www.georgiaboneandjoint.org

1390 Macedonia Rd. • Newnan 678-580-8839 • macedoniahills.com

Georgia Trail Outfitters

Manning & Son Automotive

Setting a HIGHER STANDARD of Exceptional Orthopaedic Care

404-852-3372 • georgiatrailoutfitters.com

15 Temple Ave. • Newnan 770-251-5199

Glover & Davis, P.A.

Massage Envy

Adventure River & Trail Guides

Coweta Cities & County EFCU

10 Brown Street • Newnan 770-683-6000 • www.gloverdavis.com

770-252-3000 Newnan • 678-216-1000 PTC www.massageenvy.com

770-253-2273 • www.cccefcu.org

Grannie Fannies Antiques

My Kidz Dentist

MEMBERSHIP May Be EASIER Than You Think!

Coweta County Democratic Party www.cowetademocrat.com

Coweta Samaritan Clinic

Coweta County Citizens Caring for our Neighbors

770-683-5272 • cowetasamaritanclinic.org

15 Greenville St. • Newnan 770-683-5220 • granniefannies.com

Newnan • Carrollton • Fayetteville • Atlanta

Grit and Grace

My Rent Source Property Management

7 Greenville St. • Downtown Newnan 678-552-9798

770-253-4488 • mykidzdentist.org

We Rent Homes Fast

www.myrentsource.com

Sunday, September 11, 2016 | The Newnan Times-Herald — 7D

oweta County has much to be thankful for in the area of community relations.

Our law enforcement officers not only ensure our safety but also treat our citizens with respect. And our people treat each other with dignity and grace.

We add our names to this roll to show our support for the Coweta way that honors the civic leaders, officers and individuals who work so hard to keep our community a safe, prosperous and friendly place to live.

Newnan-Coweta Chamber

Smallwood Firearms

23 Bullsboro Dr. • Newnan 770-253-2270 • newnancowetachamber.org

Thank you for supporting and protecting our city.

Newnan First United Methodist Church

South Metro Ministries

770-253-7400 • www.newnanfumc.org

3935 Hwy. 34 E. • Sharpsburg 770-251-3777 • southmetro.church

The Newnan Times-Herald

SouthTowne

16 Jefferson Street • Newnan 770-253-1576 • times-herald.com

Odyssey School

K-8 Public Charter School

www.odysseycharterschool.net

Phil Aaron - State Farm Supports all of Coweta.

770-253-4428

NuWay Realty

Located in Summer Grove Market Square, Newnan

770-252-2585 • www.NuWayRealty.net

Ann & Jerry Robinette

Proud to be residents of Coweta County

RPM Patio Pub & Grill

15 Jackson Street • Downtown Newnan 770-683-1414

The Rutledge Center

770-253-9752

Chevrolet • Buick • GMC • Cadillac 695 Bullsboro Drive • Newnan www.southtownechevrolet.com

SouthTowne Hyundai

800 Bullsboro Drive • Newnan 770-253-1407 • www.southtownehyundai.com

Standard Office Systems 70-D Bullsboro Dr. • Newnan 770-251-7255 • soscanhelp.com

State Representative Bob Trammell “No day shall erase you from the memory of time.” – Virgil

Stemberger & Cummins, P.C. 45 Spring St. • Newnan 770-253-0913 • www.scalawfirm.com

Stephanie Fagerstrom, State Farm Agent

61 Hospital Road • Newnan

28 Hospital Road • Newnan • 770-683-3676 stephanie@insurewithstephanie.com

Sanders, Haugen & Sears, P.C.

Stonebridge Early Learning Center

11 Perry Street • Newnan 770-253-3880 • www.sandershaugen.com

Sears Hometown Stores

Fayetteville – 770-626-3943 • Griffin – 770-227-9402 www.searshometownstores.com

Shepard Financial, Inc.

3 Greenville St. • Newnan • 770-251-2909

770-253-8104 • www.stonebridge-elc.com

St. George Catholic Church

Walt and Marjorie Thompson We support Coweta County families.

True Natural Gas

770-502-0226 • 1-877-746-4362 truenaturalgas.com

Dr. Gene & Margaret Tyre In memory of Dr. R.W. Sutton An example in word & deed that ALL LIVES MATTER.

