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Volume 4, Issue 5

The Legislative Session ended two months ago, but the pace of work has kept me busy this month! And I have several June events I would love to bring to your attention!

In this edition:

June 11 Summer Celebration for DeKalb Youth
June 15 Regulate Guns Not Women, Climate Action Now Fundraiser
June 15 Environmental Justice Climate Protection Conference
DeKalb Ethics Board Update
May 9 Town Hall
In the Community

Will You Join Me for Summer Celebration on June 11th?

I am proud to serve on the board of the DeKalb Juvenile Justice Council, and excited to serve as co-chair, along with Dr. Sharnell Myles, for this event! We need your help to make our largest annual fundraiser a great success! We are delighted that Juanita and Greg Baranco are our Honorary Chairs this year!

Please consider supporting our youth, the future of our community, in the form of a sponsorship. Sponsorship Deadline is June 1st.

The Sponsorship Form HERE provides all the details. There are sponsorships at all levels, from $150 to $1000!
If a Sponsorship does not fit your needs, you may purchase tickets HERE.
If you have any questions, please contact us at dekalbjuvenilejusticecouncil@gmail.com.

Regulate Guns Not Women
Climate Action Now
Fundraising Reception

I need your help to fight for our priorities and against extreme Republican control: common sense gun safety laws, a women's right to health and privacy, and for climate solutions that catalyze a Georgia beyond carbon.

Will you join me in the fight to protect families from gun violence, to protect women from the government controlling their bodies, and to protect our children’s children’s future to live on our earth? Contribute HERE. RSVP HERE.

Environmental Justice and Climate Protection Conference

Join me on June 15th for the Second Annual Environmental Justice and Climate Protection (EJCP) Conference. You can attend in person at the Emory School of Public Health in Atlanta, GA or virtually online. This year’s conference will highlight the intersections of environmental justice, climate protection, and public health. We’re also creating opportunities for coalition building and networking.

Dogwood Alliance is co-sponsoring this conference along with Science for Georgia, the Center for Black Women’s Wellness, and Emory’s CHARTER (Center for Children’s Health Assessment, Research Translation, and Combating Environmental Racism). There will be speakers and panelists from the CDC, EPA, and environmental organizations. They will provide resources, tools, and enriching experiences. Our goal is to build on and support organizational and community advocacy efforts. This conference is for you if you’re ready to take action. If you want to protect people’s health and the environment. And if you’re interested in building partnerships.

We’ll develop solutions together to address the issues of climate, justice, and health. And particularly what that looks like for Georgians.

DeKalb Ethics Board Appointments Update

Due to recent resignations, the House and Senate delegations have been working on new appointments to the DeKalb Ethics Board. Thankfully, we received many applications from highly qualified citizens with backgrounds in Ethics, Law, Governance, and Finance. I am serving as the convener of the Appointment Committee. The House has two appointments and the Senate has three. We take our responsibility for finding the right mix of board members seriously, and we look forward to renewing a strong and independent Ethics board. We hope to announce our new appointees no later than June 9th.

In The Community

May 9th Town Hall

If you missed our May 11 Legislative Wrap Up Town Hall at County Line Library in Ellenwood with Representatives Angela Moore and Saira Draper (pictured here with good friend Pastor Willy Render), you can watch in these two videos: Video 1: HERE and Video 2: HERE

Druid Hills High School Pre-Commencement Keynote Speech on May 21

Congratulations to all the graduates - High School, College, and Graduate School! I have loved seeing the social media posts of these wonderful celebrations!
I had the honor and privilege of speaking at the Druid Hills High School Pre-Commencement Ceremony at Glenn Memorial on Sunday! It was special for me to follow Pierce Bauer, a DHHS teacher who attended DHHS with my children!

Call for Special Session to Pass Common Sense Public Safety Laws

Say their names. Amy St. Pierre. A mom in our Springdale Park Elementary community shot in May at a medical office. And Deshon DuBose, a 13 year old Drew Charter school student shot in January outside a skating rink. Two of the over 1500 Georgians from our community who died from gun violence in the past year.
Georgia has the 8th highest rate of gun homicides and gun assaults in the country, and guns are the leading cause of death for Georgia's children and teens.
Georgia Democrats held a press conference at the Capitol on May 11 to ask our Governor to call a special session to address this epidemic of gun violence. Please take some time to listen to these powerful speakers, many of whose lives have been affected by gun violence: Click HERE.
Many thanks to Clare Schexnyder, an incredible activist who always calls it like it is.

Teaching Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children to Listen and Speak

Can you imagine if you could not hear or speak - what you would do? On May 10 I had the privilege of touring the Auditory-Verbal Center, where therapists give Sound & Voice to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. I am pictured here with Debbie Brilling, Executive Director and CEO, and her son Jonathan, Community Engagement and Development Coordinator, in their extremely well organized, colorful resource room for classes and therapy. Many thanks to Clarke Weeks for the introduction!

Investing in High Quality Early Childcare

At the Quality Care for Children Early Start Breakfast - early investment in high quality childcare changes life trajectory! Thank you to Ellyn Cochran, President and CEO of QCC, and kudos to Virginia Baker, an owner of two childcare programs in Clarkston, and a star of a video that was shown!

County Line / Ellenwood Parade and Community Round-Up

I loved marching in the Ellenwood parade, and meeting students from the Oakview Drama Club and Shewanda Pattillo, the Athletic Director of Cedar Grove. Thank you to Treasure Von Holland, who takes the time and energy to walk with me in parades! I loved meeting an Ellenwood Living Legend, Dr. Shakir-Khan, and catching up with DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond. And glad to meet Victor Adams and Greg Newell, with the welders association and the Sea Welding Academy. And of course DeKalb Democrats, led by Willie and Mary Render, were active and present in the community!

Remembering Anne Frank: One Story Among Millions

With Fran Putney at the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust Days of Remembrance, focusing on Anne Frank: One Story Among Millions. Did you know that we will have our own replica of the Anne Frank house here in Georgia, in Sandy Springs? And a section of the Chestnut tree root from the original Anne Frank house in Amsterdam will be planted at this Georgia site?

Congratulations to all the graduates and their families! May is such a lovely sweet time to mark these thrilling and sometimes bittersweet life transition! I hope you all have a lovely Memorial Day weekend and time to celebrate and relax with family and friends.

It is my honor and privilege to serve as our representative. Please let me know how I can be of service to you.

Sincerely,