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Check out Decatur Alumni and their organization to promote civil activism in Georgia. Someone write a description and then evaluate how they are meeting standards of civil liberties...

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Our Work - Georgia Youth Justice Coalition

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In our fight for a better world for young Georgians like us, we do everything from coalition-building to running training programs. We uplift the voices of students and teachers, of marginalized groups, and of everyday Georgians in our work.

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We accept letters to the editor. Letters to the editor are opinions of the authors of the letter, not Decaturish.com. Everyone has an equal opportunity to submit a letter to the editor. So if you read something here and don't like it, don't jump on our case. Write a letter of your own. All letters must be signed and are typically between 500 to 800 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for length and content. To send your letter to the editor, email it to [email protected].com.

Dear Decaturish,

The city of Decatur pledges to serve all its community members with respect and integrity. As the November election approaches, it is our responsibility - as members of this community - to elect leaders who will fight for everyone. Issues of universal access and justice are central in how we uphold such standards of respect and integrity and as a collection of students, parents, educators, and community members, we are standing up together to ensure the city fulfills its pledge.

We are the Decatur Justice Coalition.

The Decatur Justice Coalition (DJC) is a multi-generational, student-led alliance of young people, educators, parents, families, and community groups dedicated to uniting our city behind principles of equal access and justice. DHS alumni Julian Fortuna and Koan Roy-Meighoo spearhead the group alongside representatives from the Beacon Hill Black Alliance, the Anti-Racist Coalition for Decatur, the Student Coalition for Equity, the CSD Black Parents Alliance, and the CSD Special Education PTA.

The coalition represents the interests and priorities of groups from across the community - from organizations which have been advocating for the rights of Decatur residents for years to parents, students, retirees, and educators who live in the city every day. We are a combined voice for all these people, a coalition which stands up for the values of our community.

In the coming weeks, leaders across the city will be signing onto the DJC Platform. This platform is a combination of community value statements and reflective policy templates which our leaders can adapt to their work. When leaders sign onto the DJC platform, they are committing to the spirit of the policy, and to implementing the version that best serves the community. Our platform is visible on our website, where you can read how we're translating these values into actionable resources for elected officials.

By supporting justice-oriented candidates and lobbying for more inclusive policies, DJC is also holding leaders accountable to the people of Decatur. That is why the DJC will be holding two forums in the coming weeks for Decatur residents to hear directly from justice-oriented candidates and discuss issues that are important to them. Check our website to learn more about these forums, as dates and times will be announced soon.

We are playing our part in ensuring that Decatur is focusing on issues of equal opportunity and community justice. The DJC is committed to advocating for all residents in Decatur - which is why if you have any thoughts, concerns, or questions, please contact us. And so, by bringing together voices from across Decatur, DJC is a place where we can stand as a united community. DJC is a place where we can ensure that our leaders are accountable to all of us. And DJC is a place where values of opportunity and justice for everyone are always important.

Sincerely,

Koan Roy-Meighoo and Julian Fortuna, Decatur Justice Coalition

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Dear Decaturish - We are the Decatur Justice Coalition

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We accept letters to the editor. Letters to the editor are opinions of the authors of the letter, not Decaturish.com. Everyone has an equal opportunity to submit a letter to the editor. So if you read something here and don't like it, don't jump on our case. Write a letter of your own.

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At 13 years old, DJ Horton can't vote or even drive a car, but that hasn't stopped him from becoming a prominent voice in Georgia's redistricting process.

The middle school student and aspiring politician from Gwinnett County testified at two redistricting hearings hosted by the state Legislature this year. This month, Rep. Derrick Jackson, a Democrat from Tyrone, Georgia, quoted him during floor remarks about the maps; Horton was also invited by his state senator earlier this month to speak at a committee hearing about proposed state Legislature maps.

"On behalf of future young Georgia voters across this state, I am asking you - in fact, I am begging you - to reconsider the redistricting maps that have been drawn," he said at that hearing. "This is not a right or left issue; this is a right or wrong issue."

