Truth Seekers Journal

Farming Justice: John Boyd’s 35-Year Fight for Land, Legacy and Equality

The National Black Farmers Association’s 35th Conference in Birmingham honored John Boyd Jr.’s legacy, uniting farmers nationwide to reclaim land, legacy, and economic justice.

By Milton Kirby | Birmingham, AL | November 3, 2025

The air in Birmingham felt like history turning its own soil—just right for a gathering of people who understand the language of the land. Inside the conference hall, rows of worn cowboy hats, Sunday dresses, and seed-company caps filled the seats. Farmers came from every corner of the country—Alabama, West Virginia, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Virginia, Oklahoma, and Texas. Some arrived by pickup, others by bus or plane, but all came for one reason: to celebrate 35 years of the National Black Farmers Association and the man who has never stopped fighting for them, Dr. John W. Boyd Jr.

The theme for the two-day gathering said it plain: “ReClaiming, ReGaining & ReGenerating Our Farms.” But what unfolded in those rooms was more than a conference. It was a reunion of faith and endurance—an unbroken line stretching from the sharecroppers of yesterday to the land stewards of today. It was family—farm boots and Sunday shoes, handshakes that turned into hugs, stories that started with the weather and ended with survival.

Grounded in the Work

Across two full days, the energy never dipped. Workshops buzzed with talk of farm loans, USDA programs, and the fine print that too often traps small farmers. Between sessions on farm credit, USDA programs, and cooperative models, farmers swapped lessons about soil testing, irrigation, and the art of keeping a small operation alive when fuel costs rise faster than the price of corn, cotton, beef, or soybeans.

At one table, a USDA outreach officer explained disaster-relief programs to a group of farmers. At another, a veteran rancher shared tips on protecting heirs’ property and forming family LLCs. Every conversation echoed one unspoken truth—knowledge is the new harvest.

Dr. Trina D. Brown, a health and wellness strategist, emphasized that the message was just as much about the people as the land. “We have to heal ourselves while we heal our soil,” she said, urging farmers to protect their mental health as fiercely as their crops.

Chaplain Eve Priester delivered a spirit-filled, inspirational prayer unlike any other. “Farming is God’s ministry in real time,” she said. “We plant, we nurture, and we believe in the harvest.” You could feel the amen in the air.

The Boyd Legacy

Mr Priester a hay farmer traveled from MS

When John W. Boyd Jr. stepped to the podium, applause broke like thunder. Some rose to their feet; others simply bowed their heads in respect. Boyd, a fourth-generation farmer from Baskerville, Virginia, has carried this fight for decades—from the long legal battles of Pigford v. Glickman to more recent struggles for debt relief and USDA reform.

“Black farmers, we’ve got to get to know one another,” he said. “Do business with each other. Build something together.”

His words landed heavy because everyone knew what he’s carried. Boyd reminded the audience that more than 12 million acres once owned by Black families have been lost—taken by discrimination, bureaucracy, or sheer exhaustion.

Behind the quiet strength of his voice was the memory of his father, John Wesley Boyd Sr., who taught him the oldest truth in farming: “Be good to the land, and the land will be good to you.”

That lesson has guided the NBFA since its founding in the early 1990s—through courtrooms, congressional hearings, and countless farm visits across America.

Faces of the Movement

The conference lineup reflected the diversity and endurance of Black and Native farmers.

Kara Brewer Boyd, NBFA Program Director, President of the Association of American Indian Farmers, and wife of John Boyd, spoke about cross-cultural solidarity and the shared struggle of land-based people. An enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe, she reminded the audience that “land is identity—and identity is power.”

Boyd offered tips and techniques so practical and powerful that attendees described them as “nuggets of gold,” carefully pocketed to take home and put to work.

Nick and Tonya Dangerfield, dedicated Realtors serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area, focus on empowering underserved clients in Texas and Oklahoma to purchase, retain, and sell property with confidence. The couple is also cultivating a family farm in East Texas, building legacy wealth for their children.

Jolene Beaumont Whiteclay, with 46 years of experience as a dedicated farmer and rancher, is deeply rooted in her community and heritage. Currently serving as a Health Systems Specialist with the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Indian Health Service, she balances professional commitments with managing a thriving 3,000-acre ranch alongside her three sons. A proud member of the Crow Tribe of Montana, Jolene is a third-generation rancher continuing her family’s legacy.

Charles “Chuck” Baldwin has dedicated more than 40 years to cross-cultural work, primarily in Western and Central Africa. His career has included public speaking, fundraising, teaching, leadership development, mentoring, and building relationships across national and ethnic lines. For the past twelve years, Baldwin has served as the Special Populations Outreach Coordinator (SPOC) for the National AgrAbility Project at Purdue University. He collaborates closely with Extension professionals from 1890 and 1994 land-grant universities to expand support for diverse farming communities.

Every speaker’s story carried the same rhythm—loss, endurance, renewal. Through it all, the NBFA banner hung behind them, bold in green and gold, a reminder of how far they’ve come.

Honoring the Struggle

During the awards ceremony, Boyd presented special honors to those whose service has strengthened the movement.

Lifetime Achievement Award – Adrian Boyd, a decorated Army veteran of Operation Desert Storm and brother of John W. Boyd Jr., was recognized for his advocacy in the In Re Black Farmers Class Action Lawsuit. He played an instrumental role in securing passage of the 2010 Reclamation Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama—a beacon of hope for Black farmers who had suffered from systemic discrimination at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The act awarded $1.25 billion in restitution to those farmers.

Chairman’s Award – Andre P. Barlow, Esq., longtime NBFA legal counsel and former U.S. Department of Justice attorney, was honored for his unwavering commitment to justice. A former trial attorney with the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, Barlow has spent years working to ensure fairness in the very systems that once failed Black farmers. His partnership with the NBFA reflects a deep commitment to civil rights, economic opportunity, and the belief that every farmer deserves a fair chance to thrive.

Family Farmer of the Year – George C. Roberts Jr., founder of Circle R Ranch in Oklahoma and a proud Seminole Freedman, spoke of stewardship, heritage, and the sacred duty to honor ancestors through the soil they once worked. Roberts was recognized for decades of ethical farming and for his advocacy for children with disabilities through his community foundation.

Farmer of the Year – Zachary Morse, a cattleman from Nelson County, Virginia, brought the crowd to its feet. He shared how his family’s Roundhouse Farm has grown into a 200-acre operation that now provides 80/20 processed beef for hamburgers and meals served at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. His pride was quiet but steady.

As each name was called, the applause felt like gratitude paid forward. These were not just honorees—they were field generals in a long campaign for dignity and fairness.

The Work Continues

The closing session turned toward what’s next: youth engagement, policy reform, and land reclamation. Plans were laid for new training partnerships with universities and 1890 land-grant institutions, along with continued outreach through the NBFA’s women’s and Native farmer networks.

Boyd called for unity over rivalry. “We can’t do this work divided,” he said. “The future of Black farming depends on us doing business with one another—buying from, selling to, and standing up for each other.”

For two days, Birmingham became more than a meeting place. It became a crossroads of memory and mission. Farmers traded phone numbers and promised to stay in touch. Some left with new tools and grant information; others left with something even deeper—a sense that they were part of a living legacy.

The land is still rich. The people are still here. And the fight—for dignity, for ownership, for the soul of Black agriculture—is far from over.

The National Black Farmers Association Sets Course for 2025 Birmingham Conference

“Our Soul Is Not for Sale” – Big Bethel Rally Draws Atlanta Together

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“Our Soul Is Not for Sale” – Big Bethel Rally Draws Atlanta Together

Atlanta’s mayors and church leaders rally at Big Bethel AME, vowing to defend diversity, equity, and inclusion programs amid Trump’s federal funding threats.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | November 1, 2025 On a cool Friday morning inside Big Bethel AME Church, sunlight poured through stained glass where freedom once found its voice. From that pulpit — the same one that carried Dr. King’s thunder and John Lewis’s call for good trouble — came a new rallying cry: “The soul of Atlanta is not for sale.” Mayor Andre Dickens stood with nearly every living Black mayor in city history — Andrew Young, Shirley Franklin, Bill Campbell, Kasim Reed — and Valerie Jackson, wife of the late Mayor Maynard Jackson. Together they filled the sanctuary with memory, defiance, and faith.

A City That Won’t Bow

They came to answer a challenge from Washington — a Trump administration order threatening to choke off federal dollars from cities that keep diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs alive. Billions for housing, airport work, and BeltLine projects hang in the balance. But the crowd at Big Bethel didn’t come to talk fear. They came to talk faith. “We are gathered here to rekindle the spirit of our city — to remind one another that courage, unity, and truth still live within us,” said former councilman Jabari Simama, now helping to lead the new Soul of Atlanta Coalition. “Our mission today is clear: to bring people together, share knowledge, and demonstrate that when we act with purpose and faith, we can change the course of our community. We can push back against forces that seek to divide, distract, and destroy us.” “Atlanta was built by people who refused to dream small. We will never deny the values that have not only made this city great, but made it just.”

A Legacy Worth More Than Money

Atlanta has already paid a price for its convictions — forfeiting $37.5 million in airport funds this summer rather than gut its minority-contracting program. “Our soul is not for sale,” declared Elder Toni Belin Ingram of the AME Church, her voice rising over the applause.

Mayor Dickens called the fight what it is: another Goliath moment. “Goliath doesn’t stand a chance in Atlanta,” he said. “We’ve slayed bears. We’ve slayed lions. Been there. Done that. Got the notes. Got the t-shirt and some of the scars.” His office later said the city is still reviewing the legal path forward, but his tone in the church left little doubt: the mayor intends to stand firm.

Where the Story Began

It was Maynard Jackson — Atlanta’s first Black mayor — who planted the seed of economic fairness back in the 1970s. His Equal Business Opportunity program forced open the door for Black-owned firms to compete for city contracts. Washington noticed — and copied it. “This is where it all began,” said Ambassador Andrew Young, looking over the packed pews. “These ideas didn’t come from Washington to us. They came from us to Washington.” Valerie Jackson smiled softly at the mention of her husband’s name. “Maynard’s policies of inclusion became a model for the nation,” she said. “We will not allow the principles of fairness and justice to be rolled back.”

