The city of Atlanta introduced a new initiative aimed at integrating the immigrant community that resides in Georgia.
‘My City Atlanta’ is a proposal which will offer workshops and classes about the city’s operations, public services and other important topics, including the legacy of the Civil Rights movement.
“Now more than ever it is crucial that we create safe spaces to gather together people of diverse origins, languages and experiences, in order for them to learn about the city in a relevant and innovative manner,” explained María Azuri, program coordinator and project director of ‘Welcoming Atlanta.’
The initiative consists of six courses, which will be offered in the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, Buckhead Branch.
The program’s first class took place on Dec. 7. The theme, ‘The Legacy of Civil Rights in Atlanta,’ took attendees through the history of the Civil Rights movement in the United States.
Before the class began, however, participants also had the opportunity to participate in a cultural ice breaker of sorts, in which everyone identified his or her country of origin. Among those nations represented were China, Japan, Iran, India, Russia, Mexico and Colombia.
For Para Mariana Jaramillo, a Colombian native who has resided in Atlanta for almost one year, this initiative represents a unique opportunity.
“We’re in this class to give ourselves the opportunity to find out a little bit about our rights as immigrants,” said Jaramillo.
The program will move forward with the next set of workshops at the beginning of 2017.
The next course, ‘City and State Government,’ will take place 10 a.m. Jan. 11 in the same library location.
