What happens to Turner Field once the Braves baseball franchise leaves is a hot topic in Atlanta. Will that land become a casino? Will a new stadium replace Turner Field? Or will the area be developed for retail, dining and condominiums like Atlantic Station?
One thing that’s for sure is that the communities surrounding Turner Field can’t afford another development project that benefits a few well-connected folks while further cutting off and displacing long-term residents who have lived near the field since before the area was ripe for such a land grab.
Atlanta needs strong, organized communities to make sure that development that happens in the area benefits those that have been holding down the community for years, but we also need to have time to relax and enjoy each other, to enjoy the community we love!
Building a movement takes a lot more then neighborhood meetings and strategy sessions. Active base-building should include cultural events, house parties and other social events that bring locals together.
In August, the Altanta Economic Justice program had the opportunity to work with community partners to do just that. Community Day brought hundreds of residents together at Four Corners Park in the heart of beautiful Peoplestown. Though the event was hosted in Peoplestown, it was also a celebration of all the amazing Atlanta neighborhoods south of I-20. Families came out for an afternoon filled with music, entertainment, community education, and lots of giveaways.
With the help of the J Dilla Foundation and a ton of local businesses that volunteered to put out donation boxes, AFSC was able to give out close to 300 backpacks filled with school supplies and dental packs! We also had music all day, food for all, a slip-and-slide for the kids, free ice cream, and a whole lot more.
In an effort to bring more residents into the movement to protect, improve, and expand affordable housing, AFSC asked residents to sign a pledge to defend their homes and the homes of their neighbors. Hundreds signed the pledge! AFSC is excited to continue to work closely with the newly formed resident-led SMP Housing Justice Movement and Occupy Our Homes Atlanta as they lead the way in the fight to stop mass displacement in the Turner Field area.
- Tim Franzen, Atlanta Economic Justice program director
Tim Franzen would like to thank the following organizations and businesses for their support:
Peoplestown Revitalization Corporation
Henry & June
Ebrik Coffee Room
Atlanta Friends Meeting House
Hodge Podge Coffee
Annie E. Casey Foundation
Rise-Up Georgia
ATL Raise Up
Atlanta DSA
Sam & Son Grocery Wholesale
The Rick McDevitt Center
Zulu Nation
Youth on the Move
Boynton Village Tenants Association
McGruder Grocery
