News

Fulton County’s Black Girl Magic

In the photo shown, eight beautifully polished African-American women are seated among each other in a courtroom where each one of them represents a separate branch of the criminal justice system in Fulton County, Ga. Yes, Really! About 95,000 people live in South Fulton and nearly 90 percent are black.

The city of South Fulton is Georgia’s fifth largest city and the first city in history where every criminal justice department head is an African-American woman. These high-profile women are interim police chief Sheila Rogers, Court Administrator Lakesiya Cofield, Chief Judge Tiffany Carter Sellers, City Solicitor LaDawn Jones, Public Defender Viveca R. Famber Powell, Clerk Tiffany Kinslow, Clerk Kerry Stephens, and Clerk of Court Ramona Howard.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjqNAx_j9Nd/?tagged=fultoncounty

When asked what they hoped their diversity would do for the community, they said, “Our goal is to ensure justice for everyone, however, as African-American women we are sensitive to the history of criminal justice in our country. We want to be an example of how to do things right.” Judge Sellers insists on courtroom decorum that shows respect to the accused, victims, and visitors.  Likewise, the South Fulton court insist on giving each person and their case the respect they deserve from the moment they walk in the door.

Further, Judge Sellers spends much of her time ensuring everyone fully understands what is happening in the system.  The hope is to restore faith in the justice system for many of the citizens who have had less than stellar experiences in other courts.

“In the City of South Fulton’s justice system, African-Americans are far less likely to be arrested, prosecuted, or detained in custody because of incidents like those seen in recent news,” the Atlanta Voice writes. “These assurances help law-abiding citizens, particularly African-Americans, feel less tense when they see blue lights in their rearview.”

“One of the primary purposes of laws is to protect citizens and the city,” City Solicitor LaDawnJones explained. “You can do that without sending everyone to jail or enforce high fees.  Most people do better when they know better.”

In explaining the influence the city has had in her life and her work, interim police chief Sheila Rogers said: “I grew up in South Fulton. I grew up in neighborhoods where everyone around me were strong, independent, business-owning African-Americans, so black excellence is mundane to me. But, I recognize that this is an anomaly for other cities, and to see this many educated black women working as hard as we do is special for other little girls out there.”

According to an American Judicature Society study, 12.6 percent of judges chosen since 2000 were minorities in 2008, and 29.2 percent of judges selected in the 21st century were women. The Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics reports that of all full-time sworn personnel in large city police departments, 16.3 percent were female and 38.1 percent were minorities. This means that South Fulton is blowing other major cities out of the water when it comes to diversity.

Related Posts

Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathé Reveal the 2 Times They Broke Their Own Parenting Rules

The couple is parents to sons Amaré, 8, and Andrew, 12 Sterling K. Brown and wife Ryan Michelle Bathé agree that they have to let their kids decide who they want…

Yara Shahidi’s Family: All About Her Parents and Siblings

Yara Shahidi’s parents, Keri Shahadi and Afshin Shahidi, and her brothers, Sayeed Shahidi and Ehsan Shahidi, are all in the entertainment industry, too Yara Shahidi comes from a family…

Bobby Brown Sees Late Children Bobbi Kristina and Bobby Jr. in His Dreams: ‘They’re Always Together’

In an emotional interview, the singer opens up to PEOPLE about grieving the loss of his two 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren — and finding new purpose after their deaths Bobby Brown has…

A Full Timeline of Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade’s Decades-Long Love Story

Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade definitely aren’t shy about their love for one another, often taking to Instagram—and talk shows and podcasts—to open up about their relationship. The actress and…

Marlon Wayans’ Kids: All About His 2 Sons, Kai and Shawn

Marlon Wayans and his ex Angela Zackery share two kids together, sons Kai and Shawn Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages via AP Marlon Wayans is a proud dad. The actor…

Master P’s Children: All About His Sons and Daughters — and How They Honor Their Late Sister

Master P’s kids have been inspired to follow in his entertainment footsteps Master P built a name for himself as a rapper, actor and entrepreneur but has said being…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *