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From : Community Re lations C omm i ss i on / . - -· 12 1 Me m or i a l D r ive , SW --...___ Atlanta , G eo r gia 3030 3 Fo r R e l ease , Thursda y, S e ptember 25, ll:00 A. M. BEN HILL LEADERS DEPLORE VANDALISM / A grou~. ·of Ben Hill church, school, business arid community leaders released a statement today e x pressing their II shock and si{ame" at an act of vandalis1n d·irected against a Negro family recently who moved on an all white street in this southwest · Atlanta community • . The McMicha e l family purchased a home on Kimberly Road and moved into it in lite August . Vandal~ hit once breaking windows and hit again some three days later. The McMichael 1 s elected to move and their money was refunded by the real estate agent who sold the property. The statement by the group of Ben Hill leaders continl.!ed: · 11 We know the spirit. · of thi~ community. We believe that the good people ·of Ben Hill and surroim.ding c01nmunities want their moral support placed behir~d the movement for fairness in housing and equality in education. We encourage that every effort be made by the Atlanta Police Department to apprehend the offender so that justice will prevail and respect for the law be strengthened in event that a similar situation should face us again. We believe that man, his person: and his personality, is sacred and that property rights 1nust be respected and tl:at unless we can come· to this point of view, none of us are safe. 11 from that community. This statement represented _the first collective effort of censure The group met at the Ben Hill Methodist Church with the / 0 Atlanta Community Relations Commission acti?g as the convener . . Among those participating in the meeting were: Rev. L. Clyde Allen, Bill 0 Atchison, Ernest R. Bennett, Rev. W. C. Bowen, Kenneth R. Drane, Milton S. Earnest, John G e r en, Re v . William G e ren, Mrs. Thelma Heath, Ja1nes R, Lemon, Walker McKnight, Charles L. Moates, Dr, Harmon D. Moore, H. Jack Smith , Charles Stin? _o n, Jr., Ra_y Terry, Jr. ·, Cecil M. Thornton, Lyndon Wade, Thomas G .. Ward, Nat Welch, R~v. Paul F. Wohlgemuthand Cy Young. O? �