June 5, 2020 Statement from CAP/ADID
June 5,2020
A message from CAP/ADID
For the past week, thousands have gathered in our city and across the world to protest police brutality, demonstrate solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, and honor the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many, many others who have been victims of racial violence.
Downtown is the heart of Atlanta: the seat of local and state government; the focal point of our regional economy; the home of residents, small businesses, schools, and places of worship; and a sought-after destination for travel and leisure.
Downtown, too, has a long history of serving as the city’s nexus of civic activity, a place where citizens can exercise their rights of free speech and assembly. We are proud to serve as the stage for essential civic discourse in the movement for racial justice, as we have for decades, from the historic sit-ins of college students and Dr. King at Rich’s Department Store to the new chapter of social justice work that has unfolded in Downtown’s streets this week.
It is this community legacy that, over the years, has prompted our organization to expand its areas of focus to include social impact, to advocate for housing affordability and economic development tools that support community equity, and to play an instrumental role in the creation of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
But the work is far from over. Downtown is the most visible part of Atlanta, meaning we must do more to be the best we can be. The call to forge ahead, resist complacency, and demand more from our mission is clear. We are committed to defining exactly what that means for organization in the weeks, months, and years ahead.
No community can truly thrive when it suffers from the scourges of injustice. Let us all work to solidify the heart and soul of Atlanta by recommitting ourselves to making our city free from racism of any kind. Let us demand that the best version of Atlanta be the one to carry us into an equitable future.