Candidates Discuss Platforms with AUC Students
Photo taken by Elliot Freeman.
By Bennie Williams, Staff Writer
On Monday, November 22, candidates attended a forum held at Bank of America Auditorium to make their case to the Atlanta University Center community ahead of the November 30th election.
The candidate forum, jointly hosted by the Alpha Rho Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated and the Morehouse Spelman Pre-Law Society featured Atlanta Mayoral candidates Felicia Moore and Andre Dickens. Other candidates included Jason Dozier, District 4 candidate for the Atlanta City Council and Dr. John Eaves—Morehouse College class of ‘84–running for Secretary of State.
If Elected, Eaves would become the first African American to serve as Georgia’s Secretary of State. Eave’s bid to become the top election official comes at a crucial time with Georgia becoming a battleground for voting rights.
During the forum, Eaves told the audience that his motivation for running for office is to help people make a positive impact on their communities. He also stated that, if elected, he plans to “support and encourage entrepreneurship among young people.”
Jason Dozier is a candidate looking to represent District 4 on the Atlanta City Council—which represents the Atlanta University Center. His platform includes addressing housing, public safety, and environmental justice. When asked about addressing housing, his answer was simple: “build more housing.” He emphasized the need to use public-owned land to provide housing and bring density back to the City of Atlanta.
Felicia Moore advanced to the runoff after receiving 41 percent of the vote in the general election. With growing calls within the city to address crime, Moore’s platform includes an approach to addressing public safety which she calls the 5 C’s: Community, Cops, Courts, Code Enforcement, and Children. This plan includes requiring the release of body camera footage within 72 hours of every police shooting. It also includes making the Atlanta Police Detention Center available to address the current inmate housing shortage.
Andre Dickens advanced to the runoff after receiving 23 percent of the vote in the general election. His response to addressing public safety is his four-point plan called S.A.F.E. Streets Atlanta. Key aspects of the plan include increasing the police force by 250 officers within his first year in office and addressing non-violent issues that currently are addressed by police.
Election day is November 30. To learn more about the candidates, visit the websites below:
https://www.johneavesforgeorgia.com/
