Author: On Common Ground News

DECATUR—The NAACP DeKalb County branch is providing free COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) kits to the community on a first-come, first-served basis, the branch’s President Teresa Hardy announced. The following items are in each kit: 2 surgical masks 2 pairs of safety gloves 1 bottle of hand sanitizer 1 10-pack of disinfectant wipes Those who would like a PPE kit should send an email to info@naacpdekalb.org with the following information: name, household size, City/Neighborhood, phone number and email address. The NAACP will schedule a time for pickup at the office, which is located at 3011 Rainbow Drive, Suite 1801,…

Rockdale County Public Schools (RCPS) Superintendent Terry Oatts has announced RCPS will implement a virtual-only instructional model for all students and will not return to brick-and-mortar classrooms for the 2020-21 fall semester.  The school year will start Aug. 24 virtually and will remain virtual for the fall semester. Oatts released the following statements: “Our focus for the last few months has been on working diligently to pursue a reopening plan that prioritizes student and staff safety and well-being. I commend our staff for their patience, persistence, and professionalism as they’ve worked collaboratively to create processes and structures that maximize student…

Congressman John Robert Lewis, February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020  The Congressional Black Caucus released the following statement on the passing of House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Chairman and Congressional Black Caucus Member, Congressman John R. Lewis (GA-05): The world has lost a legend; the civil rights movement has lost an icon, the City of Atlanta has lost one of its most fearless leaders, and the Congressional Black Caucus has lost our longest serving member. The Congressional Black Caucus is known as the Conscience of the Congress. John Lewis was known as the conscience of our caucus. A fighter…

Pictured left to right: C.T. Vivian, Congressman Hank Johnson  and Congressman Johnson during a 2012 voting rights  march in Atlanta. Photos provided via Johnson’s office.  New Birth to host virtual memorial for Congressman Lewis and the Rev. C.T. Vivian By Valerie J. Morgan   Atlanta is flying its flags throughout the city at half-staff in honor of Congressman John Lewis, civil rights icon, a national treasure, and a beloved hero who represented Georgia’s 5th District for 34 years. Lewis died Friday, July 17, after a courageous battle with stage IV pancreatic cancer, which he learned about after a routine…

Food Pantry, Coronavirus Testing Begin at 10 a.m. STONECREST–New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is hosting free COVID-19 testing and continuing its weekly food pantry on Saturday, July 18.  The free food will be distributed from 10 a.m. to noon while supplies last., 6400 Woodrow Road, Stonecrest. New Birth’s food pantry, known as The King’s Table, will receive additional resources, thanks to support from DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Michael Thurmond and other partners. Through the partnerships, more than 1,000 people economically impacted by the coronavirus will be assisted. Each box of food contains 15 to 20 pounds of produce, dairy and shelf-stable items.  Each week, New Birth serves 8,000 people as a part of the church’s weekly…

Pictured L-R: DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson and DeKalb NAACP President Teresa Hardy The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution on July 14 declaring racism a public health crisis. The resolution, sponsored by District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson, received the full support of the seven-member board. “This is a victory towards atonement for past discrimination practices against African Americans,” said an elated Johnson. The resolution details the economic, emotional, physical, and sociological effects of systemic racism on minorities in general and African Americans in particular. The measure cleared the first hurdle in a committee meeting held…

Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary released a letter to citizens today, July 16, explaining why he lifted the stop-work order this week issued to the  Metro Green recycling plant, a project that community residents say is unwanted and will bring pollution, noise and destroy their property values. Metro Green is building a recycling plant on a 50-acre tract in the city at 2450 Miller Road. The facility would recycle concrete and other debris from construction and demolition sites. Lary’s  letter includes a response to DeKalb Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson, who said she was “saddened” by  his decision to lift…

As states across the nation continue to register record-breaking positive Covid-19 cases, MAJL Laboratories, in partnership with New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, will host a free drive-thru COVID-19 testing site on Saturday, July 18. The testing, which begins at 10 a.m. and concludes at 2 p.m., will take place on New Birth’s campus located at 6400 Woodrow Rd. in Stonecrest. According to recent reports, nearly 1 person out of 100 Americans has tested positive for Covid-19 and more than 30 states are seeing an uptick in positive cases. This is still a very real crisis and we have to…

Pictured L-R: New Jersey Superior Court Judge Wendel Daniels and Orrin “Checkmate” Hudson World-renowned motivational speaker Les Brown will be a guest on virtual chess program July 22 New Jersey Superior Court Judge Wendel Daniels will join Atlanta’s master motivator Orrin “Checkmate” to inspire students to make smart moves and to think about the consequences before making a bad decision. The judge will speak on Friday, July 17, at 10:30 a.m., during a unique virtual class designed to encourage young people to think ahead, plan, execute, and utilize the components of chess to sharpen their minds. Daniels, who…