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.
Today is 404 Day!
Today is 404 Day! A celebration of Atlanta, today’s celebration included a special VIP event at The Gathering Spot, with Butter.ATL and ChooseATL hosting a party. The event featured mayor Andre Dickens, who also debuted his own personal playlist.
RIP Dr. Doris Derby
Last week saw the passing of Dr. Doris Adelaide Derby, a legendary civil rights photographer, whose photos defined the movement. But to myself and thousands of students at Georgia State University, she was Dr. Derby, a matriarch in every sense of the word. Dr. Derby’s passing came after a long bout with cancer.
Dr. Derby was born in the Bronx in 1939, then grew up on the outskirts of the small, northern section of Williamsbridge. Dr. Derby was a known community activist, photographer, and teacher. Her photographs helped document the civil rights and post-civil rights movements in the deep south in the 1960s and 1970s. Dr. Derby was a member of the NAACP Youth division in her early years as well as the Northern Student Movement, before joining the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). As a member of SNCC Derby worked in New York, Georgia, and Mississippi.
Dr. Derby was a photographer for her entire life, but also spent decades in education as both a teacher as well an administrator. Derby started as an elementary school teacher in Mississippi, eventually moving into the university as an adjunct professor of anthropology. Derby was also known for her time as the founding Director of the Office of African American Student Services and Programs (OAASSAP), now renamed Black Student Achievement at Georgia State University, a hub of on-campus resources, organizations, and programs for Black students at Georgia State. She was also involved with the founding of Sistagraphy, an Atlanta-based photography organization that used its platform to highlight Black female photographers.
Robyn Kemp, founder of the Clayton Crescent newspaper has cancer
Robyn Kemp, the founder of the Clayton County centric news outlet the Clayton Crescent has announced that she has cancer. Robyn started the Clayton Crescent to address the news desert in Clayton County following less coverage from the AJC. Robyn is the figurehead of this organization and if you’d like to support, you can by 1) visiting their website, 2) telling a friend of their content, and 3) being a paid sponsor.
If you want to be a paid sponsor, you can via one-time donation to the Clayton Crescent or you can sign up to be a monthly contributor via DonorBox. Robyn has also documented her journey on her Twitter account, @RKempNewsDaily.
Stone Mountain gets approval for Confederate Memorial Day celebration
Despite rejecting their 2021 request, the Sons of Confederate Veterans have been approved to host a Confederate Memorial Day celebration this month. *Confederate Memorial Day was one of the officially recognized state holidays, formerly known as ‘state holiday’ alongside Robert E Lee’s birthday in January. In both cases of ‘state holidays’, as of this year they are no longer observed officially on the state of Georgia.
For Stone Mountain, the park seems to be returning to its overt support of white supremacy after the promise of change after the 2020 protests.
For more on the history of Stone Mountain, please read my previous two-part article:
The History of Stone Mountain and the KKK - Part One
The History of Stone Mountain and the KKK - Part Two
In addition to the departure of the Marriott, the managing company Hirschend Entertainment, and the decline in revenues, the park is making no meaningful changes, despite electing a Black man to head the Stone Mountain Memorial Association (SMMA). The SMMA was founded to create many of the white supremacist myths of the Civil War and to enshrine the park as a monument.
For more on the history of the Memorial Associations, please read my article:
The first Memorial Day, Confederate women, and the erasure of Black History - 8/26/2020
*Earlier, I stated that Confederate Memorial Day was still celebrated officially by the state of Georgia. That now has been changed to only reflect Good Friday in the month of April. Additionally the state holiday of Robert E. Lee’s birthday in January has been removed, while Black Friday is now a state holiday.
*The state will also observe Juneteenth as a holiday.
Other Red Clay News:
The RNC will be organizing recruitment drives at Georgia area gas stations.
Vincent Fort will be running against current US Rep David Scott’s 13th US congressional district
Trump held a rally in Georgia over the weekend featuring David Perdue.
Vernon Jones pulled a Democratic ballot in 2020 despite running as a Republican.
Planned Parenthood’s Staci Fox has been named the new president of GBPI.
Delta will be joining other airlines in ending covid-19 restrictions
A state resolution has been introduced to rename a portion of the Midtown thorofare SR-13, I-75/85 to Peachtree Road to Jovita Moore Memorial Highway.
A Facebook group of 18,000 members, Atlanta Moms Group has been uncovered to be owned and operated by an Australian male.
A large group of dozens of men has gone door-to-door on Campbellton Road to address crime amongst teens.
Several Spelman students are protesting being ‘homeless’ after the school has limited on-campus housing but taking their funds.
Students at Campbell High School in Cobb County have protested the lack of seriousness in investigating incidents of on-campus racism.
Cobb’s newly drawn, secure GOP-leaning 6th district has begun to pitch voters.
There will be a cityhood debate for the city of East Cobb on May 4th.
Gwinnett has named their first Social Worker of the Year nominees.
An Ansley Park home sold for a record $3.7 million.
Gwinnett Public Schools has named three new principals.
Developer The Arden Cos has won a $6 million dollar verdict against the city of Brookhaven.
Former KLB chief of staff Carmen Chubb has been named president of Columbia Residential.
MARTA is looking to redevelop the surface parking lot of Kensington Memorial Station.
A new TV studio, Electric Owl Studios has broken ground near the Stone Mountain MARTA station.
The Atlanta Federal Reserve has officially deemed the entire metro housing market unaffordable.
Metro Atlanta officially surpassed the population of the Miami metro in 2021.
Former Brunswick DA Jackie Johnson has asked for two charges to be dropped.
A group of Georgia voters is trying to have current US Congresswoman Majorie Taylor Greene deemed ineligible for running for office after accusing Greene of attempting to stop the 2020 certification.
The Georgia General Assembly has passed a ban on mask mandates for schools.
The City of Decatur is considering raising the prices of school meals.
Nearly 2,200 people this year have filed to run for offices across Georgia.
National News
Elon Musk became the largest shareholder at Twitter.
Elon Musk just became Twitter’s largest shareholder after routinely criticizing the company, while also engaging in antagonistic behavior. Musk has already broken his own agreement to not be an activist investor, by tweeting out a poll on whether on not the company should have an edit button. Musk has routinely come under fire in the past from financial regulators regarding his tweets.
Other national news:
The US will accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.
Stephen Wilhite, the creator of GIFS has died at 74.
Senators have reached a deal for an additional $10 billion in covid funds.
Republican Senators Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski have indicated that they will support the confirmation of Ketanji Brown to the Supreme Court.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed into law affirming abortion rights.
International News
French President Emmanuel Macron faces a challenging runoff against a far-right opponent.
The US and Europe are planning more sanctions against Russia.
Rest in power Dr. Derby, you are truly missed! - KJW