Horton is one of the dozens of teenagers mobilizing and testifying in Georgia's redistricting process this year, juggling finals and extracurriculars with special legislative sessions and injecting an unusual level of youth engagement into a typically wonky, insiders' political routine.

In the last few years, a surge of interest in redistricting has raised awareness about the effects of gerrymandering and propelled many states to revamp their map-drawing processes, prompting more young people to get involved around the country. Middle school students in New York created an algorithm for drawing maps, while North Carolina college students lobbied against the gerrymandering that split their campuses into multiple districts.

Youth voting also surged in the 2020 election and carried into the critical January runoffs in Georgia, where Democrats - fueled in part by young voters of color - were able to help flip two Senate seats in Georgia.

Horton got his start with the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition, a group of progressive students who have started training one another on how to engage in the state's redistricting process and tell compelling political stories.

Redistricting is a routine political process needed to readjust political representation to mirror population growth changes. In Georgia, state legislators in both parties have used redistricting to secure partisan advantage, drawing maps quickly and quietly. A decade ago, Republicans controlled the process and approved proposed maps out of the Legislature just days after releasing them. This year, however, lawmakers have worked to solicit more public input and hosted a series of public hearings around the state.

The coalition, which the students call GYJC, has trained at least 70 young people on how to get involved, hosting Zoom trainings aimed at preparing the students. In one training, group co-founder Alex Ames walked students through everything from how to identify as a community member (don't mention a political party, do talk about volunteer work and what makes your community different than others), how to concisely make a pitch (write out the testimony, make sure it's short) and how to make a compelling argument (offer evidence of harm).

Ames, a 19-year-old public policy major at Georgia Tech, said the group started working together in 2020, but officially formed as the GYJC in January with plans to focus in part on voting rights. It lobbied against the state's restrictive voting bill, Senate Bill 202, but started to gain momentum during the redistricting cycle, in part because much of the process took place during the summer break.

"It was actually much easier to get involved than during the normal legislative session. We didn't have to skip school to testify. There were much more public input opportunities across the state," Ames, who now serves as the group's communications director, said in an interview. "That made it really easy for students who had all these frustrations with S.B. 202, which felt like it snuck on some people."

She estimates that more than 40 have spoken up this summer and fall during the process. In the final hearing on Georgia's maps Saturday, three of the 13 members of the public who testified were members of the coalition.

She said they regularly mobilize dozens of students, but their mailing lists reach "thousands."

"At the end of the day, redistricting is that linchpin," said Julian Fortuna, a 19-year-old University of Georgia student and GYJC member leading some of the group's redistricting efforts. "It's whether you as a citizen are able to make your voice heard."

Fortuna said he believes students are ready to engage on this issue because they are facing political issues every day.

"There is not an option for young people to look away from the political battles of our time," he said. "They are being forced on us, whether it's climate change, whether it's gun violence, whether it's having a fully-funded public education."

The students are progressive - some of them met phone-banking for Joe Biden's presidential campaign - and engage and lobby on partisan issues with the group, but they urge people to steer clear of politics when engaging on redistricting.

"Gerrymandering is something that happens on both sides of the aisle, so framing it as a partisan issue is kind of my biggest 'try not to do that," said Yana Batra, 17, a high school student who leads trainings on how to tell stories well. "The main thing that we try not to do is give people language, but more about equipping them to share the story that they already have."

Now that Georgia's congressional and state legislative maps have been approved by the Legislature, some of the teens are turning their attention to local redistricting, attending school board meetings and engaging in the county-level office redistricting process.

Ken Lawler, chair of a nonpartisan redistricting advocacy group Fair Districts GA, said the young people's involvement in this year's redistricting cycle has been "a breath of fresh air."

"They realize that you can't get fair policies until you can elect a government that represents the people," he said. "And so they're working on the machinery because when the machinery doesn't work, you don't get what you need."

