A group of 19 Black families purchased almost 97 acres of land in #Toomsboro, Georgia, to plant the seeds for a thriving new city. Georgia-based realtor Ashley Scott launched The #FreedomGeorgia Initiative with her friend — entrepreneur and investor — Renee Walters to spearhead the purchase. In an op-ed published on Blavity, Scott said it was the tragic death of Ahmaud Arbery — a young Black man who was killed while out for a jog — that inspired her to seek therapy and eventually establish a community in Georgia where Black people can feel safe. “I sought counseling from a Black therapist, and it helped. It helped me to realize that what we as Black people are suffering from is racial trauma. We are dealing with systemic racism,” Scott wrote. “We are dealing with deep-rooted issues that will require more than protesting in the streets. It will take for us as a people, as Atlanta rapper and activist Killer Mike so eloquently put, ‘To plot, plan, strategize, organize and mobilize.’ So that’s what I and my good friend Renee Walters, an entrepreneur and investor, did.” After launching their Freedom #Georgia Initiative, Scott and Walters attended local city council and zoning meetings. Then, she and 19 other families came together to purchase the large amount of land in Toomsboro. “We figured we could try to fix a broken system, or we could start fresh,” she wrote. “Start a city that could be a shining example of being the change you want to see. We wanted to be more involved in creating the lives we really want for our Black families, and maybe, just maybe, create some generational wealth for ourselves by investing in the land. Investing in creating a community that is built around our core values and beliefs.” Scott plans to equip their newly owned land with Black farmers, vendors, suppliers and contractors. On Freedom Georgia’s FB page, it notes that it “hopes to be an innovative model for self-sufficiency, environmental sustainability, and cooperative economics among BIPOCcommunities across the African Diaspora globally.” 📸 @freedomga2020 ✍🏾 @revolttv https://www.instagram.com/p/CEmICYiDT6o/?igshid=ugo2u63ch45p
