Thursday, October 13, 2011
Off Beat The Constellations' Elijah Jones on Occupy Atlanta
Posted by Elijah Jones on Thu, Oct 13, 2011 at 4:21 PM
- JOEFF DAVIS
- Elijah Jones in Woodruff Park on Monday night, Oct. 10
Elijah Jones, lead of Atlanta band the Constellations, has been with Occupy Atlanta in Woodruff Park (renamed Troy Davis Park by protesters) since the occupation began on Friday, Oct. 7. Before departing on the morning of October 11 to join his band for a DeLuna Fest concert in Pensacola, Fla., he wrote the following column for CL to explain his motivation for joining the OA movement. He plans to rejoin OA in Woodruff Park on Mon., Oct. 17 — the same date Mayor Kasim Reed has set as the deadline for Occupy Atlanta's removal from Woodruff.
I woke up this morning and saw the sky swell with dark grey clouds over our new home in the renamed Troy Davis Park. Stumbling from our tents, a group of us got together in the center of the park, came up with a plan, and built a canopy where our community could hold our meetings with cover from the gathering storm.
It's that simple. There's a problem, there's a solution. Let's come together, discuss, and make it happen. Otherwise our community could have quickly been destroyed. We face the same threat of destruction in our country, right now as we speak. The greed of the few put a choke hold on true democracy a long time ago, and it’s left the majority of us out in the cold, soaking wet.
But in this group of people, crammed together in the center of Atlanta's downtown business district, I've found some of the most beautiful, passionate, intelligent people I've ever met. We have united under the banner of Occupy Atlanta and have made it clear that we will not be moved. Even as we faced an army of police officers and the threat of incarceration, we stood our ground. Even as we received word of the attacks that were happening in Boston by the police there — and faced the realization that it could be us — we stood our ground. They are us, and my thoughts and prayers go out to them. To quote the late Sam Cooke, "It's been a long time coming, but a change gonna come."
That change is here and now. It’s not a question of when anymore. It’s happening. Does the City of Atlanta really want to be a part of the problem, or take a step forward and set an example as a city that listens and addresses the needs of its community. Can we all reflect on the civil rights movement of the ’60s and say to ourselves, not again will we stand by while people are being oppressed, demoralized, taken advantage of, and yes, brutalized and even murdered? Can we stand up and say, enough is enough?
People ask me what is this movement about; what do you stand for? All I can say is come down and see for yourself. It's not something that can be summed up in a neat little sound bite for the six o'clock news. You have to experience it and get involved and then you will understand. The door is open; hell, it's a public park. It's your park, come and claim it with us.
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