Upcoming eventS
THIS MONTH IN ATHENS
Join us for events that challenge injustice, spark vital conversations, and fuel the movement for equity and accountability.
Upcoming Events
Become a Justice Advocate: Understanding Civil Rights Violations & Court Systems Training Session 1
BECOME A JUSTICE ADVOCATE
Learn how to help people understand their rights, navigate justice systems, document violations, and advocate for accountability.
The AADM Community Defense Team is a volunteer-based team that helps community members navigate issues involving police, jails, discrimination, and the court system.
This training series prepares volunteers to support AADM's community defense work, including helping individuals understand their rights, document incidents, navigate court and justice systems, connect with appropriate resources, and file official complaints when their rights have been violated.
You can attend one training or all of the trainings. Select the option below that works best for you.
Training Begins September 19, 2026
SESSION 1: Understanding Civil Rights Violations & Court Systems.
Learn how to recognize potential civil rights violations and help people navigate the court system.
Volunteers will learn how to identify discrimination and other rights violations, document complaints, understand basic court processes, and help community members identify the appropriate next steps.
Justice Advocate Skill: Recognize • Document • Navigate
Topics include:
Understanding the court process
Identifying potential civil rights violations
Organizing evidence and documentation
Preparing for court and attorney consultations
Filing complaints with appropriate agencies
Referrals to legal and community resources
While AADM does not provide legal representation or legal advice, we empower individuals with the knowledge, resources, and confidence to make informed decisions and effectively advocate for themselves.
To join our Community Defense team volunteers must attend two out of three training sessions.
Complete THE form below to RSVP:
Police and Jail Accountability Advocates Training Session 2
sESSION 2: Police & Jail Accountability ADVOCATES TRAINING
Learn how to help community members understand their rights during police encounters and while navigating jail-related concerns.
Volunteers will learn how to document police and jail incidents, understand complaint processes, identify appropriate reporting channels, and assist individuals in pursuing accountability.
Volunteers will learn how to:
Understand basic constitutional rights during police encounters, stops, searches, questioning, and arrests.
Recognize potential rights violations involving excessive force, unlawful searches, discrimination, denial of medical care, or improper treatment.
Know what to do during a police encounter and how to communicate safely and effectively.
Document police misconduct by collecting the facts, dates, names, witnesses, reports, photos, videos, and other relevant information.
Understand jail rights and common jail concerns, including treatment, medical care, safety, communication, and access to basic services.
Help someone organize their complaint so the facts are clear, complete, and supported by documentation.
Learn where and how to file an official complaint regarding police or jail misconduct.
Understand the difference between reporting, advocacy, and legal representation so volunteers know what they can and cannot do.
Navigate police, sheriff, jail, and other accountability systems to identify the appropriate agency or process.
Connect community members to legal and social-service resources when an issue requires professional assistance.
Follow AADM's Community Defense protocols for documenting and escalating cases appropriately.
Provide trauma-informed, respectful support while maintaining confidentiality and appropriate volunteer boundaries.
BECOME A JUSTICE ADVOCATE
Help people understand their rights, navigate justice systems, document violations, and advocate for accountability.
The AADM Community Defense Team is a volunteer-based team that helps community members navigate issues involving police, jails, discrimination, and the court system.
This training series prepares volunteers to support AADM's community defense work, including helping individuals understand their rights, document incidents, navigate court and justice systems, connect with appropriate resources, and file official complaints when their rights have been violated.
Complete THE form below to RSVP:
Understanding Probation and Reentry Advocates Training Session 3
sESSION 3: Understanding Probation & Reentry Advocates Training
Learn how to support people navigating probation, reentry, and the challenges of returning to the community.
Volunteers will learn about common probation and reentry barriers and how to connect individuals with resources related to housing, employment, services, and community support.
Understanding Probation & Reentry: Justice Advocate Training
Volunteers will learn how to:
Understand how probation works — conditions, supervision, reporting requirements, violations, and common challenges.
Recognize common barriers to successful reentry, including housing, employment, transportation, identification, and access to services.
Help individuals understand their probation requirements and identify questions or concerns they may need to raise with their probation officer or attorney.
Document probation-related concerns clearly and accurately.
Identify potential rights or due-process concerns and know when an issue should be referred to legal professionals.
Navigate reentry resources and connect individuals with housing, employment, education, transportation, and other community services.
Understand what happens when someone is accused of violating probation and where they can seek appropriate legal assistance.
Advocate without providing legal advice, maintaining appropriate boundaries as a community volunteer.
