Here is a record of emails from early last year between Vernon Jones and various members of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution staff, wherein Jones vents about the newspaper and repeatedly urges staff members to see the movie “Django.”
From: Vernon Jones [mailto:vjgeorgia@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2013 9:09 AM
To: Torpy, Bill (CMG-Atlanta)
Cc: Jackson, Andre (CMG-Atlanta); Foskett, Kenneth (CMG-Atlanta)
Subject: Response to your sunday’s article on DeKalb’s Image. (Please don’t edit contents).
23 January 2013
Dear Editor:
I read with much interest your article on DeKalb County in last Sunday’s newspaper written by Bill Torpy.
If I may, I think I can sum up the article in a quick sentence. “DeKalb County governments operated a lot better under white people.”
I was elected in 2001 as DeKalb’s first African American CEO, a job that is sort of like a Chairman of the County Commission in other counties. For the 8 years I was CEO, DeKalb and its citizens approved over $500 million in bonds for capital projects, parks and transportation; achieved dual AAA credit ratings; miles and miles of new sidewalks and I could go on and on.
Water flowed out when the tap was turned on, sewers worked when you flushed a toilet, police served its citizens, courts operated delivering justice, on and on.
What Atlanta voters accomplished in the 1970s in electing the late Maynard Jackson as its first African American Mayor, DeKalb voters accomplished approx 30 years later.
Irish Americans, Italian Americans, Jewish Americans….each group of Americans with a different ethnic origin have had to suffer the perception that they were less than White Anglo Saxon Protestants.
You mention that DeKalb County was selected as an All American City in the “good ole days”. What did that selection have to do with the quality of life of DeKalb Citizens. Did it get them sidewalks; better water and sewer; a police officer in their neighborhood?
We have just had the worse Recession since the Great Depression. That is something previous governments in DeKalb did not have to face. In large measure, they had ever increasing revenues as DeKalb and the Atlanta region became one of the fastest growing regions in the Country.
Seems to me that an adjoining County of DeKalb’s, Gwinnett, has had more troubles with governmental shenanigans than DeKalb. But no article there talking about the “good ole days.”
There were a lot of controversies about me personally during the 8 years I was in office. I accept that and realize it came with the territory of being the first African American as CEO.
I think the AJC resorted to stereotype and they should I say it, a wee bit of racism in the over generalization in its reporting.
My administration and all of DeKalb’s citizens, white,black, asian and hispanic, accomplished a lot in my 8 years in office.
I think DeKalb County prides itself most on its diversity. Makes no difference what your background is, you have an equal chance in DeKalb to pursue your dreams.
DeKalb is no more or less broken than anywhere else in America. I hesitate to pick a fight with ya’ll at the AJC, because you buy ink by the barrel and paper by the ton. But back in the good ole days, the AJC had a lot more influence than it does now. The AJC was better then, before the internet and all. Ralph MaGill, Jim Wooten, Furman Bisher, Lewis Grizzard. I bet Gene Patterson is turning over in his grave at what the AJC has become.
Ya’ll don’t buy as much ink or as much paper as you used to.
Maybe, I can, after all, have a different view than the AJC.
Vernon Jones
On Jan 25, 2013, at 4:46 PM, “Jackson, Andre (CMG-Atlanta)”
wrote:
Dear Mr. Jones:
Thanks for this, and for reaching out to us. You raise interesting points.
We routinely run critiques and criticism of our work. However, our longstanding policy is to do so through letters to the editor.
Those have a maximum length of 150 words. If you’re willing to edit down your work below, we’re happy to consider it for publication.
Please advise of how you wish to proceed. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Andre Jackson
Editorial Editor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and AJC.com Andre.Jackson@ajc.com
From: Vernon Jones [mailto:vjgeorgia@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 6:04 PM
To: Jackson, Andre (CMG-Atlanta)
Cc: Torpy, Bill (CMG-Atlanta); Foskett, Kenneth (CMG-Atlanta)
Subject: Re: Response to your sunday’s article on DeKalb’s Image. (Please don’t edit contents).
Andre,
I’m in receipt of your email.
Haven’t you seen Django?
Let me be consistent and controversial as described by Bill Torpy and combative as laid out by April Hunt.
The AJC has used a lot of ink, bought a lot wood, and sold a lot of papers on my back.
All the ajc’s accusations, false stories, race bating and character assassination of me and others are a far cry, and clearly exceeds my 500 words I was “promised” by Bill Torpy. Maybe he repented because of how he intentionally wrote a false story on me.
