For the first time in a long time, many in this community may finally walk into Juvenile Court and see something that has too often been missing from systems that shape the lives of our young people — a judge who looks like the majority of the youth standing before the bench.
That matters more than some people are willing to admit.
The appointment of attorney Chris Williams as one of the new Juvenile Court judges in the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit is significant, not simply because he is qualified, but because representation inside a courtroom carries power. It sends a message to young people — especially African American youth — that the system is capable of reflecting the community it serves.
And in Columbus, Georgia, that conversation cannot be ignored…