A Coalition of Courage

From Shirley Franklin to Kasim Reed, the lineup at Big Bethel looked like a living timeline of Atlanta’s Black leadership. Pastor Jonathan C. Augustine — or “Pastor Jay” — reminded everyone why they were there. “Your presence here says we know what’s happening,” he said. “An autocratic leader is targeting blue cities led by Black mayors. And yet here we stand.” The new Soul of Atlanta Coalition plans to spend the next year gathering stories, uplifting minority-owned businesses, and organizing pushback against attacks on DEI and affirmative-action programs.

Standing in the Gap

Even as City Hall weighs its legal moves, Dickens said the work of serving people continues — especially with the federal shutdown straining families. “We’re spending time feeding the least, the last, the lost,” he said. The Atlanta Community Food Bank has launched a $5 million emergency plan to replace lost SNAP benefits, aiming to distribute six million pounds of food in four weeks through 700 local partners. “In tough times,” Dickens said, “we see the true spirit of Atlanta — compassion, connection, and courage.”

The Thread That Holds Us

From MARTA’s leadership recently reaffirming its commitment to disadvantaged businesses to the airport’s quiet determination to keep inclusion alive, the thread that runs through Atlanta is the same one Maynard Jackson spun fifty years ago: shared opportunity. “Diversity isn’t a program — it’s our way of life,” said Ambassador Young. “And it’s worked pretty well.” Related articles MARTA Job Fair Set for Nov. 6 – Offering Competitive Pay and Benefits WIC and SNAP Funds Halted: Shutdown Deepens Food Insecurity Crisis

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MacKenzie Scott: A Philanthropy of the Spirit in an Age of Abandonment

By Stacy M. Brown | Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

There are moments in history when a single act of generosity reveals the moral decay of an entire nation. MacKenzie Scott’s $38 million gift to Alabama State University, the largest in its 158-year history, is such a moment. It is not merely a financial transaction, nor the casual benevolence of the wealthy. It is a moral indictment against a society that has grown indifferent to the suffering of its Black citizens, against a government that starves their schools, and against a class of newly rich who have forgotten the communal obligations of success.

Dr. Quinton T. Ross Jr., the university’s president, called it a defining moment for Alabama State, and indeed it is. His words ring with the gratitude of those who have built excellence in the face of deprivation. “Ms. Scott’s generosity affirms Alabama State University’s reputation as a catalyst for excellence and innovation in higher education,” he said. But her act is more than affirmation. It is a resurrection, and a call to remember that Black institutions remain the crucibles of America’s moral and intellectual power. In recent weeks, Scott has dispersed her fortune with quiet conviction. Seventy million to the United Negro College Fund to strengthen endowments across thirty-seven member schools; sixty-three million to Morgan State University, her second gift to that campus in less than five years; and one hundred and one million combined to Morgan State and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in a span of days.

Her giving, unshackled by stipulations or vanity, stands in luminous contrast to an era defined by greed and indifference. The plutocracy that dominates modern life often extracts from the many to enrich the few. Scott reverses that equation. She does not donate to dominate. She gives to repair. Her wealth, born of corporate conquest, has become the instrument of restoration. It stands as a redemption, perhaps, of what that very system has broken. One cannot ignore the symbolism of her actions. At a time when the federal government withholds support from historically Black institutions, when affirmative action has been dismantled, and when diversity programs are vilified, a white woman from the highest ranks of privilege has become the single most consistent benefactor of Black education in the nation. It is as though she has seen, from her rarefied vantage point, what America refuses to see: that the progress of its Black citizens is not a charity, but the measure of its own civilization.

Yet even as she gives, others remain silent. The silence of Black wealth resounds across the land. It is a silence that mocks the very principles of uplift once preached from our pulpits and classrooms. Attorney Benjamin Crump’s call to the wealthy—“If you’ve been blessed, you got to pass the blessing on”—echoes unanswered. The great sons and daughters of our race who have ascended to fortune, those who built empires on the faith of our people, turn their eyes away from the institutions that birthed them. They forget the hands that lifted them from obscurity. They forget that their wealth is not solely their own, but part of the moral economy of a people who have suffered together and triumphed together. The Black Press, like the HBCUs, stands as an unbroken monument to endurance. It has spoken truth through lynchings, wars, and betrayals. Yet it now faces extinction not from white suppression alone, but from the neglect of its own. “If the Black Press falls,” Crump warned, “so does the record of our struggle, our triumph, and our faith.”

Scott’s philanthropy, then, is not simply about money. It is about memory. The moral memory of a nation that has forgotten the debt it owes to those it once enslaved and now ignores. In her giving, she restores something elemental, the belief that one’s prosperity is meaningless if it does not lift others. W.E.B. Du Bois wrote of the “double consciousness” that afflicts the Negro in America, the struggle to see oneself through the eyes of a world that despises you. Today, the irony is reversed. America must learn to see itself through the eyes of those it has wronged. MacKenzie Scott, for all her privilege, seems to have glimpsed that truth. She gives the impression that she has looked into the soul of the republic and found it wanting.

Her actions do not absolve the sins of this nation. They reveal them. And in revealing them, they offer a path, not of atonement, but of accountability. For every dollar she gives to rebuild a school, there are a thousand more that others with power might give but will not. One woman has chosen conscience over complacency. The question that remains is whether the rest of America—Black and white alike—will choose to follow her example or remain comfortable in the quiet decay of its own moral poverty.

Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Commits $50 Million to Atlanta’s HBCUs

MacKenzie Scott Gift to Howard University

MacKenzie Scott Gift to NC A&T State University

MacKenzie Scott Gift to Prairie View A&M University

MacKenzie Scott Gift to Bowie State University

MacKenzie Scott Gift to Philander Smith University

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MARTA Completes Garnett Station Platform Renovation

MARTA completes Garnett Station’s $5 million platform renovation, restoring full Red and Gold Line service and advancing its billion-dollar station modernization program across Atlanta.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | October 29, 2025

After six weeks of construction, MARTA has officially reopened Garnett Station to full Red and Gold Line service, marking the completion of a major platform renovation that blends safety, efficiency, and forward-looking design.

The temporary “skip stop,” a strategic decision during which trains bypassed the downtown station, proved to be a well-thought-out move—saving an estimated four months of construction time and $5 million in project costs.

“By limiting service during construction, we were able to accelerate the timeline and ensure safety for both riders and workers,” MARTA officials said.

Restoring and Reinventing a 44-Year-Old Station

Built in 1981, Garnett Station has long served as a southern gateway to downtown Atlanta. The renovation replaced the station’s original 44-year-old pavers—a vital structural refresh handled by a team of experienced contractors, including Carroll Daniel Construction, C.D. Moody Construction Company, H&M Restoration Service, Level Construction Services, Schindler Elevator Corporation, SRC Ventures, and Williams Tile & Marble Company.

Work on the lower concourse was also completed ahead of schedule, setting the stage for continued improvements on the upper concourse, where crews are applying graffiti-resistant coatings, replacing windscreens, and performing deep cleaning and pressure washing.

Importantly, train service is no longer impacted, allowing riders to once again board and exit at Garnett while remaining improvements continue behind the scenes.

A New Vision for the Plaza

MARTA, in partnership with the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District and the Project for Public Spaces, is not just transforming the station’s large concrete plaza, but also inviting the community to be part of this change. The goal is to create a vibrant public space that promotes connection, accessibility, and civic pride—especially as Atlanta prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The redesign aims to reimagine Garnett’s urban footprint, turning a utilitarian space into a place where art, culture, and transportation meet.

Part of a Billion-Dollar Revitalization Effort

The Garnett Station work is one piece of MARTA’s broader $1 billion Station Rehabilitation Program, which spans all 38 rail stations across the system. The initiative focuses on modernizing infrastructure, improving safety and accessibility, and enhancing the aesthetic experience for the hundreds of thousands of daily MARTA riders.

With Garnett Station’s platform now complete, MARTA’s leadership says it’s another step toward delivering on the agency’s promise of a safer, cleaner, and more connected transit experience for Atlanta residents and visitors alike. This project is not just about infrastructure but about enhancing the daily lives of our community.

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MARTA Job Fair Set for Nov. 6 – Offering Competitive Pay and Benefits

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | October 28, 2025

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is opening its doors to job seekers this fall, with a large-scale hiring event scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at MARTA Headquarters, 2424 Piedmont Road NE, across from Lindbergh Center Station.

The agency is recruiting for a range of critical positions that keep Atlanta moving — including rail and bus operators, journeyman bus technicians, railcar mechanics, track mechanics, track maintainers, and hostler junior apprentices.

Qualified applicants can earn sign-on bonuses for select roles, including CDL Bus Operators (with passenger endorsement), Journeyman Bus Technicians, and Track Maintainers.

Requirements and Opportunities

MARTA is seeking both full-time and part-time operators who are 21 years or older, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, and have a current Class C license. All operator candidates must pass a physical exam, ability test, and drug and alcohol screening.

For Journeyman Bus Technicians, applicants must be 18 years or older, possess a Class C license, and have completed training in automotive, transit bus, diesel, or maintenance programs—or have at least three years of comparable experience.

Getting There

MARTA encourages candidates to ride transit to the event, which will be held directly across from Lindbergh Center Station for easy access.

Those who drive can park in the Sydney Marcus parking deck but must park only in MARTA-designated areas. Parking in the wrong section could result in additional fees.

Dress to Impress

Business casual or professional dress is required, and candidates should bring updated resumes and proof of required credentials.

Interested applicants can explore upcoming career fairs and other job opportunities by visiting itsmarta.com.

