During
the spring of 1992 all hell broke loose. Rodney King & Cali had
touched the entire US. The the verdict of the Officers being "Not
Guilty" it would set off a series of events that will be burned into
the minds of the few thousand people who werent oblivious to the going
ons outside of Cali.
While America watched the riots and fires in Cali...a little black city called Atlanta was having it's own issues. Being on a black college campus, we were PRO BLACK, PRO PEACE, PRO/ANTI-ABORTION....etc...etc...etc...and whatever else our young minds could latch onto. But...above all...the mass majority of the youths on campus were contious of self. Groups started to form all over campus with peacful protest. Speakers came out and voices were heard. It was like it was the 60's and new young leaders were emerging as the voice of a new generation.
On the same day of the verdict...college kids from all over the AUC (Atlanta University Center) gathered together and marched down to the Captial of Georgia...which just happend to be about a 30 min walk from the AUC (for those that don't know...it's Atlanta :) ) But...the march was peaceful. Store owners would stand outside their stores in support of the college students. We were singing old negro-spiritual songs (felt like Martin Luther was at the head of the march there for a second) and we talked about "how could this have happened"....
Once downtown at the capital...I must say that the students were a force 2 be reckoned with. The Atlanta PD sent all of their officers to keep the peace...but 'peace' was already at hand. We wanted our govenor to come out and speak to us. Explain what was going on. We wanted Brawley and ANY black leader to come out and speak to us...re-assure us. But the longer we stood there. The long we chanted...sang...and stayed peaceful...the more apparent it became that no one had the guts to address ...not a violent mob...but a gathering of the most intelligent minds in Atlanta...and dare I say...the US.
Upon our return back to campus...the locals started looting the various stores around Atlanta. It looked like Cali during the Watts riots. The various news stations around Atlanta documented how the college students returned back to school and that they had footage of our return...and the looting was done by the locals. But...even with such evidence...and coverage...the next day would serve to change my life forever.
While America watched the riots and fires in Cali...a little black city called Atlanta was having it's own issues. Being on a black college campus, we were PRO BLACK, PRO PEACE, PRO/ANTI-ABORTION....etc...etc...etc...and whatever else our young minds could latch onto. But...above all...the mass majority of the youths on campus were contious of self. Groups started to form all over campus with peacful protest. Speakers came out and voices were heard. It was like it was the 60's and new young leaders were emerging as the voice of a new generation.
On the same day of the verdict...college kids from all over the AUC (Atlanta University Center) gathered together and marched down to the Captial of Georgia...which just happend to be about a 30 min walk from the AUC (for those that don't know...it's Atlanta :) ) But...the march was peaceful. Store owners would stand outside their stores in support of the college students. We were singing old negro-spiritual songs (felt like Martin Luther was at the head of the march there for a second) and we talked about "how could this have happened"....
Once downtown at the capital...I must say that the students were a force 2 be reckoned with. The Atlanta PD sent all of their officers to keep the peace...but 'peace' was already at hand. We wanted our govenor to come out and speak to us. Explain what was going on. We wanted Brawley and ANY black leader to come out and speak to us...re-assure us. But the longer we stood there. The long we chanted...sang...and stayed peaceful...the more apparent it became that no one had the guts to address ...not a violent mob...but a gathering of the most intelligent minds in Atlanta...and dare I say...the US.
Upon our return back to campus...the locals started looting the various stores around Atlanta. It looked like Cali during the Watts riots. The various news stations around Atlanta documented how the college students returned back to school and that they had footage of our return...and the looting was done by the locals. But...even with such evidence...and coverage...the next day would serve to change my life forever.