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Georgia teens become unlikely warriors in redistricting fight

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At 13 years old, DJ Horton can't vote or even drive a car, but that hasn't stopped him from becoming a prominent voice in Georgia's redistricting process. The middle school student and aspiring politician from Gwinnett County testified at two redistricting hearings hosted by the state Legislature this year.

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Young voters hope to play role in Georgia's Senate Runoffs

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23,000 Georgians were not old enough to vote in November, but they will be by the Senate Runoffs on Jan. 5 according to "The Civics Center" organization. NBC's Joshua Johnson speaks with a high school student named Aly Yamamoto who is 17 years old, but has been working to get friends and classmates who recently turned 18 registered to vote.

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Decatur, GA - Dozens rallied in Decatur on Monday, Oct. 11, to demand DeKalb County to remove the "Indian War" cannon located outside the DeKalb County History Center.

Protesters gathered on Indigenous Peoples' Day to call on the county Board of Commissioners to vote to remove the cannon during their Oct. 12 meeting.

The cannon was placed in Decatur in 1906 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and memorializes the removal of Indigenous people following the Creek Indian War of 1836.

Members of the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights and the community marched from the cannon to the DeKalb County offices on Commerce Drive chanting "too many people died, no more symbols of genocide," and "Indigenous and Africans on this land, symbols of hate cannot stand."

On Sept. 28, DeKalb County Commissioner Ted Terry introduced a resolution to remove the cannon. The resolution was deferred for two weeks to be considered by the planning, economic development & community services committee before coming to the Board of Commissioners for a decision.

The resolution is on the agenda for the Board of Commissioner's upcoming meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 12. The board will meet at 9 a.m. via Zoom.

"There was a time when the guns were against us," John Winterhawk, an elder member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, told Decaturish. "We were shooting arrows at people who were shooting bullets and cannons. It didn't take much to blow us away. It didn't take much to put us on the Trail of Tears."

During the protest, Muscogee Creek Nation elder member John Winterhawk said that for those who wonder why more Indigenous people don't live in the area, it's "because of a thing like a cannon that's sitting on the lawn pointing out anybody that disturbs the peace here. But we're not disturbing your peace, we're disturbing our own peace. We'd rather it be a welcome sign rather than a cannon that would take our heads off."

The cannon doesn't belong on the Square, Winterhawk told Decaturish. Adding that it's disturbing to him as he sees it often.

"We're tired of cannons being poked at us all the time," Winterhawk said. "There's no reason for that cannon to be there. Even if one simple, little child said, 'take this cannon away,' these commissioners should listen to that and do that."

If the cannon is removed, Winterhawk said it would mean the world is changing and people are starting to pay attention.

"People are starting to see why it is that other people want to have stuff taken away like that and what it means to them," Winterhawk said. "It means that peace is starting to be about. It means we're starting to think about that peace also."

The marchers aimed to recreate the Trail of Tears using a red cloth that represented the blood that was lost, the blood that was shed on the land that is known as Decatur, High said. Once at the Maloof building, the protesters presented a basket of 1,900 index cards that bear the names of those who signed the petition to remove the cannon.

The protesters called on county leaders to immediately remove the genocide cannon that has stood for 115 years.This will be the third Indigenous Peoples' Day event organized by Beacon Hill, according to a press release.

"The land that we're standing on belongs to the Muscogee Creek Nation," Beacon Hill Co-founder Fonta High said.

Advocating for the removal of the cannon has been important to Beacon Hill as the stories of African people are intertwined with the stories of Indigenous people.

"As we recognize the history of the country and the plantation economy that brought many people wealth, we know it came at a cost," High said. "It came at the cost of enslaved Africans that were forced to work this land and also Indigenous peoples from whom this land was stolen."

For more than a year since the removal of the Lost Cause monument on the eve of Juneteenth 2020, Beacon Hill and its Decolonize Decatur Committee has turned its attention to the removal of this other symbol of hate and white supremacy in the community.

