Governor Kemp Power-Grab Bad for Douglas County, Signals Problems Ahead for Georgia
May 19, 2023 Douglasville, GA- Governor Brian Kemp has appointed former Douglas County Sheriff Phil Miller as Chair of the County Commission and local football hero and Navy veteran Ricky Dobbs to fill a Commission seat after suspending two elected officials who have been charged with bid rigging. In doing so, he has overturned the…
Homophobia, Juvenile Justice, and the Thin Blue Line. We’re failing our kids.
I met the Thin Blue Line while working in juvenile justice. The program is grant-funded and operates parallel to the system of supervision. It is designed to be rehabilitative and keep kids out of the adult carceral system by improving communication, teaching aggression replacement, and sharing general life skills. Watching the adults manipulate the system…
Progressives, Get Your People to the Polls!
October 23, 2022 Atlanta- The first of three weeks of Georgia’s Advance Voting ended with predictably high turnout. The strong early numbers would typically excite me, but my experience working the polls has me concerned. My county has voted blue the last few elections, but this time the republicans seem to bringing the numbers. Their…
Chief Tomochichi and Monuments to Peace
Atlanta, Georgia October 28, 2021 Chief Tomochichi stands proudly at the Millennium Gate Museum at Atlantic Station, his home for the next year or so while they ready his permanent placement at Rodney Cook, Sr. Peace Park in West End. The first photos I saw in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution struck me as wrong, the statue…
confederates ruin the car show
Dallas, Georgia The joy of seeing my favorite old Mustangs at the car show was overshadowed by the presence of the confederate flag. In the west metro Atlanta suburbs, I see it almost every day, but since the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in January, it feels different. I had become used to the sight,…
Hate Group Banner on I-20 Concerning
Douglasville, Georgia- “One Nation Against Invasion Patriot Front .US” From the interstate, I saw the banner hanging on the overpass fence and was immediately outraged. How dare someone hang it in my community? Unacceptable. I saw it on a Saturday afternoon, but admittedly forgot about it until I passed it again the following Tuesday. The…
MLK and the Swing Set
Atlanta- This is the backyard at the home Dr. King bought for his family. Something about this swing set really gets to me. I picture him laughing with his small children and being a regular person and it reminds me any one of us could change the world. I’ve visited his birth home, Ebenezer Baptist…
Damaged Confederate Monuments Just Feel Better
March 31, 2021 ATLANTA- The confederate monuments at Oakland Cemetery received an update from activists who added “BLM’ and “racist traitor” to the obelisk and Lion of Atlanta. I happened upon it several months later and, after four years of republicans stoking the fires of bigotry, I was thrilled to see the people on the…
Samuel Green, Traitor
Westview Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia. March 29, 2021 Allow me to introduce Samuel Green, MD, gynecologist and grand dragon of the kkk, responsible for its resurgence during the Civil Rights Movement. I’m pleased to see that his grave, and the confederate monument at the center of this cemetery, received the attention they deserve.
Borrowed Scenery – Portland’s Japanese Garden
Monday, September 29, 2014 Posted by Debby Yoder, Portland, Oregon — Portland is home to a Japanese Garden rated one of the best outside Japan. It was envisioned in the late 1950s as part of the healing process after World War II. Portland became a sister city to Sapporo, Japan and the garden opened soon…
Preserving History One Building at a Time
Monday, August 11, 2014 Posted by Debby Yoder, ATHENS, GA – The City of Athens embraced historic preservation in the 1980s when R.E.M., the B-52’s, and the Indigo Girls where making Athens a music epicenter and much of the country was tearing down old building. The well-preserved buildings provide a peaceful balance for the energy…
Segregation Persists – Even in Cemeteries
Sunday, June 1, 2014 Posted by Debby Yoder, MARIETTA, GA — Just north of Atlanta is the beautiful Marietta National Cemetery with rolling hills and symmetrical headstones. There are monuments of tribute and a large archway at the entrance. More than 10,000, mostly soldiers, are buried there. They served in every arena from the Revolutionary…
When Will Gentrification Include Diversity Instead of Excluding It?
Monday, March 31, 2014 Posted by Debby Yoder, SEATTLE, WA — On the south side of Seattle rests Columbia City, a neighborhood the locals like to call “the most ethnically diverse zip code in the country”. There are still more than 50 languages spoken and businesses that reflect such diversity. Historically, Columbia City has been…
MLK Day: A Holiday for Caring and Community Service
Saturday, January 25, 2014 Posted by Debby Yoder, DECATUR, GA — The Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday was designated as a day of service, “A Day On, Not a Day Off!” to honor his life and continue the work he began in the Poor People’s Campaign. Dr. King once declared, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What…
Police Protection?
