Columbus woman sparks change in Terminal Ct. neighborhood
COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - One Columbus woman is bringing her once crime-ridden neighborhood together and working to instill purpose and life in its youth.
You may have heard of Terminal Court in the Fountain City. It’s a neighborhood with rich history, and this leader is stepping up to the plate, bringing unity and peace to families.
Neighbors refer to her as ‘Miss Kuntry.’ She is originally from Florida and moved here with her husband and children five years ago. She told us the change she has witnessed the past few years is what is keeping her in the neighborhood.
The power of social media recently made it possible for kids to have a place to come together and play, but Miss Kuntry explained her work started on Terminal Court when she moved there 5 years ago, with the root of the problems that she has seen being systemic racial segregation.
“If you don’t understand the history and the way of Jim Crow and the way of Black laws and how other things went down against African survivors, which we call Black people today, you don’t see what’s going on,” Miss Kuntry said.
She has a passion for the children in and around her neighborhood. She told News Leader 9′s Ashlee Williams that she’s working to change the narrative in her environment.
“Somebody has to catch up in each community to bring the change for our youth. It’s dehumanizing, demoralizing to be ignored, and the children are in danger because of the holes... all the holes covered up with grass.”
Columbus non-profit Communities of Peace Founder, James Curry, recently met the neighborhood leader.
“You can’t help the aesthetic of the neighborhood, but you can definitely affect the heart of the neighborhood,” Curry said. “That’s what she’s bringing, and she’s doing it out of her heart.”
We’re told people pay on average $700 each month to live in the neighborhood.
“It’s been reported, but the city is not stepping up to make this place safe,” Kuntry said.
Above all, Miss Kuntry explained it’s not about the money, it’s about her community.
“... and how many donations. We have three basketball goals, two trampolines,” she said. “The children were all clothed for winter. We created a Christmas miracle.”
We have reached out to the City of Columbus to ask about work that they have done and are doing near Terminal Court.
If you’d like to get involved with either Communities of Peace or the Terminal Court crew, click the links below.
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