Good news! At least 7 refugees who attended the Tucker job fair in October, which I wrote about here, got jobs at two different employers. The city of Tucker, along with local partners and refugee resettlement agencies like New American Pathways, had partnered up for the event and it looks like there were some successes that came out of it.
Somali Communities in the South: This evening at 5:00pmET, Global Atlanta is hosting Dr. Dorian Brown Cosby at Refuge Coffee in Atlanta to talk about her new book, Somalis in the Neo-South: African Immigration, Politics and Race. She’s spent years working with the Somali community in Clarkston, GA and in Nashville, TN to understand everything from civic engagement to barriers to resettlement (I did a piece highlighting some of those challenges - you can read it here.). Tickets are $15 to attend in person, or you can tune in via zoom for free. More info here.
The future of Gwinnett Place Mall: On Wednesday evening at 6pm, Gwinnett County is inviting local residents interested in the future of Gwinnett Place Mall to share their vision of what they want it to be. Many of the businesses in the area are Asian owned and the county says it wants to make sure the future site is “welcoming, inclusive, and beneficial for all residents.” There will be language accommodations in Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and Cantonese. The meeting starts Wednesday at 6pmET at Berkmar High School in Lilburn. A virtual meeting will be on Thursday at 6pmET. More info here.
Food Distribution in Clarkston: This Saturday, November 13th, the city of Clarkston is partnering with the Lions of Georgia, Community Teen Coalition and Anthem to hold a drive through food distribution in Clarkston. Food boxes will include fresh produce and halal meat. The distribution is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Tahoe Village Shopping Center, 4604 E. Ponce de Leon Ave. More info here.
LatinX Summit: On November 17th, the Latino Community Fund - GA and Ser Familia are hosting the 8th annual LatinX Summit. It’s an opportunity for community leaders and organizers to come together, take stock, collaborate, and envision what the future could be like for LatinX communities in the South. It’s an all virtual event. More info here.
ICYMI: The Atlanta Civic Circle did this piece on how Hispanic activists are raising their voices to ensure redistricting reflects the diversity of the state, “I don’t think we’re going to get that [equitable representation] without a fight,” said Michelle Zuluaga of the Latino Community Fund-GA.
And, Khyati Joshi, who grew up in Atlanta in the 70s and 80s makes a connection between Diwali, immigration, and the importance of community in her article for Religion News Service. I loved this line because my dad literally did the same thing: “I’ve heard this story told by many Indian immigrants over the years: ‘When I arrived, I didn’t know anyone, so I opened the phone book, found someone with an Indian last name, and called them up.’”
