Alex Brooks

Stone Mountain

“My thoughts about the call out on the prosecution of the black men in the last few weeks is a direct reflection of what’s been going on in our history in that treatment of the black man compared to the same offenses that a white counterpart may do. We will never be able to get the same treatment in the justice system.”

Trudy Benjamin

Gwinnett

“I think this is an excuse for something to be hidden. All these men being revealed is just a distraction from something more important for us to focus on. We all need something to focus on, but we get distracted by social media and anything, which makes us continue to scroll. So it’s a distraction. It’s a distraction from laws that are changing. It’s a distraction from the changes in politics. It’s a distraction from the chemicals they’re putting in much of stuff. Honestly, it is just so that they can keep us scrolling. They get paid for us to continue scrolling on these apps.”

Michelle Clark

Atlanta, owner of Double Dutch Aerobics

“My thoughts about all that’s happening in the media with black men now is honestly, I feel like it’s not only black men, it’s black people. But I feel like it’s literally because any time, as black people, we start to be aware or we start to rise financially or get any power, they just make sure to bring it back on down. I think that we’re learning our power. Diddy, last year, at Invest Fest, was talking about what he was doing financially and calling out things that happened, just like Jay-Z’s song Still Nigga. Some things still happen even when you’re at the top. Sometimes, people think money erases race, and they’re just reminding us that it doesn’t, so racial issues are still happening. And I think that’s the call out, that money doesn’t erase race no matter how much money you get.”

Avery Wood

Atlanta

“Well, mostly about Marcellus Williams, that was pretty much bad. He did not have a fair trial or anything like that. He had been stuck there for years, and nothing had been done about it. That wasn’t good, and then they just executed him a day or so ago. Rest in peace for him. And P-Diddy probably deserved what he got on all levels because he did some pretty bad stuff. Everybody else, I give prayers to you. I feel like [Black men] are being targeted for sure. But then again, we’ve always been targeted in different kinds of ways. No matter what you do, you’ll always be targeted.”