Tag Archives: atlanta

What’s to come of the Summerhill Community???: Where are the African Americans going to go???

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So you guys already know about the moving of Turner Field in Atlanta, GA to Cobb County, GA. The new Stadium has been purchased by Georgia State University for the GSU Baseball and Softball team. This entire process is about to have a MAJOR change on the Summerhill Community. Many people including news reporters and social media and residents feels that the move of Turner Field was move was racially motivated. This has caused tensions between black residents and white residents.

“Summerhill, the neighborhood where the stadium currently resides, has a population that’s 89 percent black.” (Barber) One of my family members lives in the Square at Peeplestown apartments right behind the stadium. This apartment complex is majority African Americans and they have low-based incomes and is assisted by government housing (Section-8). The landlord/government has already told the residents of the apartment complex that they have to move out by the end of this year (December 2016). Georgia State plans on making those apartments into GSU dorms. That’s great and all but my family member has no idea where he’s going to move him and his family. Its not just my family that’s being affected 

I researched a little bit and these are some of things I found. “The loss of Turner Field also means the loss of hundreds of part-time jobs, a crushing blow for a neighborhood where the median income is $15- 20k lower than where the new stadium will be built.” (Barber) In my site response I talked to a man who explained how the move of Turner Field is going to affect his financially. https://sites.gsu.edu/sanderson57/2016/09/13/my-view-of-turner-field-pt-2/ 

Do you know where they’re going to move??? I do.They’re going to move to the next low income areas. Like DeKalb County, Clayton County, and another part of Fulton County.  

Sources: James Redding Jr. (My Uncle)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/houston-barber/the-fall-of-turner-field-_b_9612302.html

Sounds of Turner Field

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Turner Field at Night. Listen out for laughter from different people, Listen out for the sounds of drum sticks and an announcer.

On Friday, Saturday 16, 2016 at 9:30 pm I visited Turner Field Stadium. Home of 1996 Olympics and home of the Braves baseball team. Next year it will be the Georgia State Baseball Stadium. It’s located in South Fulton County on 755 Hank Aaron Dr. I could hear the pounding of drumming sticks, causing this to make some buoyant rhythm. I could hear footsteps of different people. I could hear people conversing and some shouting and some laughing. I could hear someone selling water. I could hear a loud announcer advertising different things on a pa. I could hear the sound of cars passing.

My View of Turner Field Pt.2

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Braves Official Vendor located on the right side of Hank Aaron
Braves Official Vendor located on the right side of Hank Aaron Street

While I was there I noticed some Brave vendors. I went to the braves stadium around 12:30 pm and that Atlanta heat was blazing. I asked the man who owned part of the stand, what time the game started and he said “3:30 pm”. I couldn’t imagine being in that heat for 3 extra hours. So I asked him “Why come so early”? He said “You have to, competition is serious out here and the earlier the better”. Then it all made sense to me then after he explained in more detail. He told me that usually people who come early to tailgate and get good parking are the ones who buy the most merchandise. I asked him will he be at the new Turner Field he said “Hell nawl”. Excuse the language.This man will basically be out of a job because his business partner is not about to travel that far because he doesn’t know the area or the people. That reminded of the class discussion we had about how people will be affected by the move of Turner Field. Its going to be more expensive for people outside of Cobb county to get transportation and pay for all the other expenses. 

My View of Turner Field Part I

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Turner Field Entrance
Turner Field Entrance

On September 9, 2016 I visited the infamous Turner Field Stadium. Home of 1996 Olympics and home of the Braves baseball team. Next year it will be the Georgia State Baseball Stadium. It’s located in South Fulton County on 755 Hank Aaron Dr .

 

 

Olympic Gold Rings
Olympic Gold Rings

 

The first thing that I noticed were the big gold Olympic rings. I noticed how they were linked together. By looking at them I felt a sense of unity. I felt like this was a place where people can come together no matter the race, age, or gender to enjoy different events. We come together no matter the differences because we all share the same interest or goal. If those Braves going to beat those Mets. I believe that sports can play a big role in bringing communities together.  For Example: When I was in high school I couldn’t stand this boy. He was so annoying but then when we started talking about football he was a completely different person. How crazy is that? We were communicating and getting along for the 1st time. I never thought in a million years I would talk to him but I did and we actually became good associates.

What really strikes me about this place is this history behind Turner Field and how Georgia State is connected. Just recently I found out that the University lofts was home to the 1996 Olympians. After the Olympics Georgia State bought the hotel and made it into the 1st dorms for Georgia State students. “It’s really what enabled Georgia State to undergo its transformation from commuter to residential campus,” said Harvey Newman, professor emeritus of public management and policy. I love learning new and interesting things about going to Georgia State. It really makes me wants to be a part of this wonderful historic university.

All Photos taken by Author~ Scatia Anderson

Here’s the link to Part II: https://sites.gsu.edu/sanderson57/2016/09/13/my-view-of-turner-field-pt-2/

My Turner Field Experience

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Now that Turner Field in Atlanta, Ga is being closed I feel like I need to tell my experience of the infamous stadium. How cliche of me I know. My Turner field experience was probably a little different from yours. Now that I think about it I never really been to a Braves baseball game. How ironic since I was born and raised in Atlanta. I grew up in single-parent household. My mom faced a lot of challenges because my father wasn’t there financially and sometimes even physically. Now that I have gave you a little background on my life. Lets get to the story.

It was hot day in July and my father wanted to spend some time with my brother and I was 8 going to 3rd grade the following school year. My mother agreed because we haven’t seen him since my birthday in February. My mom dropped us off and In my mind I’m thinking that I get to go to my 1st baseball game. Boy was I wrong. I distinctively remember hearing my father yelling ” I got tickets, tickets right here”. I was just a little girl I didn’t understand what he was doing. He was scalping tickets just to make some money. My father grew up in Summerhill Community. They didn’t have the best infrastructure.There were no “good” schools, there was a lot of drugs and crime. My father didn’t have a lot of opportunities to better himself. He was trapped by the infrastructure of Metro Atlanta for low-income families. He did what he thought he knew was right. My father once said “You can take the boy out the hood but you can’t take the hood out the boy”. 

On that day I saw a black man struggle to get cash. I saw my father struggle for cash because he felt like he had no other option. I started to see the world differently that day. I saw the struggles of a black man who has strikes and has too many kids.