Photo Credit | Chelse Brown
Ever since Atlantans marched to protest police brutality, the Black Lives Matter movement has gathered to discuss solutions for the national issue.
On July 10, Danielle Copeland and Sofia Jesani, members of the Atlanta Black Lives Matter movement, organized a meeting in Buckhead for the community to express their feelings and to come up with ways to solve the problem.
“We wanted to get our friends into one room and just talk. So, we posted on social media every day leading up to Sunday. We got together and created the agenda, keeping in mind that this was not going to be a venting session, but a productive meeting where we would engage in dialogue and leave with concrete next steps on how we could make a change in our city,” Jesani said.
This was the official first meeting, and it drew in more than 50 Atlanta residents.
The new upcoming organization will serve as a support group to help prevent deaths of unarmed black men and a network to connect like minded people to reach their goals to change the community.
Members brought to the table long-term goals to keep residents and police officers safe on the streets. They also stressed the importance of voting for small offices, investing in black banks and getting involved in nonprofits and local organizations.
Copeland said she feels confident that this organization can help strategize and effectively change the issue of police brutality.
“While we’re still in the process of navigating through the next steps, we’re extremely excited about what is on the horizon. We are dedicated to continuing to change people’s lives, the same way ours were changed on Sunday night. A night we’ll never forget for as long as we live,” she said.
