Minister suing Kathryn Johnston estate for $500K

Rev. Markel Hutchins took a pounding on the local Black-Wing talk radio stations in Atlanta for his decision to sue the estate of the late Kathryn Johnston, the 92 year old woman who was killed by corrupt Atlanta Police men.

Ironically the balance of the callers made the case that Rev Hutchins had soiled the honor of "Community Activists".   They can't see that for the balance of these forces - their honor is a tattered cloth and that the stains upon it is the least of its problems.

The same law firm that got their 33% cut of the $4.9 million out of the City of Atlanta is now representing the family in defense against Rev Hutchins.   We were told that the late attorney Johnnie Cochran's integrity was being questioned by Rev Hutchins and that Cochran "has done so much in the name of JUSTICE for Black people".   This is no question - but he still took his 33%.

It is true that Rev Hutchins was the face of the Johnston family.  They should have provided him with some amount of money out of gratuity.   I am not sure that $490,000 is the amount that sits will.  But it should have never gone to court.  If there was one bit of "dirty laundry" that should have not been let out this is it.  NOT the scheme to protect Obama and other Black elected officials from criticism.  Protectionism leads to fraud.   A problem that "Community Organizers" clearly have a problem with as they try to shake their "ambulance chaser" image. (And are so silent on "Street Pirate On Black Murders").

That Is Her Money She Is Free To Do What She Wishes With It

In my job as "exorcisor of the spirits of hijacking of our consciousness" I am required to put in the leg work.

I am intimately familiar with the "Neal Street" area where the crime scene exists. I took a drive over that way the other day to snap some shots of the scene of Ms Johnston's house as it is today. The irony that I saw needs to be placed into the context of the comments of people who are outraged. I will show that they are outraged at the wrong thing still.

The Painting On The Boarded Up Window Of Ms Johnston's House
The Street-side Memorial Of Stuffed Animals
The Condemnation Of Former Mayor Franklin And The Atlanta Police

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All of the pictures above are about the past.  Water under the bridge.

The key point that was MISSED in all of the conversations yesterday about the "unscrupulous behavior of Rev Hutchins", the honor of Johnny Cochran, the lack of a written contract, and the right of the Johnston daughter to "Spend Her Money The Way She Sees Fit" - was the question of the COMMUNITY as it exists today.

 Right across the street from the Johnston house (which is boarded up and unoccupied) is another abandoned house.

Please follow my logic:   This "English Avenue" community was the scene of the "Aggressive Policing Policy" from the Atlanta Police because of high drug activity, crime and prostitution.

While the "social justice" people on the radio talked about how $4.9 million was a pittance........the (White folks) wife of the Fulton County judge murdered by Courthouse Killer Bryan Nichols received $18 million from the County................not one of them bothered to mention the present condition of the COMMUNITY.

I am not taking away the fact that indeed that money was awarded to the only survivor of Mrs Johnston and it is hers to do with as she pleases.   The news that Rev Hutchins had asked for a restraining order on the daughter's ability to spend the jackpot sum - as she already has a Bentley and a Benz - was mishandled by all of the callers and hosts.

If the community is a dangerous community - which attracted the heightened government activist which lead to this untimely death - AND - the money that was paid out ultimately came from the tax payers of the city - where was the CONSCIOUSNESS of the Black-wing talk radio which bothered to go mentally back into the community to see that this "prize money" that they say shows the value of Ms Johnston's life has actually been put to good use?

• Buying up the abandoned houses?


• Paying for the houses immediately around Ms Johnston's home to be brought up to snuff? 


• Paying for some community level security and governance body to operate for 5 years as a means of healing the community?

The very same people who talk about how Black people often have nice cars but live in a rat trap totally missed that THE MONEY paid out from the coffers of the City of Atlanta (I am not taking away the justification) is, in fact being used to purchase fancy cars while the community conditions that precipitated these deadly events await another showdown.

On the way home from the scene I happened to drive down Metropolitan Avenue in the "Pittsburgh Community".  I had become familiar with this area because my kids went to summer camp several years ago at the local "Salvation Army Community Center" - an oasis in a ghetto desert.  I saw young Black males lining the streets as I drove through.  In this community the first thing you notice as you drive through is the eye contact that everyone attempts to establish with you as they try to figure "Who are you and what are you doing here?"  (This makes it difficult for me to pull out my camera and capture the scene as well).  

Young Black males, "pants on the ground", standing around - spread throughout the block.   They are definitely up to something.  (I need to find the television news video from a few years ago of the matriarch in this same community who fought back against this type of activity from the young men in the community).

The point is that while our people are good for promoting outrage over government/police infractions - the drip by drip activities that lead up to the flooded basement in our community are not mitigated along the way.

The House Further Up The Street At The Corner Of Neal St & Lowery Blvd
How many people suffering the effects of foreclosure could have received housing here.
(About 15% of the houses in the area are abandoned)

The Zoom Shot Of The "Joseph E Lowery Blvd" Street Sign
While Parked In Front Of Ms Johnston's House

I still maintain my estimate that the strip of land that runs the length of Rev Joseph E Lowery Blvd - spanning  4 blocks east and west off of the main thoroughfare into the communities  is the most deadly plot of land for Black people in Atlanta than any other in the metro area.

Rev Lowery told the community that by removing the "Confederate Generals" off of these signs, swapping the "Oppressors for Heroes" - the people in the community would become motivated and the violence would decrease.  Thus far all I see is that he and others have their names listed on the police reports per the designation of the address of the crime scenes in which Black people are attacked the most have not changed.

With the "Black Farmers Settlement" was public money put into private hands because of a grievance - no new farming techniques to address the need for healthier food in our community or to train up the next generation of Black farmers was funded with this $2,000,000,000.    Cheers of "We Won!!  We Will NOT Be Disrespected Because Of Our RACE" was heard.    The truth is that the level of respect (or lack there of) can be found as we follow the money.

The fact that there was no plans for the money as part of the settlement agreement is a slap to the integrity of the entire venture.  

In both cases - a pool of PUBLIC money that was awarded based on the demanded respect for our community was not leveraged to remedy the problem for the next generation of Blacks.   While the government now sees the cost of discrimination and will erect new policies to mitigate it in the future - the Black community failed to leverage these funds, in aggregate, to ensure that those who are following in our present tracks will operate from a leveraged position.