The Atlanta hip-hop community turned up the volume on their support for justice this weekend, rallying behind the family of Deacon Johnny Hollman, a beloved figure whose life was tragically cut short during a traffic stop incident back in August 2023. A benefit concert, featuring local heavy-hitters like The Shop Boyz, was thrown in honor of Hollman's memory, as reported by 11Alive.
The event marked a grim first for Hollman's daughter, Arnitra, as she faced her father's birthday without him on February 2, with the pain fresh and the community's outcry for accountability still echoing, "I don't want to cry, but it is very heartbreaking to not have him here, because my daddy should be here with us," Arnitra told 11Alive in a heartrending revelation, her voice echoing the sentiment of a community that's been through this narrative far too many times.
In the fateful August encounter, captured on body camera footage, former Officer Kiran Kimbrough became involved in a physical altercation with Hollman after he refused to sign a ticket, the escalation leading to Hollman being tased and consequently losing his life due to a heart condition, as stated by the Fulton County medical examiner. Kimbrough, who has since been sacked but denies any misconduct, is currently appealing his termination, while the family has filed a lawsuit against him and the city of Atlanta. As Atlanta News First covered, Arnitra's quest for justice is uncompromising: "We want to see charges filed. We want to see an indictment. We want to see an arrest."
This concert, beyond just a tribute, served as a megaphone for a community seeking to amplify their frustration and demands for change, the artist Young Z 05 and Amazon Godezz among those who stepped up, provided beats and bars to a cause, as they understand the discord between African Americans and law enforcement all too well; "It's sad to say that it's common, especially in this area, but us as music, Black people, we want to make a stand," Young Z 05 told 11Alive.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has opened a probe into the tragic death of Hollman, the wheels of justice beginning to turn, albeit slowly, as the family stands resolute in their fight for a resolution that might bring some semblance of peace to a father's premature dance with death.
