Local hip hop promoter Mokah Johnson, Athens for Everyone and a couple dozen other people met Sunday, Feb. 7 to talk about how to capitalize on the 400-person-strong MLK Day march to protest reports of discrimination at downtown businesses.
A petition is being circulated urging Athens-Clarke County commissioners to pass an anti-discrimination ordinance—they’ve already passed a resolution instructing the county attorney’s office to write one—but activists also are applying pressure directly to businesses by giving window stickers to businesses that pledge not to discriminate. (“Secret shoppers” would ensure the pledge is upheld.)
Athens for Everyone is also pushing to further strengthen the ordinance’s wording and is trying to rally speakers for the Mar. 1 commission meeting. But don’t expect a vote on the ordinance then—it could take “months and months” to write, Commissioner Melissa Link said.
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