From Here. For Here.
New Vision for a New City.
New Vision for a New City.
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America's first #BlackLivesMatter organizer elected to public office, Councilman khalid (pronounced cuh-LEED) is leading a generation of young activists from protests to politics. This "Elected Activist" has been a #Fightfor15 organizer and a Bernie Sanders Delegate is the youngest member of the inaugural City Council of South Fulton, GA — Atlanta's new twin city.
With a population that is 90 percent African American, South Fulton, Georgia is now the blackest big city in America. Councilman khalid's vision is to make South Fulton a real-life Wakanda that empowers its citizens' success like legendary African-American cities of Greenwood (Tulsa), Oklahoma or Rosewood, Florida. khalid is the only member of South Fulton's City Council born & raised South Fulton, Georgia. His father, an accountant for Atlanta Workforce Development, and mother, manager of Grady's Bankhead clinic, instilled in him Christ's teaching that "whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me." His lower-cased name comes from the Yoruba tradition, where the community is emphasized over the individual. Many people stumble over his Yoruba last name — pronounced cuh-MAH-oo — so citizens simply refer to him as "Councilman khalid." |
khalid with Senator Bernie Sanders & President Jimmy Carter at Carter Center's Human Rights Forum
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Raised on Old National Highway, khalid attended the original Old National Christian Academy (on the grounds of what is now World Changer's Ministries), Love T. Nolan Elementary and Ronald E. McNair Middle schools.
khalid organized his first petition & demonstration while at Ronald E. McNair Middle School
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It was at McNair, at the age of 13, that he organized his first demonstration – where his petition to include African nations in the predominately black middle school's Olympics-themed "Field Day" became a full-fledged student protest covered by local news.
His organizing continued through high school (Mays, Banneker & Tri-Cities). At Tri-Cities, his peers nicknamed him "Captain Planet," after the popular 90s cartoon. At Ithaca College in New York, khalid became well-known as a passionate defender of the working poor, women, LGBT people and the environment. A college semester abroad studying South Africa's post-Apartheid democracy sealed his lifelong commitment to social justice. After college, khalid spent his early adulthood working as a Financial Analyst and Operations Manager for non-profit agencies in New York, Los Angeles & Atlanta, including Harlem United, Girls Prep Charter Schools, Morehouse College and the Black AIDS Institute before attending John Marshall Law School in Atlanta. |
khalid first became involved in City government through Maynard Jackson's Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU) system. In 2005, under the tutelage of the inimitable Peggy Harper, he organized renters in Atlanta's rapidly gentrifying Mechanicsville neighborhood.
"When there’s a call to action on issues of social justice, some people stand silent while others lead. One such person who is ready to act is khalid."
RollingOut.com
RollingOut.com
Atlanta Activists Shut Down KKK Rally at Stone Mountain Park
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When the economy took a downturn, khalid took a series of blue-collar jobs, working as bus driver for MARTA, and an AT&T Wire Tech, installing & repairing service in every weather condition. These jobs gave him first-hand experience with organized labor and unions fighting to hold on to living wages and employee benefits that are vanishing due to corporate greed. khalid's personal experience with America's — and Atlanta's — shrinking middle class, increased his compassion for working class families.
In fact, it was his experience fighting the outsourcing of MARTA's Mobility Service workers that lead khalid into politics full time; first as labor activist with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), then as a volunteer with the Bernie Sanders campaign, the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America. An activist with prophetic vision to pursue progressive policies ' in the streets & the suites,' khalid enrolled and graduated from Fulton County Citizens University, while being an active member of Atlanta Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs) V (Mechanichsville), where he organized a neighborhood watch program; and NPUs P (Camp Creek) & L (Vine City), where he participated in Economic Development negotiations around the new Mercedes-Benz arena. |
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One of the first events khalid organized as a co-convener of Atlanta's #BlackLivesMatter chapter was an intergenerational dialogue with 1960 Civil Rights Leaders, including Congressman John Lewis
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khalid helped organize the Atlanta chapter of #BlackLivesMatter and served as a Field Organizer for the Georgia House Democratic Caucus. In 2016, he was elected as an At-Large Delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
In his first two years on City Council, Councilman khalid authored legislation to make Election Day a full, paid Holiday — making South Fulton the first city in the South, and one of the first in the nation to do so. He created an annual, companion event called the Electoral College to teach citizens how local & state government works. He co-sponsored legislation raising the city's minimum wage to $15/hr; and supported Councilman Mark Baker's legislation to decriminalize marijuana for less than an ounce, change Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day, and to the "ban the box" asking applicants for city jobs about their previous criminal history. A college-educated, community activist with a career in nonprofit management and experience in blue-collar jobs; a Southern, Black, Christian Socialist — Councilman khalid brings a unique blend of professionalism, passion and authenticity to government to build a table big enough for everyone to have a seat. |
khalid & Dr. Cornel West at 2016 DNC Platform Meeting
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South Fulton, Georgia Councilman khalid is the first #BlackLivesMatter organizer elected to public office in the United States.
Help make South Fulton, GA the Largest Progressive City in the South.