Uniquely Gifted

859 Senoia Rd., Ste. C. • Tyrone 404-421-4738

United Bank

61 Bullsboro Drive • Newnan 770-251-4311 • www.accessunited.com

Unity Baptist Church 311 Smokey Rd. • Newnan 770-253-2483 • ubcnewnan.com

W. Reece Payton

“I EXHORT therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life...” 1 TIM 2:2-3

Warehouse Carpets 169 N. Main St. • Luthersville 770-927-6700

WC Limousine & Transportation Services 770-412-3994 • wclimousine.com

Wheat Family Dental

42 Market Square Rd. • Newnan 770-251-8145 • wheatfamilydental.com

771 Roscoe Road • Newnan 770-251-5353 • www.stgeorgenewnan.org

White Oak Golden K Kiwanis Club

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

www.whiteoakgoldenk.org

576 Roscoe Road • Newnan 770-253-4264 • www.stpaulsnewnan.org

“Young Children Priority One”

Jerry & Joyce Wood In honor of Wilmirth Wood

8D — The Newnan Times-Herald | Sunday, September 11, 2016

Interracial talks spurred understanding, supporters say

By EMILY KIMBELL news@newnan.com One local man’s efforts to improve race relations in Coweta County led to a series of conversations years ago that some say are still having a positive impact.

Don Chapman is a Vietnam veteran, retired airline pilot, Coweta’s 2009 Citizen of the Year, and a white man critical of what he calls white privilege, a concept that he acknowledges triggers different reactions depending on who is asked.

“Ask any white person what white privilege is and they look at you like ‘what the hell are you talking about?’ Ask any black person what white privilege is, and you immediately get a very knowing smile,’” he said.

Chapman then suggests a follow-up.

“Ask any white person what black person you would like to change places with.”

T h e re s p on s e i s t y pically silence, according to

Chapman.

The term, f irst used by Peggy McIntosh in her 1988 a r ticle “ W h ite P riv i lege: Unpac k i n g t he I nv i sible Knapsack,” describes what she calls the inherent societal privileges and benefits that white people in Western countries receive.

Critics of her theory say it is a tactic of liberals to discredit conservatives by accusing them of being uninformed and hardhearted.

“Make no mistake, privilege theory is a fierce and effective threat to basic American values,” wrote David Marcus is a senior contributor to the Federalist last month. “Privilege theory is the means by which equality, enshrined (albeit imperfectly) in the Declaration of Independence as the cornerstone of our nation, is turned on its head. Under privilege theory, we and our speech are no longer equal, even in theory.”

On the other hand, some people, like Chapman, say it

is easy to find traces of white privilege and racial bias in everyday life and even in our own community.

“W hen you go into the store, you don’t get followed around. When you are black, you do many times,” he said.

“When you go into the restaurant and sit down, if you are sitting there with blacks, the waitress will always ask the whites what they want first before the blacks.”

When he moved to Coweta County 25 years ago, Chapman began noticing what he thought were instances of racial bias. For example, there were no black Boy Scout troops.

He concluded there was a need to improve race relations in the county, so he established an organization that operated for approximately four years called Come to the Table where people of all backgrounds and cultures would meet to discuss issues.

He relayed how, after one meeting, a woman called the

idea “brilliant.”

He responded, “If you think people talking to each other is brilliant, that just tells you how bad the problem is.”

Other members of the community agree that Come to the Table was both valuable and unifying. John Wells, a frequent attendee of Come to the Table meetings and a white man, recalls that the organization as unifying.

“It just brought the races together,” he said. “We are very separate in Newnan. We live in two separate communities in the same town.”

Chapman hopes to start another organization like Come to the Table that promotes communication across races. He states that the only way to start working through issues like white privilege is to have a conversation: “Start talking. Let’s have community forums.”

He believes these dialogues will convince whites that white privilege exists.

“We need to talk about race

and raise awareness, so people know that it’s not a myth,” he said. “It’s not a boogeyman. It really exists. It’s a culture thing, and we [white people] may not even recognize it.”

Secondly, he hopes to convince people that they can get along regardless of race.

“Once the conversation starts across racial lines, within a matter of a minute or two, race is no longer an issue. We are just talking human to human.” However, Chapman acknowledges that all too often “those conversations do not start across racial lines.”

