FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Click Here to access PDF
Atlanta, Georgia — The Georgia Chapter of the ADOS Advocacy Foundation expresses deep disappointment over the recent ruling by the Georgia Court of Appeals concerning the seizure of land tied to the Smith family and the historic Black community of Sparta. The chapter strongly disagrees with the outcome and views the decision as another painful example of how Black land ownership remains vulnerable to institutional disregard and unjust legal outcomes.
This case has drawn attention across Georgia and beyond because it reflects a broader pattern of land loss, displacement, and the erosion of generational wealth within Black American communities. For many families, land is not simply property —it is inheritance, identity, and economic security.
“We stand firmly with the Smith family and the people of Sparta as they continue this fight,” said Larry Riley, Georgia State Coordinator for the ADOS Advocacy Foundation. “Their struggle is part of a much larger history of Black American land theft that has too often been ignored, minimized, or accepted in silence. We remain hopeful that justice can still prevail through further legal review.”
The chapter also criticized the silence of many elected leaders across Georgia.
“It has not gone unnoticed that the vast majority of Georgia elected officials failed
to publicly oppose this seizure,” Patrice Leflore, member of the ADOS Advocacy
Foundation Georgia Chapter, continued. “That silence is unacceptable. At a
moment demanding moral clarity and courageous leadership, too many chose
inaction.”
The Georgia Chapter is calling on Georgia leaders—including Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff—to use every lawful tool available to help prevent the permanent loss of this land and ensure fair treatment for the affected families and community.
The chapter also encourages the public to learn more about the case through recent interviews with Mrs. Janet Paige-Smith, including her appearance on the Critical Mass Podcast discussing eminent domain and the fight for justice.
About ADOS Advocacy Foundation Georgia State Chapter
The Georgia Chapter of the ADOS Advocacy Foundation advocates for disaggregation, reparations, and protections for American Descendants of Slavery, including the defense of Black American land, communities, and political interests across Georgia.
