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MLK Beloved Community Awards shines light on injustice of man killed during homeless encampment clearing

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MLK Beloved Community Awards shines light on injustice of man killed during homeless encampment clearing


The annual Beloved Community Awards by The King Center kicked off a weekend of remembrance and service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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It’s a night to honor people working to make the world a more just place.

But the injustice of an unhoused man’s death, caused by an Atlanta City Public Works truck during a sweep of the encampment where he was sleeping, weighed heavily on many of the civil rights leaders gathered at the ceremony.

MLK Beloved Community Awards

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The music, glitz and glamor of the annual awards ceremony shined bright Saturday evening.

As celebrities and community leaders came together to honor those working to carry out Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of a “beloved community.”

Actress Jenifer Lewis, who’s starred in many movies and T.V. shows including Black-ish, received an award during the ceremony.

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Actress Jenifer Lewis at the 2025 Beloved Community Awards.

“I’ve had a lot of wonderful occasions in these 68 years, but this is the most wonderful. The glory and the hallelujah of it all when people come together, stand strong and unite,” Lewis said.

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Civil rights leaders concerned about homeless man’s death

But the death of a man who was homeless at the hands of an Atlanta City Public Works truck while they were trying to sweep the encampment where he was staying on Old Wheat Street Thursday, happened just a few hundred feet away from The King Center. 

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Dr. Bernice King, CEO of the King Center and daughter of the late Dr. King lamented the tragedy.

“I just wish that the person who did this would’ve thought about ‘hey let’s check the tents, let’s make sure human beings are not present’ before they cleared out the camp,” King said.

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FOX 5 was at another MLK Day event in Stone Mountain and caught up with the President of Hosea Helps Elisabeth Omilami.

Hosea Helps President Elisabeth Omilami

She decried the tragedy and says the death feels too similar to the deaths of the two sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968.

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“It reminds me of the gentlemen who were crushed by the garbage truck in Memphis at Martin Luther King’s last speech where he was assassinated in Memphis,” Omilami said.  

State President of the NAACP Gerald Griggs was at Saturday’s awards ceremony and says it shows how badly the City needs to make changes.

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“We don’t need to move people when we’re having international guests. I think Dr. King would want us to embrace those unhoused brothers and sisters and do more to provide the necessary funds and housing for them,” Griggs said.  

How City of Atlanta leaders are responding

In a statement, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said the city will “review each of our processes and procedures and take every precaution to ensure this never happens again.”

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Dr. King says the King Center stands ready to help them do that.  

“We’re looking forward at The King Center to possibly working with the City to train people on how to carry out what they’re trained to do in a humane way,” King said.  

Some activists have accused the City of clearing the homeless encampment because of its proximity to The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park and the upcoming holiday.

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But the City denies that. 

In a statement, Cathry Vassell, CEO for Partners for HOME, which works with the City to get people housed, said they had been working with this encampment for months to try and get them off the streets prior to this sweep.

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“The first engagement with this encampment began the week of April 5, 2024. Individuals began transitioning to shelter on June 7, 2024. Through these ongoing efforts, 21 individuals have been connected to shelter and housing,” her statement reads.

The Source: Information for this story was provided by the City of Atlanta and gathered by FOX 5 crews at the 2025 Beloved Community Awards Ceremony and Stone Mountain MLK ceremony.

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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta police searching for 3 suspects after deadly shooting

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Atlanta police searching for 3 suspects after deadly shooting


Atlanta police say a man was shot and killed outside a northwest Atlanta gas station on Wednesday night.

Police responded to 1739 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. NW to reports of a shooting at approximately 9:45 p.m.

When they arrived, they found a dead man lying on a sidewalk. Atlanta Police Homicide Commander Andrew Smith told Channel 2 that the victim was shot on the sidewalk near the Chevron gas station, then ran across the street, where he collapsed on that sidewalk and died.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

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Police said a group of men were arguing before the shooting. Homicide Unit Investigators are examining evidence and speaking to witnesses.

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Smith said police are looking for three Black men, one of them dressed in a white shirt and jeans, and the other two dressed in all black.

Police urge anyone with information about this shooting to call Atlanta Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS(8477). Tipsters can remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward.