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MARTA Completes Garnett Station Platform Renovation

From Tokens to Tap-to-Pay: MARTA Unveils Better Breeze

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MARTA Interim CEO Charts Course for Safer, Faster, More Reliable Transit Ahead of World Cup

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Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing Scores Major Win in NASCAR Antitrust Fight

A federal judge sides with Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing in its antitrust lawsuit, dismissing NASCAR’s “cartel” counterclaim and reshaping the sport’s power balance ahead of trial.

By Milton Kirby | Charlotte, NC | October 29, 2025

A Legal Showdown in Charlotte

Michael Jordan’s racing team, 23XI Racing, and Front Row Motorsports have not only made headlines on the track but also in federal court. On October 28, 2025, they scored a major victory when U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell dismissed NASCAR’s counterclaim accusing them of operating as a cartel.

The ruling marks a turning point in one of the most significant legal battles in modern motorsports. What began as a disagreement over how NASCAR governs its teams has evolved into a test of how much control a sports sanctioning body should hold over its competitors.

Background: Why the Teams Sued NASCAR

The lawsuit was filed in October 2024 by 23XI Racing — co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin — and Front Row Motorsports, owned by Bob Jenkins. Their claim: NASCAR’s charter system and business practices create an illegal monopoly.

Under that charter system, each Cup Series team holds a “charter” guaranteeing entry in every race and a share of revenue. The teams allege that NASCAR uses the system to limit competition, suppress team values, and maintain full control over television and sponsorship income.

Out of 15 Cup Series organizations, only two — 23XI and Front Row — refused to sign the new 2025 charter agreement after two years of tense negotiations. They called the deal “take-it-or-leave-it,” claiming it stripped teams of long-term equity.

The lawsuit names NASCAR Holdings, Inc. and CEO Jim France as defendants, accusing them of violating federal antitrust laws by dictating terms that block other sanctioning bodies or rival leagues from competing in top-tier stock-car racing.

NASCAR Fights Back — and Loses

In March 2025, NASCAR countersued. Its attorneys claimed that Curtis Polk — Jordan’s longtime business manager and co-owner of 23XI — coordinated with other teams to pressure NASCAR for a better charter deal.

NASCAR’s counterclaim described the teams as an “illegal cartel” that allegedly:

Boycotted meetings of the Team Owners Council,
Tried to interfere with NASCAR’s ongoing media-rights negotiations, and
Refused to negotiate individually.

The sanctioning body argued that this group behavior harmed competition and violated the Sherman Antitrust Act.

But Judge Bell didn’t see it that way. In his October 28 order, he granted summary judgment in favor of the teams, effectively tossing NASCAR’s counterclaim.

He wrote that NASCAR failed to show any “unreasonable restraint of trade” and that the meeting boycott “appeared to have little impact on the competitive landscape.” In other words, while the teams’ joint stance may have frustrated NASCAR, it did not harm competition itself — the key legal test for any antitrust violation.

Even if NASCAR experienced economic loss, the court said, that isn’t the same as harm to the marketplace.

What the Dismissal Means

By removing the “cartel” accusation, Judge Bell has simplified the case heading to trial. The focus now returns to the original question: Does NASCAR’s business model violate antitrust law?

For 23XI and Front Row, this is a big win. It clears away a major distraction and gives their attorneys — led by veteran sports lawyer Jeffrey Kessler — a cleaner path to argue that NASCAR’s charter system is anti-competitive.

“This ruling only reaffirms my clients’ unwavering pursuit of a more fair and equitable sport,” Kessler said after the decision.

NASCAR’s legal team struck a different tone, saying it “respects the court’s decision, though we respectfully disagree with its reasoning,” and indicated it may appeal the dismissal.

The Charter System at the Center of It All

Created in 2016, NASCAR’s charter system was meant to give teams stability — a guarantee that, like franchises in the NFL or NBA, they could count on starting spots and predictable income.

But the plaintiffs argue that NASCAR turned that system into a control mechanism. Charters can be revoked or limited in transferability, giving the sanctioning body final say over who can buy, sell, or race.

Teams say this suppresses their market value and leaves them dependent on NASCAR’s approval for everything from sponsorships to media exposure. Without reforms, they claim, no independent racing team can ever build the long-term wealth enjoyed by teams in other professional sports.

That imbalance is magnified by the way charters are distributed. Under the new 2025 charter agreement, most teams are limited to a maximum of three charters. However, powerhouse organizations like Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing were grandfathered in and allowed to keep four.

According to Jayski’s NASCAR Silly Season Site and RacingNews.co, this exception allows Hendrick to continue fielding four chartered cars — the No. 5, No. 9, No. 24, and No. 48 entries — while new or expanding teams are capped. That rule not only preserves historical dominance but also illustrates the inequity newer teams like 23XI are fighting to change.

Inside the Courtroom: Key Legal Milestones

The Original Complaint (October 2024) – Filed in Charlotte’s federal court, the complaint alleged that NASCAR controls nearly every aspect of top-tier stock-car racing, from event scheduling to licensing and broadcast rights.
Preliminary Injunction (December 2024) – Judge Bell temporarily allowed 23XI and Front Row to operate under existing charters while litigation continued.
Fourth Circuit Appeal (June 2025) – An appellate panel vacated an earlier injunction, emphasizing the need for a full trial on the merits.
Counterclaim Dismissed (October 2025) – The most recent order, striking down NASCAR’s accusation of cartel behavior.

The case is now scheduled for trial on December 1, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Both sides have agreed to strict pre-trial conduct rules to keep the proceedings civil — including bans on referencing unrelated controversies like former NASCAR CEO Brian France’s 2018 resignation.

The Bigger Legal Questions

The trial will revolve around several key issues:

Market Definition: Are we talking about “top-tier stock-car racing” (the Cup Series alone) or the entire motorsports industry? The smaller the defined market, the stronger the monopoly claim.
Competition vs. Competitor Harm: Antitrust law protects the market, not individual companies. The teams must prove NASCAR’s structure hurts competition itself — for example, by preventing new entrants or suppressing fair prices.
Revenue and Negotiation Power: Who should control the billions generated by television rights, sponsorships, and licensing? Teams say NASCAR hoards too much of that revenue and dictates how it’s divided.
Statute of Limitations: NASCAR argues that some alleged conduct happened more than four years ago and falls outside the antitrust window.

How the court answers those questions could reshape not only NASCAR’s future but also the economics of all U.S. motorsports.

What’s at Stake

If 23XI and Front Row win, the case could force NASCAR to overhaul its entire charter and revenue model. That might include:

Allowing greater transfer rights for team charters,
Sharing a larger portion of media and sponsorship revenue, and
Giving teams a stronger voice in governance.

For NASCAR, losing could mean ceding some of the control it has exercised since its founding in 1948.

Even a negotiated settlement — which remains possible — might compel NASCAR to rewrite its agreements in ways that permanently rebalance power between teams and the league.

Cultural and Business Impact

Beyond the courtroom, this case carries symbolic weight. Michael Jordan’s entry into NASCAR was already historic: a Black majority owner stepping into a sport long criticized for its lack of diversity.

Now, his team is challenging the structure of the very organization he joined. It’s not just about money — it’s about transparency, fairness, and inclusion in a sport trying to modernize its image.

Business outlets like Sports Business Journal and The Athletic note that Jordan’s leadership brings credibility and global attention to a sport seeking new fans. This lawsuit, though risky, positions him as both a competitor and a reformer.

For many team owners, the outcome will determine whether NASCAR evolves into a franchise-style league with shared prosperity — or remains a top-down entity where teams compete for limited leverage.

The Road Ahead

The December 1 trial will likely stretch into early 2026. Legal experts expect fireworks: expert testimony on sports economics, closed-door contract disclosures, and possibly new revelations about NASCAR’s internal decision-making.

Both sides continue mediation talks, but after this week’s ruling, 23XI and Front Row hold the momentum.

Whatever the verdict, this case is already changing the conversation around how America’s biggest racing league does business.

Shadow Ball: Learning More About Negro League History

Dear Shadow Ball: How many players have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, based on their play in the Negro Leagues? – Curious Curt, International Falls, MN

Dear Curious Curt: Thanks for that question … there are 28 players, listed below with position and year inducted), inducted into the Hall of Fame based on their performance in the Negro Leagues.

Satchel Paige, P, 1971 Ray Dandridge, 3b, 1987 Andy Cooper, p, 2006

Josh Gibson, c, 1972 Leon Day, 1995 Pete Hill, of, 2006

Buck Leonard, 1b, 1972 Willie Foster. P, 1996 Biz Mackey, c, 2006

Monte Irvin, OF, 1973 Willie Wells, ss, 1997 Jose Mendez, p, 2006

Cool Papa Bell, OF, 1974 Bullet Joe Rogan, p, 1998 Louis Santop, c, 2006

Judy Johnson, 3b, 1975 Mule Suttles, 1b, 2006 Smokey Joe Williams, p, 1999

Oscar Charleston, OF, 1976 Turkey Stearnes, of, 2000 Ben Taylor, ib, 2006

Martin Dihigo, 2b, 1977 John Henry Lloyd, ss, 1977 Cristobal Torriente, of, 2006

John Henry Lloyd, ss, 1977 Hilton Smith, p, 2001 Jud Wilson, 3b, 2006

Ray Brown, p, 2006

The real question, for me at least, is “are 28 Negro League player inductees sufficient to accurately tell the story of Negro League baseball in the first half of the twentieth century?” To answer that we need to add some context.

CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND

On December 16, 2020, Major League Baseball announced that it was correcting a longtime oversight in the game’s history by officially recognizing seven specific Negro Leagues operating between 1920-1948 as “Major Leagues”.
Since April 15, 1947 (the day Major League Baseball integrated) 42% of all Hall of Fame players debuting have been players of color (i.e., would have been Negro Leaguers prior to that date)l
In his 1994 baseball documentary, Ken Burns states that Black baseball stars defeated White Major League stars at least 309(70%) times in 438 games … this, of course, is “oral history” but all 7 compilations of games between “so called” Negro League and “so called” Major League teams give the Negro Leaguers the edge with an average winning percentage of 58%.
Many Major League baseball players had been effusive in their assessment and praise of Negro League players prior to the integration of the game including Hall of Famers Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, John McGraw, Joe DiMaggio, Dizzy Dean, Bob Feller, Charlie Gehringer, Rogers Hornsby, and Leo Durocher.
(This would be interesting but not probative but for the above four bullets) Between 1920-1948 the slash lines for both the two Major Leagues and the seven Negro Leagues are virtually identical. A slash line includes batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. The seven Negro Leagues slash line was .272, .335, .376 while the two Major Leagues (AL & NL) was .276, .340, .389.
It must be noted that – while there are 28 players in the Hall for play in the Negro Leagues – there are 125 players in the Hall who earned induction for play in the Major Leagues during baseball’s segregated era prior to 1947.

Given the above bullet points I hope it is obvious to all of us that the current ratio of Major League Hall of Famers prior to 1947 to Negro League Hall of Famers from that same period does not match the record, opinion and honors captured in the above bullets. Clearly, 28 does not do a good job of educating the public. How many Negro Leaguers should there be inducted in Cooperstown? I will close by sharing my opinion and will defend it later in this series if reader interest warrants. In my opinion there should be somewhere between 60 to 80 Negro League players inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Last week’s Shadowball Significa Question

“Who was the first 20^th century player to break the color barrier and get into the major leagues, two bonus questions, what year, what team? A third bonus question, how long did he play in the majors? David Nivens, parts unknown, provided the following: When I was kid, my baseball coach told me that Jackie Robinson was the first black player to enter the Major Leagues in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He played 10 years in the Major Leagues. Thank you, David I very much appreciated your participation, and your including your father’s assistance; my dad provided me that same information when I was a kid.

The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week

What was the name of Atlanta’s most prolific franchise (in terms of years in the league) in the Negro Leagues?

Ted Knorr is a Negro Leagues history expert and longtime SABR member, known for his trivia wins and founding the Jerry Malloy Conference and Commemorative Nights. You can send questions to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

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From Tokens to Tap-to-Pay: MARTA Unveils Better Breeze

MARTA launches the “Better Breeze” upgrade, a modern contactless fare collection system arriving by spring 2026, bringing faster gates, tap-to-pay options, and enhanced rider security.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | October 28, 2025

The next time you step onto MARTA, you may notice something new — and brighter. The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority has begun replacing its entire fare collection system, marking one of the agency’s biggest technology upgrades in nearly two decades.

MARTA began installing new fare equipment at Lindbergh Center Station Sept. 22 and at Doraville Oct. 8. The installation of new contactless payment terminals on buses began in mid-September. The installation of new equipment will continue systemwide in phases until the customer transition period next April.

The project will continue in phases through spring 2026, when riders will officially transition to the Better Breeze system.

A System Built for the Future “It’s great to keep fares unchanged for years, but not an entire fare collection system,” said MARTA Interim General Manager and CEO Jonathan Hunt. Hunt called the upgrade essential to preparing for a “once-in-a-generation” year ahead, with new trains, a redesigned bus network, on-demand zones, and a refreshed mobile app launching before Atlanta hosts the 2026 World Cup.

Leadership from MARTA and INIT, the Better Breeze system developer and installer (L to R: Rhonda Allen, MARTA Deputy General Manager; Jonathan Hunt, MARTA Interim General Manager & CEO; Jennifer Ide, Chair, MARTA Board of Directors; Carl Commons, INIT CEO; Steven Parker, MARTA Chief of Staff).

MARTA’s Breeze system first launched in 2006, replacing tokens and paper transfers. While the Breeze name will remain, everything else — from faregates to the mobile app — will be rebuilt.

Tap, Go, and Keep Moving The Better Breeze system introduces open payment technology. Riders can simply tap their credit or debit card, smartphone, or digital wallet to pay the same $2.50 fare. The upgrade also includes new orange Breeze cards, improved vending machines, and a redesigned mobile app where users will create new accounts to purchase fares.

For MARTA Mobility and reduced-fare customers, the agency will offer both physical and digital options. Transition details will be announced early next year.

High-Tech Security, Lower Downtime MARTA’s installation partner, INIT, says each faregate unit can run 10,000 hours without service failure. The new gates are more tamper-resistant, remotely monitored, and designed to reduce fare evasion. “This is about transforming the rider experience and making transit more connected,” said Carl Commons, INIT’s CEO.

The technology is already used in cities including Houston, Seattle, Nashville, Grand Rapids, Honolulu, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

No Fare Increase — Just Faster Rides MARTA confirmed there will be no fare increase with the Better Breeze rollout. The systemwide modernization will take place in stages, ensuring riders can still access all rail stations during construction. Riders are advised to follow posted signs at stations to avoid closed faregates while new units are installed.

From Tokens to Tap-to-Pay When MARTA began in 1971, bus rides cost just 15 cents. In 2006, the original Breeze card introduced Atlanta riders to smart-card technology. Nearly 20 years later, MARTA is once again reinventing how Atlanta moves — one tap at a time.

By the Numbers – MARTA Fare Facts

15 cents: Original MARTA fare in 1971
$2.50: Current one-way fare (unchanged for 14 years)
10,000 hours: Estimated operating time per faregate without service failure
2026: Target year for Better Breeze systemwide launch
20 years: Time since the original Breeze system debuted

WIC and SNAP Funds Halted: Shutdown Deepens Food Insecurity Crisis

Millions of low-income Americans could lose food assistance as SNAP benefits halt November 1 amid a prolonged government shutdown, leaving families and food banks bracing for crisis.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | October 27, 2025

As the federal shutdown stretches into its fourth week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed that no Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will be issued on November 1 — potentially cutting off aid to more than 42 million Americans who rely on the program to feed their families.

On Monday, the USDA posted a stark message on its website: “Bottom line, the well has run dry.” According to the agency, Senate gridlock over federal spending has left SNAP — once known as food stamps — without the funds to continue into the new month.

The USDA’s statement comes amid partisan tension in Congress. The agency said that Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times against proposed measures to fund SNAP, citing disagreements over other spending priorities. Without a resolution, the department warned, “there will be no benefits issued November 1.”

Millions at Risk

The impact of this funding lapse is enormous. SNAP currently provides monthly food assistance to roughly one in eight Americans — including working parents, seniors, and people with disabilities. The separate Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, serving more than 7 million low-income mothers and babies, is also poised to run out of money.

While EBT cards will still function for now, only unused balances from prior months will remain available after November 1. USDA has clarified that these balances will roll over, but no new November benefits will be issued.

Adding to the strain, the USDA has said it will not reimburse states that use their own funds to keep SNAP benefits flowing during the shutdown. That decision leaves governors and local agencies scrambling to fill the gap.

Food Banks Brace for Surge

Across the nation, food banks are preparing for a potential surge in demand.
“Food banks are already squeezed by federal funding cuts,” said George Matysik, executive director of the Share Food Program in Philadelphia. “If SNAP goes dark, we’ll see lines wrap around the block.”

The New Disabled South, a Georgia-based advocacy group, has begun offering small emergency grants — $100 for individuals and $250 for families — to help SNAP recipients cover basic needs. But even that organization is warning participants that accepting cash could affect other benefits such as Medicaid or Social Security.

A Divided Washington

The USDA said in an internal memo earlier this month that it would not tap its $5 billion contingency fund, explaining that the reserve is reserved for natural disasters, not shutdowns.
That decision — combined with congressional inaction — has deepened frustration across party lines.

“It’s abysmal that we live in such a moment,” said Dom Kelly, founder of New Disabled South. “A government shutdown should not mean that people have to choose between paying rent and feeding their families.”

The shutdown, which began October 1 after lawmakers failed to agree on a 2026 federal budget, is now among the longest in U.S. history, trailing only the 35-day standoff of 2018–2019.

What SNAP Recipients Can Do

SNAP and WIC recipients are urged to contact their state agencies immediately for local assistance and to verify whether their states are releasing temporary emergency benefits.
In some states, officials are exploring emergency appropriations or public-private partnerships with community food banks. Others are directing residents to faith-based and nonprofit food programs.

The USDA emphasized that while its mission is to “increase food security and reduce hunger in partnership with cooperating organizations,” it cannot operate without congressional funding.

For now, the agency’s message is clear: without a deal, millions of American households could see their food budgets vanish overnight.

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Just 83 Shy: Atlanta Seniors Nearly Break Guinness Record at Wellness Celebration

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | October 21, 2025

ATLANTA — On Saturday, October 18, hundreds of seniors filled the Wolf Creek Amphitheater for a joyful and determined attempt to set a new Guinness World Record. The goal: the largest senior health awareness fitness class ever organized.

Led by energetic fitness coach DaShaun Johnson, the crowd stretched, stepped, and moved in sync for nearly an hour. The effort came just 83 participants shy of setting a new global mark, but the day was far from a loss.

“What we did here today was bigger than any record,” Johnson said. “We moved together — as one community — and that’s what this is all about.”

The event, presented by the City of South Fulton in partnership with The Guru of Abs, drew seniors, caregivers, and family members from across metro Atlanta. Volunteers, sponsors, and local wellness organizations filled the amphitheater with energy, resources, and encouragement.

A Day of Movement and Motivation

The day began with warm ups and motivational music before Johnson led a full-body session designed to be inclusive for all mobility levels. From chair-based stretches to low-impact cardio, participants showed that age is no barrier to movement.

“While we did not break the Guinness record, to see all of these seniors here investing in their health is truly amazing,” said Leslie McGuffie, Chief Operating Officer of Axxess Benefit Consultants.

Many seniors said they came not for a record, but for connection.

“It feels good to know we’re part of something that celebrates us,” said participant Margaret Allen of East Point. “You’re never too old to take care of yourself.”

Why Senior Fitness Matters

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults aged 65 and older need at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week, along with muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week. Regular activity helps reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.

The popular SilverSneakers program, which provides free gym access for many older adults through Medicare, reports that consistent exercise improves balance, boosts mood, and reduces falls — the leading cause of injury among seniors.

