April 4 – Anniversary of MLKJr Assassination

Numerous events were held today in Atlanta to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assasination 50 years ago.  The events included:

1) A short service was held at the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Churchbon Auburn Avenue.

2) Two of MLKJr.’s children, Rev. Bernice King and Martin L. King, III; his sister, Christine King Ferris, and other family members gathered at the King Center.  Together they rang a bell 39 times.  Once for each year he lived.

3) WAOK Radio Station 1380 AM broadcast the Derrick Boazman live from The King Center.

4) The IBEW Union Hall at 501 Pullman Street showed the film, “I Am Man” free to the public.

I heard one of Rose Scott’s series on NPR station, WABE 90.1FM, on MLK,Jr. It looks at April 4, the anniversary of King’s assignation, as more than the bullet that took his life.  She said, ‘We need to know more about the man and the work he did.  King positively impacted lots people of today who never met him.’  Use this link to hear this incredible story packed with incredible interviews from today’s “Closer Look”:

https://www.wabe.org/episode/closer-look-50th-anniversary-assassination-dr-martin-luther-king-jr/

Use this link to see some of today’s MLK50 events. It includes a panel in Memphis with Marian Wright Edelman, Bernard LaFayette and Rev. Jesse Jackson:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.commercialappeal.com/amp/488063002

 

Homeless Camp at Local Post Office

As most people did today, I put on several layers before venturing out in the 29 degree Atlanta weather.  Nice and warm. I warmed up my car,  turned on the heat and drove over to the Ben Hill post office to drop off mail.

However, when I entered the door, a peculiar odor was in the air.  I discovered there was a homeless man camped out there. He startled me.  Seeing the look on my face, he said “M’am, you know it’s real cold outside.” I agreed.. Knowing he needed  transportation to the  City’s closest warming center over at the Old Adamsville Rec Center on M.L. King,Jr. Drive at DelMar Lane, I called Atlanta Police Department (APD) Zone 4 to ask if they could send an officer or someone to take him over to the warming center.  The officer said, ‘of course they would’ and she thanked me for calling.

When the Officer Polencia arrived, he spoke politely to the homeless man who said his name is Dave.  Dave said he is an Army veteran who is waiting for his friend who lives a few houses down to get off from work who he stays with overnight.  Polencia offered to take Dave to the warming center, but he refused saying he is okay.  Polencia told him he could not stay there.  Dave assured the officer he was going to leave.

I left and checked five hours later at 9:20pm and not only was Dave still there, but another homeless guy was also.

This is not good!  Unfortunately, these are  not the only two homeless people in southwest Atlanta.  So, I sent an email to Councilman Andre Dickens, NPU-P Chair Reginald Rushin and CBS 46 TV.  They all responded within minutes.  Yet none of them mentioned transportation to the warming center.  With a shortage of APD officers, do we really want them to run a shuttle service?

With no one else to call, I called Zone 4 again. This time I spoke to Sgt. Bowers who said they would send someone over.

So, is Atlanta a city too busy to have a plan in place for transporting its homeless to warming centers when we experience frigid temperatures?  This is winter. Weather forecasts are pretty accurate.  Frigid temps are always in the forecasts.  Where is the plan?  Where is the compassion from our city leaders?

Tomorrow there will be an Inauguration for The new Mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms.  This is her district until then. Will her successor, councilwoman-elect Marci Overstreet, and the other city council members (half are new) devise a plan to help our most vulnerable citizens?

Time will tell whether Atlanta will be too busy to devise and implement a plan.  Will you hold them accountable??

Donate Only What is Needed to Hurricane Harvey Survivors

Did you know that everything donated after a natural disaster or devastating event is not needed?  From people to corporations, after Hurricane Katrina & Rita, after Sandyhook, after Haiti and now after Hurricane Harvey, we must be cognizant of the most effect and efficient ways to give and volunteer.

Believe or not, a lot of the wrong stuff causes more harm than good and may not be used at all.  CBS Sunday Morning did an updated story on this important topic right after Hurricane Harvey so that our good intentions can bring joy instead of wasting resources and causing pain.  Perhaps we simply need to donate cash via online website, through churches and at on-site donations events to well-vetted organizations.  So think before you give. View the full show segment at:

https://www.cbsnews.com/videos/disaster-relief-donations-that-dont-bring-relief-2/

Also, Tom Joyner set up a unique fund with $20,000 seed money and is taking donations where 100% of proceeds will go to the people.  This fund collects money donations to give $1,000 Walmart gift certificates to people who open their homes to family, friends, co-workers and strangers. In many cases, these Harvey survivors will be staying indefinitely with these angels who opened up their homes.  In one letter to the Tom Joyner Morning Show (TJMS), a family had taken in 21 people who lost their homes.  Can you imagine the increased food and  utility bills?  See the full story an how you can help:

Open Arms In The Midst Of A Storm

BlackAmericaWeb.com Relief Fund

Now you have the information you need to make sure your donation will be used by those who need it for the purpose for which you intended.  Thanks in advance for being a part of the village of people who do not just talk about how bad the disaster is, but gives what you can to make a difference for those in need.

And, people who survive these traumatic events, whether a weather or violent catastrophe, let us refer to those affected by these disasters as “survivors” instead of “victims “.   Thanks!!

Photos from Google Images.

What is Really Going On At Rikers and in Our Courts?

There are too many stories about Black, brown and poor people being arrested unjustly and sent to prisons.  More of these people than the system wants us to know about are not only innocent, but are being held for years without a trial.  Some of the most egregious are being investigated  Sean King in his report tomorrow on The Tom Joyner Morning Show (KISS 104.1FM in Atlanta).

If you miss the report Monday morning, you can find it at BlackAmericaWeb.com

Also, Related is a story CBS Sunday Morning did on the fact that there really is not “equal justice under the law” as is claimed in America.  They reported on a broken system whereby court appointed attorneys rarely, if ever, have a chance to investigate cases or meet their clients before the trial date. Then they encourage their clients to take a plea and serve time despite their innocence and no evidence being presented.  Yale law school Professor Stephen Bright calls it the “Meet ’em and plead ’em” defense.

From Cordele, Georgia to New Orleans, Louisiana and in numerous courts across the U.S. this is the norm.  In one Louisiana city where there is only one attorney who represents all who cannot afford an attorney.  In some towns like Cordele, Georgia, the accused go before the judge in groups of 10 or more. Often the public defender does not even know what each client looks like.  Yet, one by one, each person in the group pleads guilty and accepts the sentence regardless of the sentence length since they cannot afford to pay for an attorney.

Then, many of them lose their job, home and children.  Well, when Shanna Shackelford was accused of arson after a rental home she own caught on fire less than a year after she increased the insurance coverage, her public defender told her to plead guilty and take the 25 year sentence.  Her court appointed attorney did not help her.  So about two years later, and after much frustration, Shackelford was able to get help.  An investigation that took two weeks revealed it was an electrical fire, not arson. Well, she had served two years in jail, lost her home and everything.  Then it took theee years to get her record cleared so she could get a job. See the full story at: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/unequal-justice-under-the-law/

This proves the color of justice is green.

Is this acceptable in the “land of the free, home of the brave”…or “with liberty and justice for all”?