Sunday, January 12, 2014 Posted by Debby Yoder, AROUND METRO ATLANTA — The face of America’s police departments has changed considerably in recent years. Gone are the police cars with the bubble light atop and “to protect and serve” emblazoned on the doors. Many of today’s police wear military style uniforms and drive re-purposed military…
Food Fighters
Saturday, November 23, 2013 Posted by Debby Yoder, ATLANTA, GA — The food truck industry in Atlanta has grown tremendously in a very short time. They appear regularly around the metro area and people flock to try something new and different. The city was slow to get in on the food truck business due to…
March
Saturday, September 7, 2013 Posted by Debby Yoder, DECATUR, GA — Two days after commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, Congressman John Lewis gave the keynote address at the Decatur Book Festival. He was there to introduce the first installment of his comic book trilogy March, a firsthand account of his involvement in…
Unhoused in Portland
Sunday, August 25, 2013 Posted by Debby Yoder, PORTLAND, OREGON — The efficiency of Portland’s land use and preservation of natural resources has made it a very livable city with an ever-growing population. The people are friendly and outgoing and there’s always something fun to do. Areas that were once warehouses or light industrial have…
Roller Derby
Saturday, August 10, 2013 Posted by Debby Yoder, ATLANTA, GA — Roller derby is an exciting sport played on old fashion roller skates (the four wheelers). No ball is involved; it’s all about a skater trying to pass the other skaters for points. Both teams are playing offense and defense at every moment. There is…
Mixed Use: The Historic Cemetery that Feels Like A Public Park
Saturday, March 23, 2013 Posted by Debby and Hubert Yoder, ALTANTA, GA — Oakland Cemetery, right in the heart of Atlanta’s Grant Park neighborhood and not far from downtown, was established in 1850 before the concept of public parks had emerged. Back then people would go to the cemetery to picnic, spend time outside and enjoy…
The Ruins
Saturday, February 9, 2013 Posted by Debby and Hubert Yoder, DECATUR, GA — Just off the busy Clairmont Road corridor in Decatur lies Mason Mill Park, a neighborhood green space with a very interesting history. Not far from Emory University, it sits adjacent to a public library and provides playgrounds, tennis courts, and walking trails. The park…
Atlanta’s Warped Civil Right Legacy: The Sad Story of Paschal’s Restaurant
Saturday, January 19, 2013 Posted by Debby and Hubert Yoder, ATLANTA GA — The historic Paschal’s Restaurant and Motor Hotel, where much of the civil rights movement was launched, stands in ruins. Across the street shines a brand new Wal-Mart. Parts of the neighborhood are undergoing renovation with new condos and strip malls, while Paschal’s…
The Georgia Aquarium: Sanctuary for Sea Creatures or Playground for the Rich?
Sunday, January 6, 2013 Posted by Debby and Hubert Yoder, ALTANTA, GA — For a city that conference-goers in particular love to hate, the Georgia Aquarium offers a unique sanctuary of sorts. Opened in 2005, the aquarium is the world’s largest. From the moment you walk through its doors you are transported to a magical place. The…
“Stay the Nite, or Stay Forever…Free Wi-Fi”
Saturday, October 13, 2012 Posted by Debby Yoder, DOUGLASVILLE, GA — For years I have driven by the extended stay hotels in my community and pondered about the people who occupy the rooms. There is little industry or tourist appeal here, so the large number of hotels has always puzzled me. I assumed the rooms…
Welcome to DragonCon!
Saturday, September 22, 2012 Posted by Debby Yoder, ATLANTA, GA — Atlanta’s Labor Day weekends are filled with interesting things to do around the city. But perhaps the most popular and famous event is DragonCon. Founded in 1987, DragonCon is now the largest parade and convention dedicated to all things science fiction around (DragonCon officials will…
Railroad Atlanta?
Saturday, August 11, 2012 Posted by Hubert and Debby Yoder, DULUTH, GA — Atlanta’s current struggles with transportation problems are ironic given the city started as a railway hub. In the early 1800s, when goods and people moved about by railroad, Atlanta was an essential crossroad between major routes north and west from Georgia’s southern ports. Some say Atlanta’s…
1970: The Year Women Finally Got the Right to Vote
Sunday, July 15, 2012 Editor’s note: I was in college in the 1980s and by then I thought discrimination and prejudice against women were things of the past (well at least for white women anyway). I wasn’t aware of it happening to me often. But during the times throughout my life when I knew it was…
Caribbean Proud
Thursday, July 5, 2012 Posted by Debby Yoder, ATLANTA, GA — Atlanta boasts a rich and diverse Caribbean culture with most of the 28 island nations represented. Recently the city’s 24th Annual Caribbean Carnival was held downtown. This famous parade began on West Peachtree Street and wound to the Sweet Auburn District for an all-day festival. There were more than 30…
College Town Poverty
Saturday, May 12, 2012 Posted by Debby Yoder, ATHENS, GA — When most people think of Athens they think of the University of Georgia, REM, the B-52s, and college football. A community bustling with the energy of young people preparing for their future and enjoying college life. But just a short half mile from campus pervasive poverty is evident.…
Raise Your Hood to Stand Your Ground
Saturday, April 14, 2012 Posted by Debby Yoder, ATHENS, GA — Like at many universities and colleges all over the country, a rally was recently held at the University of Georgia (UGA) Arch to bring attention to the case of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old that was killed while walking home from a convenience store.…
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