The Creek Indian War of 1836 was a consequence of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which President Andrew Jackson strongly supported, according to a report from the National Park Service. In 1821, Georgia forced the sale of half of the remaining Creek land, including the land that is now the city of Decatur, which was taken by white settlers in a land lottery.

The cannon's placement was intended to send a message, activists said.

"They wanted to have some symbol that would show white supremacists that they were welcome in Decatur," said Sara Patenaude, member of the Coalition for Diverse Decatur and DeKalb. "Until we remove all of the symbols, all of the practices, all of the systems of white supremacy, we are not a welcoming community. We are not a diverse community."

She added that it starts with the county commissioners deciding to remove the cannon on Tuesday and having it removed that night.

"I want to see a crane out there. I want to get a truck out there tomorrow night," Patenaude said. "One hundred and fifteen years is too long. We are done. We want it down now."

The UDC also installed a confederate monument that was removed in 2020. The Decatur City Commission in December adopted a resolution in support of the cannon's removal.

The cannon itself is not the issue, the Rev. Karen Bryant Shipp said during the protest. The real issue is the ideology of white supremacy that holds the cannon in place.

"The cannon's only purpose in being created was to kill, to threaten death, to serve as an instrument of war," Bryant Shipp said. "It was used against the Muscogee people to drive them from the land that had been their home for centuries."

Bryant Shipp added that the cannon's only purpose now is to be a relic that continues to proclaim an ideology that justifies and supports the history of slavery and genocide that built the founding of the U.S.

"The cannon must be removed for whatever reason the commissioners can use to justify relocation to themselves and to the state of Georgia," she said.

This year was the first year the country recognized Indigenous Peoples' Day as a national holiday rather than Columbus Day. Decatur High School student Kayla Evans this should have happened a long time ago.

"Today we honor the first inhabitants of this land, what we now call the United States of America, but ourselves, along with other students, grew up learning that Christopher Columbus was the first person to discover America, which is far from the truth," Evans said. "It wasn't until outside of the classroom that I learned of the horrible [acts] committed against the Native Americans."

When Evans moved to Decatur, she quickly noticed that the city values community and prides itself as being a city that leads by example.

"DeKalb County Commissioners are in a position to demonstrate that they are in fact a city that leads by example," Evans said.

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Advocates call on DeKalb County to remove the "Indian War" cannon ahead of vote

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Dozens rallied in Decatur on Monday, Oct. 11, to demand DeKalb County to remove the "Indian War" cannon located outside the DeKalb County History Center. Protesters gathered on Indigenous Peoples' Day to call on the county Board of Commissioners ahead of their meeting on Oct. 12.

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This story has been updated.

Decatur, GA - Decatur High students on Friday, Feb. 25, organized a protest as the newly formed group Hands Off Georgia to rally against bills that would ban the teaching of "divisive" concepts in public schools.

The protest is being held at Liberty Plaza near the Capitol. Photographer Dean Hesse is documenting the protest for Decaturish.

"Students across metro Atlanta are organizing in opposition to HB 1084 and SB 377, in particular, which are currently being considered by the General Assembly," a press release says. "These bills seek to ban critical race theory in public classrooms, which would seriously damage students' access to education. The students expect support at the protest from other high schools and colleges, as well as adults."

While the bills have been touted as banning "critical race theory," they actually ban "divisive" concepts from being taught in schools. Banned concepts would include claims that the United States is "fundamentally or systematically racist," that any people, are "inherently racist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously," according to Georgia Public Broadcasting.

Decatur High students participating in the protest left school for the day. The school's principal sent a letter to parents saying the event is not sponsored by the school and any student absence would be unexcused as per City Schools of Decatur's policies.

But the Decatur School Board has publicly come out against the bills.

