ATLANTA — Council members Andrea Boone and Michael Julian Bond were honored Sunday by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). The Atlanta branch of ASALH celebrated Black History Month with a special program focusing on members of the African American community and their children who helped propel the civil and voting rights movements.
“I’m so grateful for this honor by the Atlanta Chapter of ASALH,” Boone said. “For years now, I’ve been working to build up our most vulnerable residents and ensure their voting rights. Thank you for the recognition.”
“I want to thank the Atlanta Chapter of ASALH for this recognition and their work to highlight our community leaders. I believe that service makes the fabric of our society stronger. I’m so grateful to be honored,” Bond added.
Bond’s daughter, Mychael, accepted the award on his behalf Sunday. Other children of the civil rights movement were also honored, including Andrea Young, daughter of Andrew Young; Elizabeth Omilami, daughter of Hosea Williams; and Kwame Abernathy, son of Ralph David Abernathy Sr. An award was also presented in recognition of Congressman John Lewis for his contributions to civil rights and his public service to the country.
ASALH is a national organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of Carter G. Woodson, the Harvard trained scholar and originator of Negro History Week and the Journal of Negro History. Woodson’s legacy was to highlight the contribution that people of African descent have made to the development of American social, cultural, economic and political history.
“This year we have decided to pay homage to black community leaders and their children in Atlanta who have contributed to the civil rights and voting rights movements. These individuals exemplify servant leadership across many fields of endeavor. This list of nominees was large and only a few were selected,” said Dr. David V. Taylor, president of the ASALH Atlanta branch.
The Atlanta City Council is the chief policy-making body for the City of Atlanta. It acts by considering and enacting all laws that govern the City. The council also approves the operating and capital budgets for the City as recommended by the mayor, and it continually monitors revenues and expenditures for local government operations. The Atlanta City Council reviews and has final say on many land-use and zoning matters. Major economic development projects for the City also fall under the council’s consideration.
The Atlanta City Council is comprised of 12 districts and three at-large posts. Council representatives include: Council President: Felicia A. Moore; District 1: Carla Smith; District 2: Amir Farokhi; District 3: Antonio Brown; District 4: Cleta Winslow; District 5: Natalyn Mosby Archibong; District 6: Jennifer N. Ide; District 7: Howard Shook; District 8: J.P. Matzigkeit; District 9: Dustin Hillis; District 10: Andrea L. Boone; District 11: Marci Collier Overstreet; District 12: Joyce M. Sheperd; Post 1 At-Large: Michael Julian Bond; Post 2 At-Large: Matt Westmoreland; and Post 3 At-Large: Andre Dickens.
