Photos: T.I. as Atlanta community leader
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Joey Ivansco/AJC
Atlanta rapper "T.I." had a long rap sheet before becoming one of Atlanta's most visible cultural ambassadors. Here are moments from the entertainer's volunteer and activist activities. His turnaround began in 2008, when he spent part of his 1,000 hours of community service telling schoolchildren to avoid the gangster life. This event at Stockbridge High School was sponsored by the local NAACP. (Joey Ivansco / AJC file)
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Richard Eldredge
T.I. laughs with Andrew Young during a holiday bash at Mason Murer Fine Art gallery in 2008. Young, who has served as a mentor to T.I., worked with him to produce the public service documentary "Andrew Young Presents Walking With Guns." (Richard Eldredge / AJC file)
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LOUIE FAVORITE/Atlanta Journal Constitution
T.I. speaks to the media after his sentencing in the United States District Court in Atlanta in 2009. He was sentenced to one year and one day in order to be eligible for early release. (Louie Favorite / AJC file)
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Joey Ivansco/AJC
T.I. gets a warm escort from two Stockbridge High School resource officers as he leaves the gym in 2008. T.I. spoke to the students as part of his 1,000 hours of community service. (Joey Ivansco / AJC file)
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Vino Wong/vwong@ajc.com
T.I. and wife Tameka "Tiny" host a benefit luncheon for the Alzheimer charity "For the Love of Our Fathers" at Luckie Food Lounge in 2010. The couple's fathers were each stricken by Alzheimer's and they told the media that it's their mission to raise awareness and increase services for Alzheimer's victims and loved ones. (Vino Wong / AJC file)
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Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal & Constitution
T.I. and wife Tameka "Tiny" Cottle give Andrew Young a hug during his 80th birthday cabaret at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta in 2012. (Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com)
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Melissa Ruggieri/AJC
Gina Belafonte and T.I. talk to the media about the Many Rivers to Cross festival in 2015. The event, produced by Harry Belafonte's non-profit Sankofa.org, is a music festival focusing on social justice. (Melissa Ruggieri / mruggieri@ajc.com)
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ccompton@ajc.com/Curtis Compton
T.I. hands out turkeys with Mayor Kasim Reed as part of the Mayor's Office of Constituent Services' sixth annual turkey giveaway in 2015. The event provided 500 turkeys to deserving Atlanta families. T.I. provided the funds to pay for the produce and helped hand out the items. (Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com)
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Brant Sanderlin
T.I. walks toward a police barricade on Williams Street during a Black Lives Matter protest in 2016. Thousands gathered outside the National Center for Civil and Human Rights before marching to Centennial Olympic Park and surrounding streets. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC file)
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HANDOUT
T.I. brought Christmas cheer in 2016 to Dismas Charities, a transitional housing facility in southwest Atlanta, where he was once a Christmas time resident. "I myself spent a Christmas here, fresh out of prison," he said. "I know what it feels like to not be able to spend Christmas with your kids." (Jennifer Brett / jbrett@ajc.com)
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Bob Andres/bandres@ajc.com
In 2017, T.I. hosted the twelfth Thanksgiving turkey giveaway for seniors at the Adamsville Recreation Center in Atlanta. T.I., alongside mayor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms, handed out hundreds of turkeys and side dishes. The event was produced under T.I.'s new non-profit organization, Harris Community Works. (Bob Andres / bandres@ajc.com)
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ALYSSA POINTER
T.I. brings presents for needy families inside the Azalea Gardens apartment complex in the Bankhead community, Tuesday, December 19, 2017. The rapper partnered with Dismas Charities, Inc. and gave out gifts to needy families and daycare centers throughout Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer / alyssa.pointer@ajc.com)
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HANDOUT/Hillery Terenzi
T.I. talks with activist and CNN commentator Van Jones during the “We Rise” tour in 2017. T.I., who’s from Bankhead, noted to Jones that “most black people, at least where I’m from, we don’t get to go to college, we go to prison.” (Hillery Terenzi / For the AJC)
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Ben Brasch
Atlanta rapper T.I. helped buy tickets for the community to see a pre-release screening of Marvel's "Black Panther" movie on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. In all, 245 people got free tickets, according to an organizer for the event, which was also attended by Mayor Bottoms. (Ben Brasch / bbrasch@ajc.com)
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Miguel Martinez/MundoHispanico
T.I. takes a selfie while fans celebrate the third goal of Atlanta United against D.C. United on March 11, 2018 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The crowd for the match was the largest in MLS history. (Miguel Martinez / AJC file)
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