Support people returning from incarceration with dignity, consistency, and a second-chance approach.
Recognize systemic barriers that can make successful reentry difficult and identify opportunities for community advocacy.
Follow AADM's Community Defense Team process for documenting concerns, making referrals, and escalating cases when appropriate.
The Justice Advocate Skill
UNDERSTAND → DOCUMENT → CONNECT → ADVOCATE
The goal is for volunteers to leave knowing how to help someone navigate probation and reentry without trying to be their lawyer or probation officer.
AADM Community Defense Team volunteers help people understand the system, find the right resources, document problems, and advocate for fair treatment.
Complete THE form below to RSVP:
Classic City Soul Food Festival August 15TH
Classic City Soul Food Festival, hosted by the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement (AADM), postponed.
Civil Rights Leadership Camp: Travel, Storytelling & Public Speaking Academy
Ages 13–18 Welcome. This program is designed for students who are ready to grow as leaders, find their voice, and understand how history connects to their role in shaping the future. Scholarships available.
2026 Classic City Juneteenth Music and Arts Festival
In 2025, the Classic City Juneteenth Music & Arts Festival attracted hundreds of attendees from Athens and across Georgia for a powerful celebration of freedom, creativity, community, and Black excellence.
This year, we’re doing it again — bigger, bolder, and even more impactful. All vendors welcome and free to the general public.
JAC Housing Meeting
On the first Monday of each month, the AADM Justice and Accountability meetings focus on housing justice issues, including tenant rights, housing insecurity, discrimination, affordability, zoning, and community accountability around housing policies. Join us!
Women's Wellness & Justice May Meetup
Join us for a morning of wellness, reflection, and community connection at our Women’s Wellness & Justice Meet-Up.
This gathering is designed to create a safe and empowering space for women to focus on healing, self-care, and personal growth.
JAC Jail & Policing Meeting
The AADM Justice and Accountability Committee address community concerns, and build collective action around justice initiatives.
Join us on the third Monday of each month, meetings focus on jail, policing, and criminal justice issues.
Workplace Rights & Resume Development Workshop
Join us May 9th for Saturday School in partnership with Patrick Ihejirika and Pathwise NYC, a nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals become more competitive for the careers they want. Includes workplace rights.
Women’s Wellness & Justice Retreat Tybee Island
Step into the calming backdrop of Tybee Island, the Women Wellness & Justice retreat invites you to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and build meaningful connections with other women walking their own journeys of growth and purpose.
3rd Monday’s Justice & Accountability Committee Monthly Meeting
Join us every 3rd Monday for our Jail & Policing Issues Meeting, where we focus on addressing injustice within our local systems and organizing for meaningful change.
Community Meeting on Athens Affordable Housing Ordinance
Join us this Monday, April 13th for the AADM Community Meeting, hosted by the Justice and Accountability Community. This gathering serves as a follow-up to the Athens Affordable Housing Rally, as we continue the conversation and push forward with collective action.
April 11, 2026 Saturday School: End School To Prison Pipeline Advocates Training
The End School-to-Prison Pipeline (ESTPP) Advocates Training is a powerful, hands-on 2-hour experience designed to equip individuals with the confidence, knowledge, and leadership skills needed to navigate school systems, avoid the pipeline, and create meaningful change in their communities.
Affordable Housing RALLY: Athens city hall
Join us April 7 at Athens City Hall for the Athens Affordable Housing rally honoring Fair Housing Month and advancing the fight for safe, equitable housing for all.
Justice & Accountability Committee Monthly Meeting
We invite you to attend our monthly meetings held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month from 5:30–7:00 PM.
Special Planning Meeting: March 30
This session will focus on:
Affordable Housing Justice Initiatives. If you haven’t signed our petition, please click here to sign and learn more about our affordable housing ordinance.
This is your opportunity to take action, stay informed, and be part of meaningful change in our community.
Participation in Justice and Accountability Committee (JAC) meetings is open to AADM members only.
Become a volunteer member to get involved, share your voice, and help us build accountability and justice together. JOIN! Don’t miss this month’s meeting — we need you at the table.
Must RSVP to receive Zoom Link.
Women's Fest
March 22, 2026, join us for a powerful day dedicated to celebrating women in business, wellness, and social justice. Women’s Fest is a community space to connect, rest, and reflect while uplifting women leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers.
Community Organizing Meeting 3RD Mondays
3rd Mondays – Community Organizing Meetings hosted by AADM Justice and Accountability Committee.
Focused on strategy, planning, and building community power.
