Welcome to the King Williams newsletter. I am 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.
Rest In Power to my aunt Laverne and cousin Alonzo
I want to start this week by giving highlighting my aunt Laverne who passed last week after a long bout with cancer, she was always so supporting and a kind ear in the midst of everything. I also want to highlight my cousin Alonzo who succumbed to kidney disease last month as well.
Aunt Laverne is not my aunt whom I’m caretaker, just to avoid confusion.
Book Club MARCH - October 1st
Our book club will start up again on Sunday, October 1st. MARCH, a graphic novel (think a big comic book) trilogy on the three Marches on Selma from the point of view of a young John Lewis. We will be discussing Book One It will be a hybrid of Zoom and in-person. Zoom link here.
Zoom Info - Meeting ID: 810 4435 1188 / Passcode: EjJJ3w
And for those who want to join in but haven’t bought their book yet, they’re $8.50 each on Amazon, or even better from your local bookstore!
I’ve also included this talk from 2014 featuring John Lewis talking about MARCH: Book One as well.
Media Monday’s - Is ‘the Drake Effect’ over?
This edition of Media Monday’s is highlighting Drake and his recent release Certified Lover Boy. In this article we go over the topic of his confusing album cover art, the power of memes, internet amplification, and music consumption patterns. It’s worth reading whether or not you like Drake.
You can read more by clicking below:
Part One: So Far Gone and changes in the music marketplace
Part Two: Art, assimilation, and the charts
MailChimp sells for $12 billion
Atlanta-based company MailChimp has sold for a record $12 billion to Intuit. $12 billion is the largest amount ever for any bootstrapped company.
The company has not taken any form of venture capital or investor funding in its 20 year history. Due to the lack of venture capital funding the two founders will split 50-50, the reported $12 billion, in a combination of cash and stock. Intuit, the creators of the popular Turbo Tax software, has been on a recent shopping spree as it has also bought Credit Karma earlier late last year. MailChimp plans on staying at their Ponce City Market location and for employees they will be splitting a reported 300 million from the sale.
Atlanta’s tech is growing and the city can boost that it’s possible to bootstrap a multibillion dollar company within I-285. There are now several Atlanta-based tech unicorns-in-waiting, within the city of Atlanta. The Atlanta startup with the most heat right now is Calendly, a $3 billion dollar valued company. While other Atlanta based venture capitalists such as Paul Judge, Jewel Solomon-Burke, Justin Dawkins, and David Cummings, all look to become hip hop level stars in their own right as well because of the Atlanta tech scene.
I would also highly recommend you read Atlanta Tech Venture’s Jon Birdsong’s most recent blog post, Time Your Rocketship, on startups and exiting at the right time. He’s a great person to talk to deeply about tech in Atlanta, you can follow him on twitter @jonnybird.
Georgia GOP is looking at emulating Texas abortion law
Due to the Supreme Court’s decision to not taking up hearing the challenges to Texas’s recent abortion law, the state of Georgia GOP is rumored to be drafting a new abortion law. Meanwhile, a new legal challenge will be heard this week on Georgia’s pending abortion law.
The Georgia Republican Party is looking to draft new legislation regarding limiting abortions ahead of the 2022 legislative session that starts in January. The move seeks to re-establish the 2019 law, which was ultimately overturned on the federal court level. There are some key differences between Georgia and Texas’s law, but in both cases GOP governors plus legislators are pushing with the political majorities they have.
For Kemp and the Georgia GOP, culture wars are the strategy for 2022, as ‘tough on crime’ rhetoric and racialized dogwhistling against ‘Atlanta crime’ is already being used. The move to limit abortions to 6-weeks would be a move to reestablish Kemp firmly with the Religious Right and Christian Evangelicals ahead of the next gubernatorial election. Despite its claims of being pro-life and limited government the GOP is being the opposite.
Several Georgia collegiate staff, professors, and students are protesting for better Covid-19 protocols
Several colleges across the state are seeing protests from staff, faculty, and students regarding the lackadaisical approach to COVID-19 standards. This comes as the Georgia GOP and Governor Kemp are looking to find a new head of the state wide Board of Education. Former governor Sonny Perdue is rumored to be the choice long-term. While governor Kemp, several GOP members, and white members of the current state Board of Education have issued proclamations against critical race theory over the summer.
Covid cases are also growing in Georgia’s K-12 schools
Since the start of the 2021 school year, thousands of metro Atlanta K-12 students have tested positive for COVID-19.
Due to Kemp and the state GOP’s enforce OG optional mask mandates and lack of adequate testing facilities by the state, more teachers and more students are becoming infected. Over 60% of all new Covid cases in Georgia have come from K through 12 schools. Many supporters of Kemp, anti-vaxxers, and the back to the classroom movement, will now point to recent data showing a decline in new covid cases being reported.
Governor Kemp is pushing back against Biden administration over mask mandates
Several national GOP lawyers, lawmakers, and governors are strategizing on how to push back against a recent Biden administration mandate that all businesses over 100 employees must institute mandatory vaccinations or weekly testing for unvaccinated employees.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has stepped into the national spotlight by challenging these orders. Kemp is following a similar national GOP partyline ranging from governors to state lawmakers who have taken away the choice of schools, businesses and other organizations to enforce vaccines and testing. This comes as news of a new Fox News poll shows that the majority of Republicans support these efforts.
Red Clay News
Music Midtown returned over the weekend with thousands of mostly vaccinated fans.
Former President Trump is coming to Atlanta this month for another rally.
The suspects in the murder of 8-year-old Secoriea Turner have plead not guilty.
The Gwinnett County Public Schools are offering a one-time gift of $500 for fully vaccinated employees.
The last of immigrants detained at the Irwin County Detention Center have been transferred to other facilities
Governor Kemp is looking to fill a State House seat in Savannah.
Morehouse has canceled Homecoming 2021 events due to covid-19 surge.
There is a new Banksy art exhibit at Underground Atlanta, the exhibit is not sanctioned by the artist.
An ex-Prosecutor in the Ahmaud Arbery murder has been indicted for misconduct.
National News
Beto O’Rourke is rumored to be stepping back into the governor’s race in Texas.
FDA says no to Covid booster shots except for the immune compromised and those over 65. It is currently deciding on vaccines for children.
Democrats are awaiting to see if $3.5 trillion infrastructure spending package will pass, it likely won’t unless cuts are made.
Republicans will likely vote to not keep the government open due to new proposed spending bill.
The ‘Q-Anon Shaman’ has plead guilty for storming the US Capitol on January 6th, he faces up to four years in prison.
International News
Mexico’s Supreme Court votes to decriminalize abortion.
Former Trump aide Jason Miller was detained in Brazil.
In Mexico City, a statue of Christopher Columbus will be replaced by an indigenous woman.
El Salvador has become the first country to accept Bitcoin as a national currency.