Today we’d like to introduce you to Julius Thomas.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Julius. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My name is Julius Thomas and I am a 2018 University of Georgia graduate. After graduating, Atlanta was the only city that I saw myself living in. God answered my prayers by blessing me with a job as a broker for a company called Marsh in the city I prayed for. I immediately became ingrained in Atlanta working at Marsh, joining the historic Antioch Baptist Church North and becoming a club member at The Gathering Spot.
Those three places helped deepen my roots and made me fall in love even quicker with Atlanta. As I grew in the city, I got to know Atlanta City Councilman Antonio Brown. His authentic approach in serving and commitment to loving in action really inspired me. He pulled me into the thinking group of assembling a historic task force that fights systemic oppression like never before. As time went on, he became like a brother to me and encouraged me to use my young voice and passion to speak up for those that aren’t heard. Today I am proud to be doing just that by serving on The People’s Uprising task force.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would definitely be lying if I said its been a smooth road. The mental toll of COVID-19, police brutality, outrage in the black community, being a young black professional in corporate America, social media distractions and even developing into the man I want to be has been tough to handle at times. Those are personal battles that God has helped me overcome. The challenge of help building up this task force is an experience all in itself. TPU has required all-nighters, early mornings, 3-hour meetings, crunch time planning, last-minute twists, finding donors during a recession, and being pulled into completely unfamiliar territory.
Nonetheless, it was and is all worth it. Even looking back, the obstacles I been through personally and with this task force were simply opportunities to overcome. The journey to making a better tomorrow wasn’t easy for my forefathers and elders, however, they never gave up. Giving up or giving in is not an option for myself or my generation in this fight for justice. With prayer, positivity and persistence, we as a people can push through any challenge that comes our way.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
My 9-5 is being a broker at Marsh building client relationship strategies and project management. In addition to that, I serve as an Executive Board Member of The People’s Uprising and Chairman of the Young Atlanta Leaders. The People’s Uprising Task Force became an innovative collaborative partnership between the community, young people, elected officials, influencers, organizers and activists working together to dismantle systemic oppressions that evoke uprisings. As an executive board member, I represent the young voices of Atlanta in overseeing a wide range of initiatives. Our executive board includes GA Representative David Dreyer, GA Representative Erica Thomas, GA Representative Park Cannon, Atlanta City Councilman Antonio Brown, US Representative Nikema Williams, Atlanta Commissioner Natalie Hall, Dr. Rashad Richey and Mr. Randy Hazelton. As Chairman of Young Atlanta Leaders, I lead 25 of Atlanta’s most influential and passionate activists. We aim to be responsive and proactive on issues of equity, economic development in black and brown communities, public safety reform, education reform, criminal justice reform, and civic engagement. The influence and network of this group is so powerful that we can attack systemic oppression in so many angles that will lead to a better Atlanta.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My professional and civic career is kind of still just taking off. However, if I had to think of a recent moment where I was extremely proud, it would have to be at The People’s Uprising Juneteenth Event. It was led by our subcommittee, The Young Atlanta Leaders. We came together as strangers and developed into family. Two weeks after meeting each other, we held a voter registration rally that garnered over 5,000 people, performances from Queen Naija, YK Osiris, Lil Baby, appearances from major local elected officials, and US Senate Candidate. Jon Ossoff. We had food trucks, double dutch, games and small business vendors all come out for the community. We were able to register hundreds of people to vote and also provide COVID-19 testing in an area that normally does not receive those resources. Being a part of this special group of young people who saw the main mission of helping our community and putting together the most iconic Juneteenth Celebration that Atlanta has ever seen has to be one of the most proudest moments of my career.
The Young Atlanta Leaders are also spearheading a modern-day freedom ride to Louisville, Kentucky and Chattanooga Tennessee on August 7th. We will be honoring the life of Congressman John Lewis by calling this the Good Trouble Ride. In addition, we will be demanding justice for Breonna Taylor and Reginald Arrington Jr. I am extremely proud to play a role in reviving the freedom rides and spreading good and necessary trouble across the South.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@thepeoplesuprising.com
- Instagram: ThePeoplesUprising
- Twitter: TPUAtlanta
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