by John Vodicka
“First, it confirmed how inextricably interwoven the past is in the present, how heavily that past bears on the future; we cannot talk about Black lives mattering or police brutality without reckoning with the very foundation of this country. We must acknowledge the plantation, must unfold the white sheets, must recall the Black diaspora to understand what … Read the rest
On #GivingTuesday 2022, you could give to many local organizations that help people today and work toward lasting change for tomorrow. We have found several local organizations that align with our vision of a more inclusive city. Here are a few of the efforts that Oconee Street UMC invests in with time and money. We invite you to learn more … Read the rest
OSUMC Racial Justice Task Force invites you to an Evening at the Museum on Thursday, July 28, 2022 at the Georgia Museum of Art. We will be viewing, experiencing and reflecting on two specific exhibits at the museum, “Carrie Mae Weems: The Usual Suspects” and “Call and Response,” a collection of works by African American artists. After, we’ll gather for … Read the rest
Hattie Thomas Whitehead will lead conversations on her book “Giving Voice to Linnentown” the next two weekends as part of the 19 Days of Juneteenth observations. June 8 at 2 p.m., she’ll speak at the Athens Regional Library auditorium and on June 18 she’ll speak at … Read the rest
Familiar stories will be featured at the Classic Center starting Thursday at Annual Conference when United Methodist clergy and lay delegates from the North Georgia Conference gather in Athens for three days of worship and decision-making. Hattie Thomas Whitehead, consultant to Oconee Street UMC and local author, will have a table featuring her memoir “Giving Voice to Linnentown” … Read the rest
by John Vodicka
“In most places, when people hear about or see something that is a symbol or representation or evidence of slavery or the slave trade or lynching, the instinct is to cover it up, to get rid of it, to destroy it.”
– Bryan Stevenson
I’ve decided to step back from the rigorous courtwatching I’ve been doing these … Read the rest
Today is the day when we give to causes that work toward mercy and justice. While good causes abound, here are a few of the efforts that Oconee Street UMC invests in with time and money. We invite you to learn more about them and donate as you are able.
WHAT THEY DO: ARK is an Athens-based organization … Read the rest
Athens-Clarke Commissioner Russell Edwards recently said that he has not heard from citizens who support a proposed Community Police Oversight Office as much as he has heard from those who oppose its creation. As a result, Edwards has questioned the wisdom of moving forward with the proposal which developed in response to 2018 incidents of police officer use of force … Read the rest
“Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them.”
-Assata Shakur
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By John Cole Vodicka
One of the public defenders we observe in our courtrooms told me not long ago that he believed “the legal system is broken beyond repair.” He said this … Read the rest
By John Cole Vodicka
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“Your honor, it was all a misunderstanding. I love John. We’ve been together 30 years. We can live together peaceably.” The woman spoke these words in Magistrate Court this past Wednesday morning. Her husband, John T., was appearing remotely from the jail at his first appearance bond hearing. He’d been jailed 24 hours before, charged with one … Read the rest