“Events like this do more than raise awareness,” said wellness coordinator Tasha Greene. “They remind our elders that they are seen, valued, and capable.”

Building a Culture of Wellness

Organizers say the near-record turnout has inspired plans for a larger attempt next year. The City of South Fulton plans to continue promoting senior wellness programs throughout 2026, including walking clubs, nutrition workshops, and free exercise classes.

“We may have missed the record this time,” Johnson said with a smile, “but next year, we’ll make sure the world knows Atlanta’s seniors are unstoppable.”

No matter your age, the fitness journey can continue. With proper guidance and a consistent regimen, movement at any stage of life can improve health outcomes and quality of living.

Senior Fitness by the Numbers

150 minutes of weekly activity recommended for adults 65+.
28% of adults over 65 are inactive, per CDC.
25% reduction in risk of early death for active seniors.
40% fewer falls reported among seniors who exercise regularly.

The Power of Community Wellness

Social engagement improves mental health and reduces isolation.
Group exercise increases consistency and motivation.
Community-based programs can improve local health outcomes by up to 20%, according to public health studies.

Seniors Exercising to Break Guinness World Record – 2

Related articles

October Marks 40 Years of Breast Cancer Awareness: Every Story Is Unique, Every Journey Matters

SilverSneakers and Kroc Atlanta Center Bring Seniors Together for 2K Walk

Skin Cancer Is Trickier Than You Think

Golden Years, Golden Goals: DeKalb County Hosts 36th Annual Senior Olympics

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After a decades-long population boom, Atlanta’s growth is slowing down

Atlanta’s explosive growth is slowing after decades of expansion, as families move to surrounding suburbs for space and affordability while the city grows denser and pricier.

By Krystal Nurse | General Assignment Reporter | October 20, 2025

Quinn Arnau was thoughtful in his decision to plant his roots in the Atlanta metro area 20 years ago. He sought a space with an up-and-coming airport, major corporations’ headquarters and room to breathe.

“I feel like Atlanta is a cool place to live,” Arnau, president of the Atlanta Realtors Association, told Straight Arrow News. “It’s seen as an alternative to some of the larger cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.”

He isn’t the only one who feels this way. Atlanta has grown steadily for the past two decades. But as that sought-after available space becomes harder to find, the boomtown’s growth is slowing.

Between 1990 and 2025, Atlanta’s population grew an average of 2.2% every five years, according to an SAN analysis of data from the Atlanta Regional Commission, a regional planning organization that tracks trends for the city and surrounding counties. The city’s most rapid growth occurred from 2015 to 2020, during which the number of residents increased by 15.5%, or 67,015 people. The city is no stranger to population losses, as its worst was by 4.84% from 2000 to 2005, when it lost 20,163 residents.

Ann Carpenter, head of research and analytics at the commission, told SAN her team reviews results of the decennial census and then uses information about new homes being built to calculate a weighted population change.

On an annual basis, the growth looks more incremental. Data from the Census Bureau’s annual population estimates showed that Atlanta’s growth slowed from 1.5% between 2021 and 2022 to 1.3% from 2023 to 2024.

John Floresta, chief strategy and accountability officer at the Cobb County School District, which serves 100,000-plus students in the Atlanta metro, told SAN that he believes the stalled national birth rate is the cause. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the national rate has been falling since 2007 with a small spike in 2021.

“Over the course of the last five years or so, we have seen a stable birth rate across the county,” he said.

Georgia’s birth rate of 11.3 births per 1,000 people was slightly higher than the national average of 10.7 in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data for 2024 hasn’t yet been finalized.

Yet even as the birth rate has held steady, school enrollment has decreased in Cobb County. The number of incoming kindergarteners has dropped from 7,720 students six years ago to 6,803 as of March 6, according to Georgia Department of Education enrollment data.

Despite it, people have relocated from the city’s confines to the suburbs where they can access more land for as much, sometimes less, than what they pay in Atlanta. The movement hit cities across the nation for decades. This urban flight proliferated during the COVID-19 pandemic, as places like Atlanta accepted more multifamily developments to accommodate a rising population, pushing single-family homes to the suburbs.

What’s led to the growth?

Lloyd Potter, professor of sociology and demography at the University of Texas at San Antonio, told SAN that cities often see more people move in when a transportation system is built. That happened in places like Knoxville, Tennessee, Dallas and Houston.

Atlanta is no stranger to that phenomenon. After the city expanded its former municipal airport to include international flights in the 1970s and 1980s, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport became the world’s busiest airport.

Atlanta followed a relatively steady growth after the 1990s, mimicking the expansion of major companies like Delta Air Lines, UPS, Coca-Cola Company and Equifax. The region became a great place to work: The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell region had an unemployment rate of 4.9% in 1990 and 3.4% in 2024, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Since 1990, the region has added a net of 45,827 employees. The largest addition was in 2021 when 146,300 people joined the region’s workforce — a rebound after the area saw 142,000 people lose their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, the promise of good jobs helps keep the region humming. At Cobb County schools, Floresta said the district has worked with several businesses to embed staff at Career Innovation and Technology Academy, a magnet high school that focuses on providing students hands-on learning experiences and career opportunities. Through the academy, Floresta said students graduate trained in their industries and could be hired quicker than others.

“Employers are confident that they’re hiring a skilled employee when a graduate walks in their door,” he said.

He added families are noticing the options suburban school districts like Cobb County offer and are either moving to those counties or sending their kids to the districts.

Suburbs enjoy the constraints of Atlanta

Floresta, like Arnau, moved to the Atlanta area nearly 25 years ago. He chose a home in Cobb County, which was growing slowly, starting in the parts neighboring Atlanta.

Soon enough, that development extended up to the city of Marietta, then to the town of East Cobb, over to the city of Kennesaw and down the county’s western side.

That’s evident in the sprawl of building permits the Atlanta Regional Commission has tracked. Its map revealed that single-family housing building permits in 2024 clustered in Forsyth, Gwinnett, Hall and Jackson counties.

Those new homes are likely being filled with younger families, Arnau said.

According to the commission’s yearly population report, the Atlanta Metro’s population grew by 26.3% from 1970 to 1980 and by 34.9% from 1980 to 1990. Gwinnett County experienced the largest jump, exploding from 72,349 residents in 1970 to just over 1 million as of this year.

The commission uses an 11-county region in the population estimates over the Census Bureau’s 29-county metro.

Arnau has noticed a trend of younger people moving out of the city of Atlanta to take advantage of the space a home in the suburbs can offer for their budgets.

“We have a lot of people looking for a large flat backyard,” Arnau said, “and I’m not sure how Atlanta is perceived from the outside, but once you get especially north of the city, there are creeks and rivers and hills and things everywhere.”

The lack of open space in Atlanta has, however, made way for multifamily buildings such as apartments, condominiums and townhomes. The city has approved nearly nine times more multifamily permits than it did for single-family homes in 2024, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission.

It’s the only area in the region with such a large discrepancy between the housing types.

“Some of those rentals are coming at the expense of would-be development for single-family homes,” Arnau said.

Throughout the region, home sales aren’t closing as quickly as they once did, Arnau told SAN. As a result, Arnau deems the area part of a “neutral” real estate market, which means neither buyers nor sellers have an advantage. This has allowed homeowners to stay put for longer as their homes build equity.

And that, in turn, promotes smaller towns to build their own downtown or city center areas to entice people to stay, Arnau said. That’s happened in Alpharetta, where in 2015, leaders created a downtown master plan to address Fulton County’s 365,000-resident increase between 1970 and 2015.

It resulted in a neighborhood boasting more than 50 restaurants, shops and hotels.

Growth in Atlanta hasn’t stopped. It’s only slowed after years of explosive growth that has become the expectation: People are still moving in and calling it home.

“The future is bright,” Arnau said. “Atlanta will continue to keep growing and we’ll see people continue to want to live here.”

Tristan Peterson (Creative Director) and Devin Pavlou (Digital Producer) contributed to this report.

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The Tau Pi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Empowers Families to Build Generational Stability Featuring Financial Expert Jini Thornton

The Tau Pi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated hosts “The Power of Our Legacy” on October 25, featuring Jini Thornton’s practical roadmap for financial clarity, organization, and generational wealth transfer.

By Milton Kirby | Stone Mountain, GA | October 22, 2025

The Tau Pi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated is gearing up for a day-long workshop this Saturday designed to help families take control of their future through intentional planning and organization.

The program, “The Power of Our Legacy (Planning today for tomorrow’s success),” will feature nationally syndicated financial empowerment guru and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Jini Thornton, whose mission is to make legacy planning simple, approachable, and life changing.

“This workshop is about making legacy planning simple,” Thornton told The Truth Seekers Journal in an interview Tuesday. “People focus on wills and trusts, and that’s important. But so much of legacy work has nothing to do with documents. It’s the roadmap—what people need to know and where to find it.”

Thornton said the goal is to help families move from overwhelmed to organized. “When someone gets sick or passes away, who cares if you have documents no one can find?” she said. “Organization is the game-changer.”

The message: organize your life so your love shows up on time

Thornton previewed the workshop’s agenda, which will walk participants through practical, no-cost actions:

Build a “legacy dream team.” Choose people who can carry out real responsibilities, not just relatives by default.
Name who’s in charge and clearly define the roles.
List key contacts. Accountant, realtor, insurance agent, benefits and HR at work, even the handyman.
Document workplace details families often overlook: manager’s name, close co-workers, and benefit elections.

When Thornton’s mother passed away, she said, the entire process ran smoothly because everything was already organized. “I knew who did her taxes. I knew the realtor she wanted to handle the sale of her home. I even knew her handyman,” she recalled. “That clarity gave me space to grieve instead of spending months searching.”

She also stressed that the workshop will empower attendees with simple, immediate steps: designating Payable-on-Death (POD) and Transfer-on-Death (TOD) beneficiaries on accounts, and updating life insurance and retirement plans. “You don’t need a lawyer or money to start doing this,” she said. “You just need intention.”

