Top of the morning!
Here is Your AM Rundown with news updates in 400 words or less. Get caught up on headlines and other developments you might’ve missed. Here’s what to know for today:
- Legislation is under consideration to honor Georgia’s first Black lawmakers. In 1868, 33 Black men were chosen to serve, but were later forced out.
- The first Black woman elected to be Gwinnett County Board of Education Chair is gaining support after criticism from Republican lawmakers. Tarece Johnson, has been outspoken about diversity, equity, inclusion, and systemic racism’s harmful effects on early childhood education. The letter supporting Johnson comes from the Georgia Working Families Party, and includes signatures from other elected officials, activists, and local leaders.
- Speaking of Black women making history in Georgia, Tammy Williams’s Cinema South Studios is making headway. The forthcoming film and television studio will be located in Fayetteville and cost about $135 million to build. Williams is now the first Black woman to own a studio and post-production site in the state.
- On Monday, jurors heard closing arguments in the federal hate crimes trial for three men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery. Last week, we learned about Greg McMichael, Travis McMichael, and William “Roddie” Bryan’s history of using racial slurs directed at Black people. The case now goes to the jury.
ICYMI: A new Omicron strain could cause more severe illness and spread easier. BA.2 travels faster and has more devastating effects than its parent and is more akin to the Delta variant.
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