Posted on 09/01/2020 11:47:05 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
In the middle of the protests over police brutality and a pandemic, 19 black families have joined forces and purchased 96.71 acres of land in Toomsboro, Georgia. They plan to build a new, safe city there.
Ashley Scott, a Georgia-based realtor, started The Freedom Georgia Initiative with a few like-minded people.
In an op-ed for Blavity, Scott explained that the idea came after the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who was killed by a group of white men while out on a jog.
“I am concerned. At times distraught. For the first time ever in my life, I felt disempowered. So much so that the overachieving, solution-oriented, practical, non-emotional person that I am had to stop,” Scott wrote.
“I sought counseling from a black therapist and it helped. It helped me to realize that what we as black people are suffering from is racial trauma. We are dealing with systemic racism. We are dealing with deep-rooted issues that will require more than protesting in the streets. It will take for us as a people, as Atlanta rapper and activist Killer Mike so eloquently put, ‘To plot, plan, strategize, organize and mobilize.’ So that’s what I and my good friend Renee Walters, an entrepreneur and investor, did.”
Together, they began to look for ways to change the world for the better in whatever way they could. “We wanted to make some kind of difference that could ensure the safety of our black sons and black husbands when they went about their lives just breathing and being. We wanted to do something to amass black power to affect real change.”
“We considered the reality that even in Atlanta, with an exceptional black woman like Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, there was still no respect for the humanity of blacks,” Scott continued. “Even with Erika Shields, a black woman chief of police at the helm, there was the murder of Rayshard Brooks. We can see there is something much deeper happening. Politics, as usual, isn’t the answer. Something new has to happen.”
The group joined several Facebook groups discussing building black cities and new Black Wall Streets, and it turned out there were more people who shared the same desires. “It was clear to me that developing new cities was necessary because these old ones, even with strong black leadership, have too many deep-rooted problems.”
As a realtor, Scott has been sitting in on zoning and city council meetings. “At first, I attended wanting to get a few new clients, but seeing the progress of the newly created city of Stonecrest, Georgia, inspired me.”
It motivated Scott to look more deeply into local politics and how cities are created. “My research into cityhood gave me insight that this is how we change our communities and build real black power.”
Black power comes from wealth,” Scott explained. “Wealth is created through cash-flow and assets. Who has more cash flow and assets than governments? Where does the cash-flow come from? Taxes and bonds. Who pays taxes? Landowners. Who runs governments? People. We are the people. We have to be more involved, especially young people!”
Scott said she knows people might start wondering, ‘What in the world does all this have to do with why you all purchased land in the midst of protests and a pandemic, and how you used cooperative economics to do it?’ According to her, everything.
“We figured we could try to fix a broken system or we could start fresh. Start a city that could be a shining example of being the change you want to see. We wanted to be more involved in creating the lives we really want for our black families. And maybe, just maybe, create some generational wealth for ourselves by investing in the land. Investing in creating a community that is built around our core values and beliefs.”
The plan is to create a community with green, environmentally safe, and eco-friendly building materials that honor Mother Nature, a community that is self-sufficient and thriving with a living food system built by black farmers to provide food security for all their neighbors, a community that prioritizes diversity and inclusion by hiring BIPOC and women vendors, suppliers and contractors, a community that boasts accessible spaces for all people, finally, a community where all black folks could come home without being murdered by police.
“We made a PowerPoint presentation the day after we left the ‘Toomsboro for Sale’ open house. We called our like-minded friends and family. We impressed upon them the urgent power of now. We brought 19 families together on one accord during a series of online meetings. We started an LLC. We considered a field and we bought it. We bought 96.71 acres of land!”
I wish Trump would produce a TV ad showing Biden building the systemic racism. There are tapes of Biden arguing against integration, and for creating the jailing system that has locked up Blacks. Such an ad could double the black support for Trump.
We will see what happens.
I hope you have lots of money.
There are bidding wars on houses here and they are going for 20-30K more than asking price.
And while there are lots for sale, there is NO guarantee of the quality of the water.
A lot is high in iron and arsenic.
If you want off the beaten path, there's lots available, but you can count on not having internet or cell phone coverage without satellite.
there would be govt and other people demandind they could not build a white only community
racist community
only blacks
Good Luck—It might work with outside funding. I get the feeling a few people will get rich and a bunch of fools will be left holding the bag. Need a factory or something to bring in money. Maybe a University? If they build it a Church should go up first—they will need all the prayers they can get. What will they name it? Carterville? Obamastan? Nat Turnerville?
basically they are settling up fairyland
because no place on earth like this works - there is no working place on earth like this
movies don’t count
if its the current batch of values the ‘black community’ operates under right now, i expect the place to be burning and half shot to death by next weekend
My white privileged ancestors came to Texas in the 1840’s.
My great great grandfather got the privilege of building the family home at age 14 while his privileged parents were clearing pastures, cutting down trees, planting crops and tending to their livestock.
How can they be sure it’s actually “safe,” when the overwhelming majority of black people (over 90%) who are murdered are murdered by other blacks? On average black people are considerably safer in white majority areas than in black majority areas, although rural areas are safer than urban, so they do have that going for them. Either they are very ignorant of basic realities, or they are just throwing out an excuse to promote segregation.
ah but govern,ent doesnt let all peoples live in the groups they want to
if govt stayed the phyck out of it and let everyone do so that would be fine
but whites cant live spearately so nobody can
either we all get the same rights or no one does
special classes and privileges for minorities and women are why things are so screwed up and people think they are entitled to be a higher class of citizen than others, they dont want equal, they want special protected status
so screwed up here
Just wait, it's still early.
Good for them. I pray they can overcome the certain challenges and lessons that come with freedom and responsibility.
They have a perspective that I don’t share- but that doesn’t matter. What I respect is they’re wanting to build and grow something rather than tear down and destroy.
I hope they succeed.
CHAZ South?
Mine came to America about that same time from Germany. German Jews. Not really all that welcomed. ;) Great Grandpa converted to Lutheranism, just to be able to get a job.
He worked in a Bakery where he met my Great Grandma Emma, and they eventually left NYC and moved to Wisconsin.
My Grandpa was born in Milwaukee in 1913. As a young man he worked any odd jobs all through The Great Depression to support a Wife, an ailing Father in Law and a Son, my Dad, who just passed at 83, this last May. I am now officially, ‘The End of the Line.’
I’m glad they didn’t decide to be Pioneers, but I get it from SOMEWHERE because I’ve spent my entire LIFE getting back to the farm. Bought my first one 25 years ago, and then upgraded at age 50 to 160 acres with a REAL Farmer Fiance.
Life Is Good. I come from hard-working, honest stock and you can’t ask for more than that. :)
“What I respect is they’re wanting to build and grow something rather than tear down and destroy.”
Refreshing attitude, actually. :)
More power to them. Just keep the thugs out and they’ll be fine.
Is anyone in the group at all related to the deceased Reverend Jim Jones?
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