I would have to submit, a lot of 500 word responses to counter all of the distortions and fears the ajc clandestinely bestowed upon its readers.
The ajc has a history of vilifying strong African American men, from Martin Luther King, Maynard Jackson to me. However, in the end, truth crush to earth will rise.
I served every race and neighborhood in Dekalb. My parents raised me to treat everyone like i want to be treated.
I look forward to the day the ajc stop using race to divide us.
Sorry “massa,” If Cox’s whip didn’t break me in the past, it won’t break me now.
If you can’t print the entire 500 words, don’t print it at all!
Thank you for your time.
Vernon Jones
On Jan 25, 2013, at 6:13 PM,
“Jackson, Andre (CMG-Atlanta)” wrote:
Dear Mr. Jones:
Thanks for your quick response/update.
That’s your call, and I respect same.
And, no, I haven’t seen Django.
Andre Jackson
Editorial Editor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and AJC.com
On Jan 25, 2013, at 7:34 PM, Vernon Jones wrote:
Andre,
You made the call, I’m not the editorial chief, you are. And “you can’t handle the truth.”
As for Django, my point exactly!
It’s not something you would wanna see.
That’s why your stories are directed, written, edited and published from where you sit and out of your eyes.
Massa never wanted to look out of eyes of the slaves!
It’s always good to look at the fox point of view as well as the hound!
P.S. if you and your staff are open to additional training, Let me take you to see Django. I’ll pay for it!
From: Vernon Jones [mailto:vjgeorgia@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2013 10:38 PM
To: Jackson, Andre (CMG-Atlanta)
Cc: Torpy, Bill (CMG-Atlanta); Foskett, Kenneth (CMG-Atlanta); Hunt,
April (CMG-Atlanta)
Subject: Re: Response to your sunday’s article on DeKalb’s Image. (Please don’t edit contents).
Andre,
I was just made aware tonight at a group dinner of a recent article April Hunt wrote about changing the CEO form of government. It appears all the fuss is by that crowd in Dunwoody and how obvious it is that the ajc is carrying their water, soaked and wet with biases. With the ajc now being in dunwoody, it’s no surprise no negative articles are written about its government. Even though they are running a mock.
Changing the Dekalb’s form of govt is being done under the auspicious of corruption and the two bodies not getting along.
The fox’s point of view:
1). There is always a battle in city, county, state and yes good ole Washington DC between the legislative and executive body. However, somehow, Dekalb’s form of govmt is different and should be changed.
2). If the county manager form of government is better, then why in gwinnette county, the previous chair step down to avoid an indictment, another commissioner was indicted and waiting trial, then yet a third one was charged, indicted, convicted and sentence for taking money from an under cover FBI agent posing as a drug dealer. And get this, her son who she appointed to the zoning board of appeals was charged, convicted and sentenced to boot for the same thing.
3). As for as the land deal corruption in gwinnette, it was signed off by a county manager. And now a former county manager is the chair person of the county while all this happened, and according to the ajc, there more indictments to come from the DA.
4). Where is the ajc drum beat as to how corrupt it is to have a county manager form of government.
5). There are no indictments from elected officials in DeKalb as in gwinnette.
Again, go see Django!
On Feb 4, 2013, at 5:18 PM,
“Hunt, April (CMG-Atlanta)” wrote:
Vernon:
I’m glad to have your email. I tried to reach you several times for my story on the talk down at the Capitol about changing the CEO structure, but I never got a call back.
Just so you have it: I’m at ahunt@ajc.com or 404-526-7740.
Hope to talk to you soon, April
From: Vernon Jones [mailto:vjgeorgia@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2013 6:13 PM
To: Hunt, April (CMG-Atlanta)
Cc: Jackson, Andre (CMG-Atlanta); Torpy, Bill (CMG-Atlanta); Foskett, Kenneth (CMG-Atlanta)
Subject: Re: Response to your sunday’s article on DeKalb’s Image. (Please don’t edit contents).
April,
I’m looking out of a different set of eyes. So again, do what your kind does best, call me combative.
As for you trying to contact me, my comments and responses intentionally don’t get printed in the AJC. Primarily because it does not support the AJC’s obvious slant.
And as I think of it, you nor no one copied on this email is capable, competent or have looked through my eyes or others like me to write obvious race based stories objectively.
I suggest you and others either go see “Django” or read the 1968 Kerner report, specifically how the media plays a significant role in dividing races on fears and misguided information.
I will make it easy for you: htpl://historymatters.gmu.edi./d/6553