These conversations may not start because, as Clarence Bohannon, a long-time civil rights activist and black man, says, “you may not hear what you want to hear.” When it comes to issues of race, people must be willing to begin with an open mind, he said.

Bohannon grew up surrounded by racial tension – even being asked to swim

at different pools and drink at different water fountains than his white neighbors. He agrees that in order to begin reconciling issues of race, the key is to start a discussion.

“Biggest thing is dialogue being open,” he said.

Bohannon says attitudes change when people of a different race begin “to understand what a person’s been through and start to sympathize.”

Chapman and Bohannon express faith in basic human behavior. Bohannon suggests that many racial offenses are done “unintentionally.

T hey don’t k now.” Chapman believes that everyone is srrives to be nice and “once they realize that [racial bias] exists, they won’t participate anymore.”

And Chapman expresses optimism about his adopted hometown.

“Coweta County is a great place,” he says. “There are just some things that need to be changed.”

Black Coweta women say they’ve not experienced racism here

By KANDICE BELL kandice@newnan.com

A lt houg h m a ny re cent events across the country suggest there is a widening racial divide, some AfricanAmerican women in Coweta believe unity is not too far fetched.

New na n native Wi nnie Cheaves said that recent police shootings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La., and Phillando Castille in St. Anthony, Minn., in July are sad for everyone. Cheaves said she does believe that some policemen abuse their power, but not everyone.

“The police are supposed to protect and serve,” Cheaves said. “So, why would they just kill some of our innocent black boys for no reason at all?

Sometimes I do we believe young black men are profiled.

Especially, if they’re driving a certain kind of car. I know a lot of them are doing things they should not be doing, but not all of them are bad. I don’t think all cops are bad, I really don’t. Just remember, you reap what you sow.”

Cheaves graduated from Central High School in 1957.

She has lived here all of her life, and through the Jim Crow era that spanned from Reconstruction until the 1965 Civil Rights legislation. She said she never really encountered br uta l racism du ring Jim Crow, but she does believe it exists.

Cheaves said that times are really different from when she was growing up. She reminisced about not being able to swim at Duncan Street, which she lived across the street from.

“Back then, we knew we couldn’t go there, so we knew we didn’t try it,” she said.

“Back then, we didn’t know nothing about shooting. Now everybody has a gun.

“Everyone just needs to stop and think. Our youth need to go out and get a job and work for what they need.

Stop all of this stealing and killing, especially one-onone black killing. There’s too much of that going on.

You have to work for what you want. We have to stick together. I think after Martin Luther King Jr. died, that’s when everything got really bad. He kept us together.

“I pray for the policemen and everybody. Black kids, white race, everybody. When we were going to school, we had devotion; a song, prayer and then another song before we had class. If that was still in the schools, all this stuff wouldn’t be going on.”

Kendall Trammell has lived in Newnan since 2001. She attended East Coweta High School and is a recent University of Georgia graduate.

A journalist by trade, Tramell said she has never really seen color and instead connects with others based on common interests and ideas.

“I’ve never really had a problem with racism here, or at least I don’t think so,” Trammell said. “Definitely not by police, or any sort of government official. Sometimes when I’m with some of my black guy friends, I’ve seen people lock their car doors when we walk by. No one really says anything, but it’s more of gestures and body language. Sometimes people may not know what they’re saying or doing is offending someone.”

Trammell said her parents encouraged their family to stay focused, stay out of trouble and concentrate on their education, which is how she met many of her friends.

“I had a predominantly white group of friends in high school,” Trammell said.

“I didn’t really see color as much. If anything, sometimes there is tension when you have white friends and you’re the Oreo in the group.

WINNIE CHEAVES CITY OF NEWNAN W hen I wa s i n elemenCouncilwoman Cynthia Jenkins This is Winnie Cheaves in her tary and middle school, I adolescent years. would always get ‘Why are you hanging out with them or why aren’t you with us?’ woman Cynthia Jenkins is her admiration for our local law I was in AP classes (college fourth term on the Newnan enforcement officers,” the level classes) when I was in City Council and has helped councilwoman said. “That high school, and sometimes I the city implement programs doesn't mean I've never had would be the only black per- such as the Taskforce and a problem elsewhere. I'll son in the class. Sometimes other forums to focus on com- never forget how it felt to be I wanted to fit in with either munity relationship building pulled over by Atlanta police my black or white friends, and and safety. in a car with several felI would overthink things.”

