Tuesday, April 14, marked the official kickoff of our neighbor Amir’s campaign to be the Atlanta City Council, Post 2 At Large council member. It was a huge honor for me to tag along on his day-long campaign around the city, taking MARTA (Atlanta’s public transit) from neighborhood to neighborhood and sharing his vision for our city.
I got started with Amir at his loft at 8am, where he was typing away at e-mails.
The “At Large” position means anyone who lives in Fulton County will have the opportunity to vote for him in November. Whatever your political affiliation, get out and VOTE in your state and local elections!
Amir and a few team members walk to the Martin Luther King MARTA station.
Seeing improvement to Atlanta’s public transit system is hugely important to Amir. Our city is already suffering under a huge traffic burden, and it will only get worse unless we act now to improve transportation options for residents and visitors in Atlanta.
These two little kids on the train were pretty fascinated by my camera. They wanted to know why I was taking pictures of Amir, so he stopped to chat with them and their mom.
First stop: West End MARTA station, 9:00 a.m.
Amir visits with a local West End banker about the financial issues currently facing this neighborhood.
You just can’t walk the city of Atlanta and not stop at Krispy Kreme!
We checked in at this AWESOME West End coffee shop, The Grounds. Get a cup of the African Red Bush tea (caffeine free!), and leave a dollar in the Good Karma Jar. :)
Second stop: Radial Cafe in Candler Park, 11:30 a.m.
Supporters review the schedule over lunch at one of my favorite Candler Park lunch spots.
Third stop: Buckhead via the Lindbergh MARTA station, 1:00 p.m.
Amir answers a question from the audience about fiscal accountability…
…and visits with a local man about keeping our city safe for pedestrians.
Amir checks in with team members at the next stop before hopping onto the train to Midtown.
Fourth stop: Outwrite Bookstore in Midtown, 2:45 p.m.
Amir took a moment to rehydrate and rest before speaking to a small crowd at Outwrite. He’d been walking through the city for nearly 7 hours at this point! (If his feet weren’t sore, mine sure were!)
Just down the street, we stopped to chat with fellow photographer Louis Foster, who owns a thriving portrait studio in Midtown. I first met Louis in 2005 when I worked for SimplePhoto’s support team, so it was fun to see him again.
Fifth stop: Downtown, City Hall, 5:00 p.m.
Amir takes the stairs toward the front of City Hall.
Announcing his candidacy on the steps of City Hall…
Last but not least, we hopped on the bus back to home and our sixth stop: Grant Park, 7:00 p.m.
At this point I have to note that at EVERY SINGLE STOP we arrived faster than the team traveling by car — even when we took the bus!
At The Standard, Amir’s campaign manager, Howard Franklin, speaks to a packed room of supporters, including another of our wonderful neighbors and political activists, Tom Houck.
Tom…
State Legislator Margaret Kaiser gives Amir a hug after announcing her endorsement.
Amir visited with locals late into the evening.
We love our neighborhood! Nothing better than getting to walk home after chowing down at The Standard.
Amir, THANK YOU for such a wonderful experience! You know you have our support!
**Update: Learn more about Amir’s campaign at www.amirfarokhi.com
