Welcome to my newsletter by me, King Williams. A documentary filmmaker, journalist, podcast host, and author based in Atlanta, Georgia. This is a newsletter covering the hidden connections of Atlanta to everything else.
Books and Bonfires-May 14th
It’s been a while since we’ve had an in-person event, so Saturday, May 14th, we will be hosting a meetup for both the book club and newsletter members. This event will be the culmination of the Socially Distanced Bookclub from 6-7:15 pm, followed by a bonfire from 7:30-9 pm at the Urban Farm Ornewood, 1015 Berne St SE, Atlanta, Ga 30316. Any member of the newsletter is invited to attend, the event is BYOB, bring your own chair, bring your own bug repellent, and here’s what else you need to know:
You will need to park on Berne St facing east; west is a dedicated bike lane - please bike if you want!
If taking MARTA buses 107, 4, or 32 will get you close to the site but you will have a 5-8 min walk from your stop.
There is no inside access to restrooms. Please prepare ahead of time. There is a large Kroger + ChickFilA nearby if necessary, about a 2 min drive.
Our host once again is Grace, who you may remember gave us a tour of the farm for our fall 2021 outing at UFO. IF you would like to donate, you can via Venmo @UrbanFarm-InOrmewood. The event will be canceled in the event of severe weather.
New Podcast Alert: Nathan Tankus
In this interview, I talk to writer Nathan Tankus (@nathantankus). Nathan is the creator of Notes on the Crises, a great macro-economic look at various aspects of the US economy. Nathan’s work initially grew because of his substack of the same name, leading to a profile in Bloomberg, leading to a wave of new readers.
Over the course of this interview, Nathan and I talk about unions, unemployment, the federal reserve bank, and comparing the economic response for working people in the 2008 financial crash versus the 2020 pandemic. We also talk about his decision to leave Substack for his own platform. In addition to how he feels about being a modern-age thought leader in the economic space.
This episode is also available here on Substack, on Apple Podcasts, and on Spotify.
I would also recommend listening to a previous podcast episode on The History of the Federal Reserve with Steve Campbell which is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Events
The first round of Georgia election debates is coming May 1st-3rd.
The Atlanta Press Club Loudermilk-Young Debate Series is hosting primary election debates for the Governor, U.S. Senate, Secretary of State, Lt. Governor, Insurance Commissioner, State School Superintendent, and U.S. Congress Districts 6, 7, 10, & 14.
Other events:
Black Coffee Fest 2022 is this Friday, April 15th, and Saturday, April 16th.
Chattahoochee Brick Company Descendants Coalition will be holding its second annual Sacred Ceremony Saturday, April 16th from 1-3pm. RSVP here.
The 2022 Atlanta Film Festival will be held from April 21st - to May 1st.
Olmsted 200 is hosting a week of events from April 25th - to May 1st.
Emory Village is hosting a free outdoor concert on Saturday, April 30th.
The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition is hosting its annual Blinke Awards on May 19th.
The Save Your Spaces cultural heritage festival is coming on May 21st—RSVP.
Red Clay News
The Atlanta Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) is currently available for residents who could use assistance with their water bills.
Microsoft will be hosting a series of town halls regarding its new westside campus beginning in June.
Hartsfield Jackson regains its status as the world’s busiest airport.
South Fulton will be losing its only full-care hospital.
Georgia 400 is bringing back toll lanes.
An Atlanta man’s family is suing the Blue Flame strip club after his son was shot in the parking lot of the club.
Texas fast-food chain Whataburger is opening 8 locations in Atlanta, including the former Zestos in Little 5 Points.
Nike is opening a technology center in Atlanta on the westside.
National News
Two unruly airline passengers have received the largest-ever civil fines at $77k and $82k.
Two Buffalo police officers have been cleared of wrongdoing after pushing a 75-year old protestor on camera in 2020.
South Carolina has scheduled its first firing squad execution to be held on April 29th.
Alabama has passed a law forcing teachers and counselors to out transgender students to their parents.
No charges against police will be filed in the no-knock killing of Amir Locke.
An investigation has discovered Maryland police discussing killing BLM protestors.
Patrisse Cullors, one of the founders of Black Lives Matter has been accused of spending $6 million dollars on a luxury home.
A Memphis Black Lives Matter organizer has been given 6 years in prison for trying to register to vote while on probation.
Walmart is looking for truck drivers, with a starting rate of $95,000.
International News
French President Emmanuel Macron will face a runoff against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen
Canada is banning foreigners from buying homes for two years.
China is releasing people from lockdowns after undergoing another series of lockdowns related to covid-19 in the country since mid-March.
Sweden and Finland are considering joining NATO as soon as this summer.
I also wrote two guest pieces worth checking out.
The first is for Austin Ray’s (@austinlouisray) newsletter The Georgia Brewsletter. My entry was for the limited edition series How I Would Fix Atlanta? — You can read that post here.
I also wrote for the Atlanta Civic Circle, about what makes this era of gentrification in Atlanta different. — You can read that post here.
Here’s to a new week! - KJW