“In a nutshell, it's sad that low black Georgia Tech stuTrammell said she now has there is such fear and appre- dents, all members of a cammore of a mixture of friends hension between African- pus fraternity, for no reason. she met while in college.

Americans and law enforce- It was late. We were on camShe believes her generation ment in this country, but we pus and pulled over in front of Millennials is focused on have largely avoided that in of the Georgia Tech Office of moving forward and that disCoweta County,” Jenkins said. Minority Educational Develcussing issues instead of hid“I credit the culture created opment Building. The officer ing them is the key to solving by our local law enforcement questioned our very presence issues.

“I think you have to be okay leaders and the fact that we on campus. We explained with making yourself uncom- are still a city with what I'd that we were all students, fortable,” she said. “That was like to say is ‘mama 'nem’ poli- remained calm and respectmy problem in high school. tics. We know each other well ful in spite of the officer's grip I was afraid to say anything enough to still know ‘mama on his gun. After the incident, to people who were around 'nem,’ ask how ‘mama 'nem’ the guys lamented the drivme if I heard or saw them are doing and have had life ing while black. It was all too doing something that may long experiences with ‘mama common of an occurrence for be offensive. If you’re able to 'nem.’ We've essentially built them.”

Jenkins added that when talk that through with your basic relationships, but more work has to be done.” officers are looking for a susfriends, you can be advocates Jenkins said she has never pect who is a black male, it for someone even when it’s not concerning you. You can’t feared the police and was should be expected for them be sure everyone learned the taught to always follow the to stop those who f it the same lessons you learned at rules and she wouldn’t have description, but it’s still scary when you’re innocent, but she home. You have to be open- to worry about anything.

“I still believe this and have thinks it’s reasonable the offiminded and understanding.”

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case he has caught the suspect he is looking for.

A s a bl ack com mu n it y leader, Jenkins admits that progress is needed.

“We're working on it, but for those of us who are not committing crimes, who don't live in crime areas and are by all standard, productive citizens, please understand the frustration that comes with this topic,” she added. “We can't control others’ actions, yet we're subject to the scrutiny and the feeling that we have to prove ourselves when we‎ encounter law enforcement officers. That lumping of all into a negative category really is racism.”

Jenkins said the community forums have allowed law enforcement officers to answer questions about their processes, how the system works and how citizens can help them solves crimes. She believes continuing the commun ity for ums a nd community policing models will help the community and law enforcement continue to view one another in a more positive way and build trust.

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Sunday, September 11, 2016 | The Newnan Times-Herald — 9D

Local civic and social club members share impact on community

By KANDICE BELL

kandice@newnan.com

Civic and social clubs play a role in how Cowetans look out for one another, besides serving to spark friendships, networking and offering the chance to be around a group of like-minded individuals.

Some of the goals of these types of organizations include scholarship, charity and philTHETA LAMBDA LAMBDA CHAPTER OF OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY, INC. anthropic service within the Left to right are A.T. Neal, John Kirkland, Arthur Davenport, Jr., Chris Mosley, John Ramsey, Curtis community.

College connections turn to community service Sororities and fraternities are very popular in the African-American community, and many of the members that join in college are very active in the organization, even after college.

An example of the longevity of the bond is Curtis Jenkins, who is a member of the Theta Lambda Lambda Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, which serves Coweta and Fayette counties. Jenkins join in 1962 at Fort Valley State University. The local Theta Lambda Chapter was founded in 1999. Omega Psi Phi was founded on Nov. 17, 1911 on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. T he Omega ma n sa id he joined the organization because it stood out from all the rest.

“Our chapter had a lot of talent,” Jenkins said. “Our campus thought we were the best fraternity. It looked like everything we participated in, we excelled.”

The Theta Lambda chapter gives back to the community through tutoring, the mentoring of young black men and giving out scholarships each year to black men graduating from high school. Jenkins said

Jenkins, Issac Aycock, Jerome Kirkland and Darryl Mason, who are members of the Theta Lambda Lambda Chapter of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, Inc. The chapter is accepting the Village Keeper Award from St. Smyrna Baptist Church, which recognizes leadership and community involvement.

the chapter awarded eight $1500 scholarships last year.