Normalizing the hard conversations

Thornton said part of the work is cultural. “For good historical reasons, we learned to hide things,” she said. “But we’ve taken hiding too far. Your loved ones don’t need to know your checking or savings account balances—they need to know where you bank.”

She wants families to bring these discussions into the open before a crisis. “Death is hard,” she said. “Don’t rob your family of the time to be present and grieve by forcing them to search for months.”

The Legacy Life Organizer

Saturday’s workshop will also introduce participants to Thornton’s comprehensive workbook, the Legacy Life Organizer, a tool that provides prompts, checklists, and conversation starters for managing critical information. It’s meant for both individuals and those helping parents or grandparents get organized. A purchase link for the guide will be made available after the event.

Practice what you preach

Thornton’s own company, Envision Business Management Group, embodies the same discipline and organization she advocates. With a staff of 12, she leverages professional networks and trusted partners to maintain efficiency and confidentiality for her clients.

“Jini practices what she preaches.” Her firm relies heavily on reputable consultants and payroll companies to manage transactions and data securely. “Any of my clients who have employees,” Thornton said, “we ensure every person is paid on time, every time, by leveraging payroll services. It keeps operations smooth, protects client privacy, and makes sure employees are taken care of.”

Envision operates as a true fiduciary for its clients. “All of their revenue is collected by us,” Thornton explained. “We handle the payments, the bills, the reporting — everything. That way, clients can focus on what they do best while knowing their finances are protected.”

Trusted by the best

When asked if she could share the names of any clients, Thornton was cautious — but did mention one. “I’ve worked with Ludacris for many years,” she said. “We earned each other’s trust a long time ago, and he remains one of our thriving clients today.”

Thornton is quick to deflect credit for his financial success. “I don’t take credit for anyone’s accomplishments,” she said. “But I do know our firm provides road maps and feedback that have helped our clients make excellent financial decisions.”

Intentional wealth transfer in Black communities

For Thornton, legacy planning is deeply personal. Adopted by a single mother in 1969, she grew up in a home that valued independence and preparation. “My mom was committed to empowerment,” she said. “When she passed, everything was in order. I didn’t have to chase paperwork — she left me space to grieve.”

That experience drives her message today. “We work so hard,” she said. “We must be intentional about transferring what we have — no matter how much it is. You don’t have to be Oprah to have something to transfer.”

Sidebar: What Attendees Will Do This Saturday

Create a Legacy Dream Team with clear roles and backups
Compile a master contact list (tax preparer, realtor, insurance, HR, trusted trades)
Record workplace details (manager, HR contact, benefits)
Set POD/TOD designations on accounts
Update beneficiaries on life insurance and retirement plans
Centralize all key information in one secure place

Sidebar: Conversation Starters at Home

“If something happened, who should we call first at work?”
“Which bank and branch do you use?”
“Who handled the last insurance claim?”
“Who’s your tax preparer or Certified Public Accountant?”
“Who should be in charge, and why?”

October 25, 2025

11:00am – 1:30pm

Antioch AME Church

765 S. Hairston Rd Stone Mountain, GA 30088

Click to Register

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October Marks 40 Years of Breast Cancer Awareness: Every Story Is Unique, Every Journey Matters

October marks 40 years of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Know the signs, close the gaps, and act early. Every story is unique. Every journey matters. Get screened

By Milton Kirby | Decatur, GA | October 19, 2025

Why This Month Still Matters

This October marks 40 years of Breast Cancer Awareness Month — four decades of breakthroughs, bravery, and a global pink movement.

The 2025 theme, “Every Story Is Unique, Every Journey Matters,” is both a reflection and a rallying cry. Behind every pink ribbon is a story of survival, strength, and ongoing struggle.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women in the United States. About 316,000 new invasive cases are expected this year. Earlier detection, modern therapies, and awareness campaigns have improved survival rates, saving over half a million lives since 1989.

Understanding Breast Cancer

Breast cancer begins when cells in the breast grow out of control. Most cases (70–80%) start in the milk ducts, while others begin in the lobules (10–15%).

When cancer spreads into nearby tissue, it becomes invasive breast cancer. If it reaches distant parts of the body — such as the lungs, liver, or bones — it becomes metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

Today, about 170,000 women in the U.S. live with MBC. Though not curable, it can be managed with targeted therapies and compassionate care. Organizations like Susan G. Komen, Breastcancer.org, and the National Breast Cancer Foundation offer trusted information and support networks for patients and caregivers.

When Breast Cancer Affects Men

Breast cancer in men is rare — less than 1% of all cases — but it does occur. The lifetime risk is about 1 in 1,000 for men, compared with 1 in 8 for women. Symptoms include a painless lump, nipple changes, or redness.

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) notes that men are often diagnosed later because they’re less likely to recognize the signs.

Black men have the highest incidence and mortality rates, a disparity that experts say demands greater awareness and screening equity.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Fast and Fierce

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) represents 1–5% of all diagnoses and is one of the most aggressive forms. It typically appears as redness or swelling rather than a lump.
According to the NCI, IBC progresses rapidly and is more common among younger and African American women.

Treatment involves a multimodal approach — chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. Foundations like the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation are leading targeted studies to better understand and treat this form of the disease.

The Power of Progress

Since 1989, U.S. breast-cancer deaths have declined 44%, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.

That progress reflects improved screenings, expanded research, and the courage of survivors who share their stories. Still, racial and economic disparities persist — Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women. Closing that gap remains a central goal of the awareness movement.

Screenings Save Lives

Early detection changes everything. The American Cancer Society and Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) recommend individualized screening schedules based on age and risk.

Know the signs:

New lump or thickening in the breast or underarm
Change in breast shape or size
Dimpling, puckering, or redness
Nipple inversion or unusual discharge
Pain or swelling in the breast or chest

A Survivor’s Voice: “It’s Going to Be Alright”

For Beverly, a 24-year breast cancer survivor from North Carolina, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is far more than an annual observance — it’s a celebration of endurance, faith, and family.

She was first diagnosed in 2002 at just 48. “The mammogram caught it early,” she recalled. “I was afraid of everything — the diagnosis, the treatment, the unknown.” Before surgery, she remembers hearing her late grandmother’s voice say softly, “It’s going to be alright.”

“When I told my mother, who had also survived breast cancer, she said, ‘That’s nothing,’” Beverly laughed, remembering that first round of treatment. “My family has lived this — my mother, grandmother, my aunt, who’s now less than 30 days from 85 years strong, and even my great-grandfather. We’ve all faced it.”

Twelve years later, Beverly discovered a small lump under her arm. “I was just looking and feeling my armpits when I noticed it,” she said. “It had come back — same side, left side.” Her oncologist confirmed the cancer had returned in her lymph nodes.

This time, the treatment was more aggressive — chemotherapy, radiation, and years of medication. She credits her husband, Ted, as her constant support. He’s been my listener, my quiet presence, and my driver. When I didn’t need words, he just stayed close — and he’s become an expert tea brewer” she smiled.

One of her hardest moments came when she had to tell her then nine-year-old son. “He saw the calls and cards and said, ‘I hope you don’t have cancer.’ That opened the door for us to talk openly — to face it together.”

It has now been ten years since Beverly completed her second bout with breast cancer, including the aggressive treatment and follow-up medication regimen. This past August, her care team finally permitted her to discontinue the inhibitors.

Since that first diagnosis, Beverly has made gratitude and wellness her daily focus. “Every day, I try to live with intention and thankfulness,” she said. “Even on tough days, I remind myself: I’m still here — and that’s reason enough.”

The 10 Screenings Women Should Know

(Source: National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.)

Health Screening	Who Needs It	Why You Need It
Well-Woman Exam	Women 18+	Preventive check-up for overall and reproductive health.
Breast Cancer Screening	Women 40+*	Mammograms detect breast cancer early, when treatment is most effective.
Cervical Cancer Screening	Women 21+*	Detects abnormal cervical cells before they become cancerous.
Colorectal Cancer Screening	Women 45+*	Identifies and removes precancerous polyps to prevent colorectal cancer.
Lung Cancer Screening	Women 50+* at high risk	Detects lung cancer early, when it’s most treatable.
Skin Cancer Screening	Women at high risk*	Detects early skin cancers for prompt treatment.
Cholesterol Screening	Women 40+* (can start in 20s)	Detects high cholesterol linked to heart disease and stroke.
Blood Pressure Screening	Women 18+*	Identifies hypertension, a leading risk for heart attack and stroke.
Diabetes Screening	Women with risk factors*	Detects diabetes or prediabetes before symptoms appear.
Bone Density Screening	Women 60+*	Measures bone strength to prevent fractures and osteoporosis.

Certain factors such as family history, prior cancer, gene mutations, or other risks may require earlier or more frequent screenings. Always consult your healthcare provider for personalized recommendations.

Beyond Medicine: The Human Side of Healing

A breast-cancer diagnosis tests both body and spirit. Emotional and financial support are vital.
CancerCare offers free counseling and grants. Living Beyond Breast Cancer connects survivors through education and peer support. Clinical partners like Medpace Oncology continue advancing therapies to improve quality of life worldwide.

Research and Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are shaping the future of breast cancer care. The National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Database lists open studies nationwide. Participation helps move science forward — for patients today and those yet to be diagnosed.

Every Story Matters

From lab breakthroughs to late-night conversations in waiting rooms, every act of awareness is an act of care.

This October, honor the survivors, remember the lost, and encourage someone you love to schedule their screening. Because after 40 years, the message still holds true: every story is unique, every journey matters.