"Fortunately, neither CRT nor any other academically-rigorous approach to studying race, ethnicity, creed, color, or national origin involves compelled thought, speech, promotion, or activity," the School Board said in its letter criticizing the legislation. "Georgians deserve legislation that doesn't have its roots in disinformation, and Georgians deserve better than copy-and-paste legislation handed to them by Washington, D.C. 'think tanks' that don't know Georgians' needs."

If enacted, CSD warns that these bills would harm students by limiting the schools' ability to begin and sustain the work of addressing equity. The bills would scare educators into avoiding these subjects, or they could be accused of compelling a student or colleague's belief or action.

"However, not having these discussions perpetuates harm to students who feel unseen, unheard, and unvalued," the School Board said. "These bills would deny those students the caring adult support to examine past and present actions that have marginalized them or people who share their background or experience."

Students behind the protest moved with urgency, knowing the bills may soon become state law.

"Within the next few weeks, a series of bills will attempt to be passed by Georgia Representatives," the students said in a statement. "Because it is an election year, we recognize that these bills have the ability to pass with flying colors - that is why we, as student activists, plan to take action. One of these bills includes HB1084, which aims to ban all aspects of critical race theory, including all mention of the United States as a systemically racist institution. This legislation explicitly censors the ability to talk about and teach issues many students of all races feel are vital to creating a just world."

"If this bill is passed, it will cripple schools' freedom to educate their students on important topics such as race, paralyze students' rights to privacy, and cut public school funding by up to 20% if schools are caught teaching students about race. We cannot simply ignore the histories of our students of color. Just as we are constantly taught White history, we must normalize talking about the experiences and the histories of all of our students. If we fail to do so, we are only promoting a breeding ground for division, ignorance and hatred."

Reporter Zoe Seiler contributed to this story.

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Decatur High students organize march on state Capitol to protest bills banning 'divisive' concepts

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This story has been updated. Decatur, GA - Decatur High students on Friday, Feb. 25, organized a protest as the newly formed group Hands Off Georgia to rally against bills that would ban the teaching of "divisive" concepts in public schools. The protest is being held at Liberty Plaza near the Capitol.

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Crucial conversations with fam and friends reading, writing emails and letters to the GA/school board, activist art (can include protest signs), boycotting, signing petitions, daily affirmations

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you could try using petitions to act on what you think needs to be changed enough signatures of people who agree with you, you then take it to higher authorities and they either change the law or make a law.

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quiet activism is still a form of activism even if you yourself are not going on the marches or protests you can still make a difference by advocating or speaking out or you can even help organize protests along with making signs and posters to share with your community

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The students worked through student-led organizations to make a change. They used their right to petition, protest, and free speech to protest the redistricting bill. These teens are protesting redistricting that would make it difficult for low-income communities to vote and majorly Black communities to vote in upcoming elections. Not only would it restrict voting from those communities but it would make it easier for more conservative districts to vote whereas in more democratic districts it would be more difficult. These students used their voices to get there message out there and speak on how it would affect them and how urgent the issue was.

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quiet activism is still effective even though its not as up front. quiet activism is things like petitions, posters bringing awareness to an issue, making a website, writing an article, etc.

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Quiet activism is a prominent form of activism even if you are not participating in marches or other public protests. You can still make a difference by advocating or speaking out. Doing something is better than standing to the side and doing nothing at all.

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Many local/state government actions such as redistricting have gone unnoticed for many years, and a group of students from Georgia are now trying to do something about it. Not having any say in what happens politically to your community as a child can be frustrating, especially when it directly effects you. Redistricting can mean students changing schools and not being able to do anything about it is opposing. I think that 13+ year old's should be allowed to vote in local elections in order to solve this problem and similar problems.

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Students are protesting the right to educate students about all history not just white history. Not talking about Racism will not diminish its affects and we will never be able to improve unless these subjects are discussed. They protested for the bill seeking to ban critical race theory from being taught, the students wanted to protect their education and the future education of students.

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All types of activism are important, quiet activism is a very important form of activism because sometimes it is all a person can afford to do. Speaking out or trying to make changes even when done so discreetly is just as important to create change.