Where: Northeast Georgia Black Chamber of Commerce, 3700 Atlanta Hwy, Athens, GA 30606 (inside Georgia Square Mall).
What to Expect:
Breakout Sessions & Discussion Topics
Time to Open ACC Jail Campaign – Addressing criminal justice concerns and advocating for fair visitation access
Athens Affordable Housing Ordinance – Planning, organizing, and policy development
Get involved, make your voice heard, and help shape solutions for a more just Athens!
Please RSVP Below:
Saturday School: From Jail to ICE Detention: How the Pipeline Works
Starting Saturday, March 14th, the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement (AADM) will host Saturday School every second Saturday of the month at: Oconee Steet United Methodist Church, Athens, Georgia.
This workshop will educate community members about how people are transferred from local jails into immigration detention centers and what we can do to stop the pipeline. Participants will learn their rights, understand the impact on families, and explore solutions to protect our community.
This month topic is: From Jail to ICE Detention: How the Pipeline Works protecting families from being separated simply because someone was arrested. No one should be transferred to immigration detention without due process, legal support, and community protection.
From Jail to ICE Detention: How the Pipeline Works
Workshop Topics:
How the Pipeline Works
Know Your Rights
Community Impact Discussion
Solutions: Ending the Pipeline
Action Steps
PLEASE RSVP BELOW:
Athens Commissioner Candidate Town hall
Join the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement (AADM) for a Candidate Meet & Greet and Community Townhall. This is an opportunity for community members to hear directly from local candidates about their priorities, vision, and plans for our community.
Attendees will have the chance to learn where candidates stand on important issues and engage in meaningful dialogue.
Grab Your Tickets: Social Justice Awards & Gala 2026
As AADM celebrates a decade of advocacy, education, and community building, this gala is not only a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come but also a call to action for the work that lies ahead. Together, we will honor our past, uplift today’s champions, and build momentum for the next generation of justice leaders.
1800 Helpline Training for Volunteers
1-800 Help Line Volunteer Training
This training is designed for volunteers who want to support our 1-800 Help Line and assist community members navigating discrimination, rights violations, and crisis situations. Volunteers will learn how to respond with care, clarity, and confidence—grounded in our justice-centered framework.
The session will cover:
How the 1-800 Help Line works
Volunteer roles and responsibilities
Active listening and trauma-informed response
How to document concerns and route cases appropriately
When and how to escalate issues for advocacy or legal support
No prior experience is required—just a commitment to showing up for the community with integrity, compassion, and accountability.
Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026
Time: 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Location: Zoom (register below to receive the Zoom link)
This training is essential for anyone interested in volunteering with the 1-800 Help Line.
Athens MLK Jr. Parade and Music Festival 10 Years Celebration
Athens, GA – The Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement (AADM) proudly announce the 10th Annual Athens MLK Jr. Parade & Music Fest, a historic celebration honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On Monday, January 19, 2026, the streets of downtown Athens will come alive with one of the largest gatherings of unity, music, and cultural pride in Northeast Georgia.
Celebrate Kwanzaa in Athens 2025
This year, the Athens Kwanzaa Alliance comes together to celebrate Kwanzaa through a powerful series of educational, cultural, and creative events designed to uplift voices, honor leadership, and invest in the future.
Click here to read more..
Reggae Vibes Fundraiser: Georgia for Jamaica Hurricane Relief
Join us for an uplifting and meaningful night as Georgia comes together to support Jamaica! Reggae Vibes Fundraiser is a celebration of culture, community, and compassion all to raise funds and gather practical resources for families recovering from Hurricane Melissa.
AADM End-of-the-Year Townhall: Housing, FOOD, & Community Solutions
Join the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement (AADM) for our End-of-the-Year Townhall, a community-centered event addressing food insecurity, housing challenges, and actionable solutions. This interactive Townhall will include a panel discussion, a debrief of findings from the recent People’s Assembly, and breakout sessions focused on community-driven advocacy and policy priorities for 2026.
Athens People’s Movement Assembly
The People’s Movement Assembly will bring together community members, organizers, leaders, and advocates to listen, share, strategize, and build unity across movements. Together, we will work toward short-term wins, medium-term campaigns, and long-term transformative change.
NEG Black Business Expo
The First Annual Northeast Georgia Black Business Expo hosted by the Northeast Georgia Black Business Alliance, emerges from a clear and growing need: to shine a spotlight on Black owned businesses, amplify their voices, and cultivate the support networks that drive sustainable growth.