Resources for More Information

Organization	Focus	Website
Susan G. Komen Foundation	Research, advocacy, and community support	komen.org
National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.	Awareness, early detection, and education	nationalbreastcancer.org
National Cancer Institute (NCI)	Research, statistics, and trials	cancer.gov
Breastcancer.org	Patient education and treatment support	breastcancer.org
Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF)	Global breast-cancer research funding	bcrf.org
CancerCare	Counseling, grants, and support	cancercare.org
Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC)	Survivor education and peer network	lbbc.org
Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation	Prevention and research innovation	drsusanloveresearch.org
Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation	Research, education, and patient care	lynnsage.org

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Celebrates Opening of $1.5 Billion Arthur M. Blank Hospital

Arthur M. Blank Foundation Commits $50 Million to Atlanta University Center HBCUs

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Georgia Joins the National Cry of ‘No Kings’ in Peaceful Day of Protest

Thousands marched from Atlanta’s Civic Center to the State Capitol in the nationwide “No Kings” protests opposing Trump-era policies and calling for renewed democratic accountability

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | October 18, 2025

Thousands of demonstrators filled downtown Atlanta on Saturday for the city’s third “No Kings” protest of the year — part of a nationwide wave of rallies opposing what organizers describe as authoritarian overreach by the Donald Trump administration.

The march began at the Atlanta Civic Center, where an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people gathered before marching roughly 1.2 miles to the Georgia State Capitol. Participants carried handmade signs, waved flags, and chanted slogans like “We the People Will Rule.” The phrase — central to the “No Kings” movement — represents a rejection of monarchical power and a demand for democratic accountability.

Photo by Milton Kirby – Atlanta Civic Center

A Peaceful, Powerful Day

City officials confirmed permits had been issued for the event and described the protest as a peaceful and safe gathering. Atlanta police reported no arrests or major incidents. The atmosphere, witnesses said, felt part rally, part block party, providing a sense of security to the participants and the public.

Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) addressed the crowd, urging attendees to “stand firm for democracy” and condemning recent remarks by President Trump to military leaders. Other speakers focused on a wide range of issues, from immigration and voting rights to local housing concerns, providing a comprehensive understanding of the societal challenges being addressed.

Part of a National Movement

Saturday’s demonstration was one of more than 2,700 “No Kings” events held across the United States — and even abroad — with organizers estimating nearly seven million total participants. In Georgia alone, at least 35 affiliated protests were reported in cities including Athens, Marietta, Gainesville, Rome, and Tucker.

The Tucker rally drew roughly 8,000 people, beginning at the Lavista Festival Shopping Center and looping across the I-285 overpass. Congressman Hank Johnson (D-4) addressed that crowd, telling participants, “This is what democracy looks like — people standing up together, not bowing down to power.”

Protest Against Policies and Shutdown

The “No Kings” movement, which has its roots in protests that began earlier this year, is primarily focused on opposing Trump-era policies related to immigration, education, and health care, as well as environmental rollbacks and ICE raids. The latest wave of demonstrations came amid a prolonged federal government shutdown, with Congress deadlocked over funding and the administration facing growing criticism over governance paralysis.

Despite partisan tensions — with some Republican officials labeling the events “Hate America rallies” — major cities reported largely peaceful gatherings and no widespread disruptions.

A Growing Coalition

The Atlanta rally was organized by a coalition of grassroots organizations, including Indivisible Georgia, the ACLU of Georgia, and the 50501 Movement. These groups, along with many others, have come together to express their deep concern about democratic backsliding and civic erosion.

“We need to use the rights we still have to bring our voices together,” one demonstrator told The Truth Seekers Journal. “We can’t let fear or fatigue silence us.”

Three Swings to Forever: How Reggie Jackson Became Mr. October

Reggie Jackson’s three homers in 1977 sealed his “Mr. October” legend. From Oakland to New York, and now STEM philanthropy, his story blends power, pressure, and purpose.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | October 18, 2025

A night that named a legend

On Oct. 18, 1977, Reggie Jackson stepped into Yankee Stadium history. He saw three first-pitch strikes. He launched all three into the seats. The third flew to deep center, off the black batter’s eye. The Yankees clinched the World Series. The crowd roared “Reg-GIE!” and a nickname stuck forever: Mr. October.

That moment didn’t come easy. Jackson had joined New York after a stormy year in Baltimore. The Yankees clubhouse ran hot: big egos, bigger expectations. Manager Billy Martin benched him in the ALCS, then called his number late. Jackson answered with a key RBI single. He carried that momentum into the World Series—five home runs in the final three games, eight RBI, and a record 25 total bases. He owned October.

Built for big stages

Reginald “Reggie” Martinez Jackson played 21 MLB seasons. He starred for the Kansas City/Oakland A’s, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and California Angels. He was a 14-time All-Star, the 1973 AL MVP, a five-time World Series champion, and a two-time World Series MVP. He finished with 563 home runs and a reputation for rising when it mattered most.

Reggie Jackson Jersey – Courtesy Wikipedia

He also led the league in strikeouts—proof that taking big swings cuts both ways. But teams got better around him. Across two decades, Jackson’s clubs finished first 11 times and endured only two losing seasons. The A’s won three straight titles from 1972–74. The Yankees won back-to-back in 1977–78. The Angels won division crowns in 1982 and 1986. New York retired his No. 44 in 1993; Oakland retired his No. 9 in 2004. He entered the Hall of Fame in 1993.

The early fight: talent, tests, and grit

Jackson grew up in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, the son of Martinez Jackson, a former Negro Leagues infielder. At Cheltenham High, Reggie starred in four sports. Football nearly ended his athletic career—neck fractures, weeks in the hospital, a bleak prognosis. He came back anyway.

Major programs recruited him for football. He chose Arizona State, aiming to play both football and baseball. The pros soon called. In the 1966 draft, the A’s took him second overall. He signed, climbed quickly, and debuted in 1967. Two years later he clubbed 47 homers and chased Ruth and Maris for a summer.

Oakland greatness, Oakland grit

With the A’s, Jackson helped build a dynasty. From 1971–74, Oakland stacked division titles and won three straight World Series. He hit, he ran, he argued, he won. He blasted a transformer with a thunderous 1971 All-Star homer in Detroit. He stole home to help clinch the 1972 AL pennant—tearing his hamstring in the process and missing the Series the A’s still won.

Oakland was talent and turbulence. Owner Charlie Finley staged a “Mustache Day.” Teammates brawled. Arbitration battles made headlines. Through it all, Jackson produced—254 homers in nine A’s seasons—and forced the sport to deal with a star who wouldn’t shrink.

The Making of Mr. October

New York magnified everything. The media glare was constant. Quotes cut both ways. A June 1977 dugout confrontation with Billy Martin played out on national TV. Yet when the stakes rose, Jackson delivered. He crushed a walk-off-style dagger against Boston in a tense September race. Then came that three-homer masterpiece in Game 6. In 1978, he did it again—homers when needed most, a second straight title, and a legend cemented.

Legacy: power, pressure, contradictions

Jackson’s career tells a full American sports story. He won big. He failed big. He spoke his mind. He shouldered heat others couldn’t. He made teammates and cities better. He was the first to hit 100 home runs for three different franchises. He stacked rings and records while carrying the burdens of fame, race, and expectation in a volatile era.

Giving back: the Mr. October Foundation

After baseball, Jackson advised the Yankees for years, then joined the Astros as a special advisor in 2021. Off the field, he leaned into service. The Mr. October Foundation focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM education and career pathways for underserved youth. The mission is practical and urgent: connect students to real-world skills in engineering, advanced manufacturing, medical fields, and the trades.

Reggie Jackson Classroom – Courtesy Mr. October Foundation

Since 2014, the foundation has partnered with STEM 101, launching first in the Bronx (2015) and expanding to Detroit, Oakland, and St. Louis. The program’s three pillars—Create & Innovate, Career Pathways, andSolutions-Based Learning—turn curiosity into competence. The outcomes are clear: stronger post-secondary readiness, a visible path to good jobs, and a rising interest in STEM compared to peers. It’s the same formula that made Mr. October: preparation, courage, and timely impact.

Remembering where he stood—and stands

Jackson has always been candid about the business and the bruise of the game—about race, pressure, and the costs of being first in certain rooms. At baseball’s Rickwood Field tribute in 2024, he spoke bluntly about the insults and exclusions he faced early in his career. Those memories still cut. Yet his story arcs toward construction: hitting through hecklers, winning through chaos, building programs that open doors for kids who will build what’s next.

Why Mr. October still matters

Reggie Jackson is more than a night of three swings. He is a career of big moments and a life of bigger meaning. He pushed baseball forward. Now he’s pulling students forward—toward the labs, shops, clinics, and plants where the next American breakthroughs will be made. That’s clutch, too.

Baseball Historian Ted Knorr Brings Negro League Legacy to Life in new TSJ Column

From Exclusion to Excellence: The Birth of Negro League Baseball

Shadow Ball: Learning More About Negro League History

Why Rap Dixon Belongs in Cooperstown with the Legends

Negro League Conference Unveils More History and Takes on Future Challenges

Willie Mays, Baseball Legend and Hall of Famer, Passes Away at 93

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Moratorium, Monitoring, and Modernization: DeKalb’s Careful Approach to Data Centers

DeKalb residents packed the Porter Sanford Center to learn how data centers impact energy, water, and community life—and what new policies could mean for local neighborhoods.

By Milton Kirby | Decatur, GA | October 17, 2025 (Updated October 21, 2025)

On Wednesday evening, a packed house at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center bore witness to an important community discussion: the town hall event titled “Helping Residents Understand Data Centers”, hosted by DeKalb County Government in collaboration with County CEO Lorraine Cochran Johnson, Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson and Commissioner Dr. LaDena Bolton. The goal — to shed light on data-center development across metro Atlanta and engage residents directly in shaping policy and zoning.

In her opening remarks, CEO Cochran Johnson emphasized the event’s purpose: “Our goal is to ensure residents have access to accurate information and can engage in meaningful discussion before decisions are made,” she said, stressing that the conversation was “about education, transparency, and community understanding.” With the meeting also live-streamed on DCTV to reach broader audiences, it underscored the County’s intention to leave no stone unturned.

