On the eve of celebrations honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,
a man was cruelly killed by the city of Atlanta. This occurred during the clearing of a homeless encampment - of all places,
near Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. King once served as co-pastor. Cornelius Taylor, a kind-hearted man who dreamed of a better future, was inside his tent when
a city worker crushed him to death with a bulldozer. Witnesses allege that workers didn't even check to make sure the tents were empty before setting the construction equipment to work.
This senseless tragedy occurred as the city sought to "sanitize" the area for MLK Day festivities - a grotesque mockery of the very values Dr. King stood for. Sign the petition to demand an end to these clearings and increased funding for basic human necessities such as affordable housing!Dr. King was a fierce advocate for economic justice, decrying the systems that perpetuate poverty and inequity. Yet in Atlanta, a city that proudly claims his legacy, unhoused individuals are treated as
disposable obstacles to be swept away. The encampment clearings, carried out with bulldozers and disregard for human life, exemplify a callous disregard for the dignity and safety of the city's most vulnerable residents.
Cornelius Taylor's death is not an isolated incident. It is the result of a long-standing, systemic failure to prioritize affordable housing and social support.
These so-called "cleanings" do nothing to address the root causes of homelessness. Instead, they displace and endanger people who have nowhere else to go. Atlanta has experienced a 60% rise in unsheltered homelessness since the pandemic. The city must abandon its inhumane practices and focus on real solutions.
This tragedy is made even more appalling by its timing.
Dr. King championed the rights of the poor, spoke out against economic inequality, and warned against the moral bankruptcy of prioritizing wealth over humanity. For his namesake city to engage in such cruelty in preparation for celebrations of his life is a bitter irony that cannot be ignored.
The city is apparently conducting an investigation, but that's not enough. We must hold Atlanta accountable for honoring Dr. King's true legacy: one of equality, justice, and care for the least among us.
Sign this petition to demand justice for Cornelius Taylor. Help us urge the city of Atlanta to immediately end its use of encampment clearings as a tool for "beautifying" Atlanta, and to increase funding for affordable housing and supportive services!Photo is courtesy of Atl Scoop.