“We also help out families at Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Jenkins said. “We get involved in voter registration and blood drives.”

Jenkins said that his frate r n it y h elp e d h i m fe el more valuable to the commu n it y a nd more recognized and appreciated by the community.

“It ha s a lso helped me become more a giver and helper and be more aware of the needs of young black men,” Jenkins said.

The purpose becomes clear after joining Retired educator and longtime, Coweta resident Peggy Covey has always had a passion for nurturing the youth and pointing them in the right direction. Although she is a retired 34-year elementary educator, Covey was not able to stay stagnant with her passion of the youth and community involvement, so she decided to the Kiwanis Club of Coweta County, a club that aims to serve the children of the world through community activism.

According to the their official website, the objectives of

the Kiwanis Club are: • To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life.

• To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships.

• To promote the adoption and the application of higher social, business, and professional standards.

• To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship.

• To provide through the club, a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service & to build a better community.

• To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which make possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism, and goodwill.

do do involves children; that’s what we are. We are saving the world one child and one community at a time.”

Covey mentioned many of the projects the club sponsors in addition to the annual county fair, which is one of the best attended events locally.

Projects include aiding other local nonprofits such as One Roof or Coweta Pregnancy Services or Meal on Wheels.

She added her club partnered with the White Oak Golden K, another branch of Kiwanis, and started a club three years ago called K-Kids at Jefferson Parkway Elementary, where Covey used to teach.

Clubs offer service lessons to the young

The club is for fourth and fifth grade students and the Kiwanis member said the club aims to teach kids at elementary level to become leaders.

The club meets once per month and the student members are even able to elect their own president, vice president a nd secret a r y, which must be a fifth grader.

The new off icers even go through a training process to learn about their new responsibility. After the students take care of official business at the meeting, the students enjoy a snack.

The club also usually has some sort of communitybased project to work on. One project involved the students making toys for cats at a local animal shelter.

“Everything we do is either giving back to our community or to our school, and we want to instill that in the students,” she said. “The next level is Builders Club in middle school, and our sponsored club is at Lee Middle School.

Students can even continue in the club in high school in the Key Club.”

Covey said that students are sometimes recommended for club membership, but sometimes the students with behavior problems may not be recommended.

Covey has been part of the all-women club for almost three years, but she said she never fully understood the real meaning behind Kiwanis until actually becoming a member.

KIWANIS CLUB “I mainly associated the fair with the Kiwanis club,” Left to right are Pam Marrett, Ruby St. John ,Kennedy Miller, Lisa Covey said. “Kiwanis is all Diebboll and Cathy Miller. St. John and Miller are K-Kids members about the kids. Everything we at Jefferson Parkway Elementary School.

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“We need to be able to teach them how to get along and give back to the community,” she said. “Now we have the children fill out a form to express their interest and why they want to be in the club.

Parents have to approve them to be in the club.”

At the beginning of this school year, the club received 43 forms, but only had about 33 to actually join. Covey said she believes that transportation issues may be a cause for some students now joining since the club is after school a nd st udent s mu st h ave transportation.

“If you can’t get a way of home, it knocks you out of a lot of stuff,” she added. “I still think we had a good turnout this year for parents wanting their children to be involved in their communities. Our hope is that the children will continue through high school.

We have a mixture of races and ethnicities. We just want to teach all of our children how to be leaders in their community and give back. If you start while they’re young, it will stick with them.”

Cutlines: Left to right are A.T. Neal, John Kirkland, Arthur Davenport, Jr., Chris Mosley, John Ramsey, Curtis Jenkins, Issac Aycock, Jerome Kirkland and Darryl Mason, who are members of the Theta Lambda Lambda Chapter of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, Inc. The chapter is accepting the Village Keeper Award from St. Smy r n a B apt i st C hu rc h , which recognizes leadership and community involvement.

Left to right are Pam Marrett, Ruby St. John ,Kennedy Miller, Lisa Diebboll and Cathy Miller. St. John and Miller are K-Kids members at Jefferson Parkway Elementary School.

10D — The Newnan Times-Herald | Sunday, September 11, 2016