The timing is telling. In July the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners approved a temporary moratorium on new data-center approvals, citing the need for deeper research, policy development and public engagement — extended recently through December 2025. The town hall forms part of that process: a chance for residents to hear from experts directly, ask questions, weigh the potential benefits and pitfalls of data-center development in their communities, and help shape the regulatory framework that will guide what comes next.

Photo by Milton Kirby – DeKalb CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson

What is a data center—and why does it matter?

It may sound technical, but the concept is clearer when you break it down. A data center is fundamentally a physical facility where computing equipment, storage systems, networking gear and infrastructure are housed to store, process and manage data and applications. According to Cisco Systems, “at its simplest, a data center is a physical facility that organizations use to house their critical applications and data.”
This includes the servers, storage drives, routers and switches, firewalls, as well as the power, cooling and backup infrastructure that keeps everything running — often 24/7.

In practice, the modern facility is an industrial-scale enterprise. It might host cloud-computing platforms, serve as the backbone for AI and machine-learning workloads, support massive “hyperscale” operations (for companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft) or even serve as regional hubs, connecting telecommunications infrastructure.

Because nearly every service you use—online banking, streaming video, storing and sharing images, remote work, emergency services—runs through some portion of this infrastructure, data centers are essential to our digital lives. They are the silent—but massive—buildings behind the scenes.

As the panel at the Porter Sanford meeting made clear, the reason data centers are increasingly under scrutiny is that, while they provide digital backbone benefits, they also raise real questions about land use, infrastructure stress, environmental impact, community equity and local benefits.

The Town Hall Discussion: Experts, Residents & Real Questions

To assist residents and officials in considering these questions, the County brought together an array of specialists:

Demond Mason of Newton County
Shane Short of the Walton County Development Authority
Ahmed Saeed of Georgia Tech
Céline Benoît of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District
Danny Johnson of the Atlanta Regional Commission
Juliana Njoku of DeKalb’s Department of Planning and Sustainability

Under the guidance of CEO Cochran Johnson, the panel addressed core topics such as: energy and water use; required infrastructure (power grid, water, cooling, fiber and roads); economic impact and job creation; community benefit and quality-of-life concerns; and the evolving role of data centers in a world of AI, cloud computing and remote everything.

Residents asked pointed questions: how many jobs will actually be created? Will their electricity bills go up? What about the noise, the land-use conversion, the water demand? Many admitted they came to the event unsure of how a data center operates yet left with a clearer understanding of the mechanics and implications.

The Upsides: Why Data Centers Can Be Good for Local Communities

During the discussions, several clear benefits emerged.

Economic development and tax revenue
Data-center construction can bring substantial investment into a region. Some counties have seen increased property values, boosted infrastructure spending, and attraction of technology-sector ecosystem growth. The panel cited examples such as Loudoun County in Virginia, where data-centers supported these spill-over benefits.

Infrastructure-upgrade spillover
Because data centers require robust utilities—electricity grids, fiber-optic networks, road access—they can serve as catalysts for broader infrastructure improvements that benefit whole communities: better broadband, improved roads, enhanced power reliability.

Foundational digital backbone
As noted above, data centers are critical for cloud computing, artificial intelligence, digital entertainment, remote work, telehealth and emergency services. Local proximity to such infrastructure can help position a region for the future economy.

Community partnership opportunities
Some operators are increasingly conscious of their role as community partners: training programs, community benefit agreements, technological access, local hiring efforts. When these partnerships are handled proactively, the hosting community sees more than just a facility in its backyard.

In short: with the right planning, regulation and transparency, a data-center project can be more than an industrial site—it can become an asset for a community.

The Concerns: Real Risks that Need Guarding Against

However, the discussion also surfaced multiple legitimate concerns—several of which resonated with many residents.

Massive energy consumption
Data centers are extremely energy intensive. Analysts project that U.S. data-center power demand could triple by 2030 if current trends continue, driven in large part by AI workloads. That means pressure on local grids, higher utility infrastructure costs, potential for increased electricity costs for residents, and stronger reliance on fossil-fuel generation in some cases.

High water usage and cooling demands
In many facilities, water is used for cooling (evaporative systems, cooling towers). One study found that a single 100-megawatt data center could use up to two million liters (more than half a million gallons) per day in water-stressed regions. In drought-prone areas this becomes a key local water-resource risk.

At the town hall, panelists explained that not all data centers cool the same way. Some rely on open, or free-flowing, water systems—in which water continuously cycles through equipment and then exits the facility, often as warm discharge into municipal systems. While cheaper to build, these systems consume far more water and can increase strain on local supplies.

By contrast, closed-loop cooling systems recirculate water within sealed pipes or tanks, losing only small amounts through evaporation. Though more expensive upfront, they dramatically reduce total water consumption and are now considered a best practice in water-sensitive areas.
Experts noted that some advanced centers are moving toward hybrid or air-cooled designs that reduce or eliminate water use entirely.

Understanding which system is being proposed for any new facility, several panelists said, should be one of the first questions local residents and zoning boards ask. “The type of cooling system tells you a lot about the facility’s environmental footprint,” one expert explained. “A closed-loop system signals a commitment to sustainability.” These distinctions matter deeply for regions like metro Atlanta, where droughts and high summer demand already put pressure on shared water resources.

Pollution, noise and land-use impacts

Backup diesel generators, used for power outages and often regularly tested, release pollutants (particulate matter, nitrogen oxides) that affect air quality and health, particularly in nearby communities. (businessinsider.com)
Noise from cooling fans, servers, power infrastructure and HVAC systems can disturb neighborhoods. One source put it this way: “It’s like being on a tarmac with an airplane engine running constantly … Except that the airplane keeps idling and never leaves.” (en.wikipedia.org)
Large data-center campuses require significant land—sometimes in competition with housing, agriculture or conservation. Zoning change and land-use conversion may alter neighborhood character and environmental justice concerns.

Job and benefit-share questions
While data-center construction may bring many temporary jobs, once operational the facility often requires relatively few permanent employees (security, maintenance, facility management). Critics argue that the number of long-term, well-paid jobs may be low compared with the scale of incentives offered and the local infrastructure costs borne.

Infrastructure and regulatory burdens
Upgrading the local power grid, improving transmission lines, reinforcing water systems, may require large investments—sometimes partially funded by local utility customers. Without strong policy frameworks, the host community may bear disproportionate share of cost or risk. There is also concern that data centers are sometimes located in communities that already face higher pollution burdens—raising environmental-justice flags.

Unequal distribution of benefits and burdens
Some research suggests that while benefits concentrate (large corporations, landowners, utility companies), many of the burdens (environmental impact, utility cost increases, land conversion) fall on less-advantaged communities. (businessinsider.com)

What the Experts Emphasised: Keys for DeKalb County to Watch

From the town-hall panel, several watch-points and recommendations stood out.

Promised local benefits must be specific and enforceable. What are the actual jobs, training programs, property-tax contributions, community-benefit agreements?
Who bears the costs? Not just jobs and tax revenue, but what about added strain on the grid, water usage, infrastructure upgrades, noise mitigation, environmental monitoring?
Transparency, community engagement and ongoing monitoring. Projects must not just be approved and forgotten; ongoing oversight, community liaison and impact measurement matter.
Strong regulatory framework. Zoning, environmental review, utility oversight, noise/air-quality mitigation—all must be in place before large-scale approval.
Local context matters. The impact varies depending on water-stress region, grid capacity, land-use pressures, community vulnerability, equity considerations. A data center in one region can be far more challenging than in another.
Balance of economic opportunity and sustainability. It’s not simply “data centers good = jobs”; the full spectrum of benefits, burdens and trade-offs must be weighed.

Back to DeKalb: What Happens Next

For DeKalb County, the town hall was a milestone in a broader process. With the moratorium in place through December 2025, county staff, planners and officials will be synthesizing resident input, expert findings, fiscal and infrastructure impact studies, and crafting zoning and operational standards tailored for data-centers. Residents were encouraged to stay engaged: future meetings, updates and resources will be posted through official County channels.

Many attendees left the event expressing appreciation. One resident noted that she had arrived “not sure how a data center worked or why we should care” but departed with “a much clearer understanding of the issues, the trade-offs, and what questions I now want to ask.” Another stressed the importance of “making sure our neighborhood doesn’t get the downsides while someone else reaps the benefits.”

In the coming months the County will need to reconcile competing priorities: attracting investment and economic opportunity, preserving infrastructure capacity, protecting environmental and community health, ensuring fairness and equity, and shaping land use in a way that serves residents’ interests.

Final Thoughts: A Balanced Outlook

Data centers are undeniably a critical part of the 21st-century digital economy. They support cloud services, remote work, streaming, AI, healthcare, financial systems — indeed, much of modern life. If well-located, well-regulated and community-integrated, they can bring growth, infrastructure upgrades and strategic advantage to a region.

But the side-effects are non-trivial. Massive power draw, high water usage, potential air-quality and noise impacts, infrastructure cost burdens, limited long-term job gains, and land-use conversion all demand thoughtful planning and hard questions. The research is clear: impacts vary greatly depending on region, regulatory strength, benefit-sharing and community engagement. For example, while global studies show data centers may account for over 1 % of global electricity use currently and could double in the next few years, localized effects on utility grids, water systems and neighborhoods can be acute.

For DeKalb County, the next phase is crucial. The conversation has begun; now comes the work of translating dialogue into policy. The County will need to ensure that the benefits of any data-center project genuinely accrue to residents, that the costs are clearly allocated, and that long-term quality of life—environmental, infrastructural, social—is protected.

As CEO Cochran Johnson said in her opening remarks: this is about education, transparency, and community understanding. The residents of DeKalb have signalled they intend to be part of the process — and the success of future data-center development will depend on that engagement being genuine, sustained and meaningful.

In the end, the question isn’t simply whether to approve data centers—it’s how, under what terms and with what safeguards such a facility sits in a community. If DeKalb County can insist on rigorous criteria, clear community benefits, and strong oversight, it may capture the promise of 21st-century digital infrastructure while avoiding its pitfalls. The town hall was a strong first step in that direction.