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Atlanta, GA

Which US cities are seeing anti-ICE protests? Dallas, Atlanta, and Denver report demonstrations

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Which US cities are seeing anti-ICE protests? Dallas, Atlanta, and Denver report demonstrations


Protests against immigration raids have rapidly spread across the United States this week, following aggressive ICE operations in Los Angeles.

Protesters are gathering in cities across the nation to denounce the Trump administration’s ICE raids. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

Cities from coast to coast are witnessing growing resistance, as demonstrators rally against mass deportations, federal crackdowns, and President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops.

ALSO READ| Chicago riots: Videos show violent clashes, Trump effigy set ablaze | 10 points

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How it all started

Last Friday in Los Angeles, ICE launched widespread raids to cuff “illegal aliens,” and in response, protesters poured into the streets. Clashes with law enforcement escalated throughout the weekend, prompting Governor Gavin Newsom to request that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth withdraw military orders. 

Despite this, more demonstrations are planned, including large-scale “No Kings” protests coinciding with Trump’s planned military parade in Washington this Saturday.

In Austin, a march that started at the Texas State Capitol turned violent near the J.J. Pickle Federal Building, where ICE has an office. Protesters threw rocks and bottles; police responded with pepper spray and tear gas. Four officers were injured and 12 people arrested. 

“Change will only happen when we keep putting pressure on the people in power,” one protester told KEYE.

Dallas also saw a fiery protest on a city bridge Monday night. While officers initially allowed the assembly, it was later declared “unlawful” as tensions rose. Police used pepper spray and smoke to disperse the crowd. 

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“Peaceful protesting is legal,” Gov. Greg Abbott posted on X. “But once you cross the line, you will be arrested.”

In Seattle, about 50 people gathered outside the immigration court on Tuesday, chanting, “Free Them All” and blocking entryways with scooters. “We’re here to show that we’re opposed to ICE in our community,” said Mathieu Chabaud from the University of Washington.

Santa Ana, California, saw heavy damage downtown, with broken glass, graffiti, and a heavy National Guard presence. Workers scrubbed the Civic Centre clean Tuesday morning.

ALSO READ| The L.A. Riots Hand Republicans a Political Edge

Boston residents rallied in City Hall Plaza to demand the release of SEIU leader David Huerta. “An immigrant doesn’t stand between an American worker and a good job, a billionaire does,” said Chrissy Lynch. 

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Mayor Michelle Wu added, “Secret police do not make communities safer.”

From Washington, D.C., where Rep. Pramila Jayapal joined union protests, to New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago, the message is clear: “We want full rights for all immigrants… and to get the military out of L.A,” one told CBS New York.



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Atlanta, GA

MICHELIN Guide expanding in the South, ceremony moving away from Atlanta

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MICHELIN Guide expanding in the South, ceremony moving away from Atlanta


FILE PHOTO. This photograph taken on March 18, 2024, shows the embroidered three Michelin stars on a chef’s uniform during the Michelin Guide for France 2024 awards ceremony in Tours, center France. (Photo by GUILLAUME SOUVANT / AFP) (Photo by GUILLA

The prestigious MICHELIN Guide is expanding its reach to the American South, with the inaugural edition set to be unveiled on Nov. 3 at the Peace Center in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. This marks a significant milestone for the culinary scene in the region, as MICHELIN formally announced its plans to debut the expanded regional guide earlier this year in April.

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What we know:

Greenville, home to the MICHELIN North America headquarters, will host the first reveal ceremony, which is expected to rotate to different cities annually. This strategic move highlights Michelin’s commitment to showcasing the diverse and rich culinary offerings across the Southern United States.

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The MICHELIN Guide Atlanta, released in 2023, has already made waves in the culinary world, with Atlanta hosting award ceremonies in both 2023 and 2024. The Atlanta selection will now be integrated into the broader Guide to the American South.

What’s next:

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Restaurants featured in the upcoming 2025 guide will receive invitations to the ceremony later this fall, offering them a chance to be part of this historic event. 

As anticipation builds for the November ceremony, food enthusiasts and industry professionals alike are eager to see which Southern establishments will earn a spot in the esteemed guide.

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