Atatiana Jefferson’s nephew to lead STEM investment protests in Fort Worth and Dallas
About two dozen children and their adult supporters are expected to participate in joint protests in Fort Worth and Dallas on Saturday.
The protests — to be led by Zion Carr, the nephew of Atatiana Jefferson who was 8 at the time of her death — will encourage city leadership to increase spending for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and The Atatiana Project, a news release from the protest organizers said.
Zion Carr, now 9, says he will encourage the other children and the adults who protest alongside them to “believe in your dreams and don’t stop what you are dreaming.”
The dual actions set for Saturday are continuations of the effort to demand justice for his aunt, who was fatally shot by a Fort Worth police officer last year, the nephew said.
“We’re protesting about justice and police brutality,” Zion said. “We want resources for The Atatiana Project and for STEM learning.”
Jefferson, a 28-year-old Black woman, was living in Fort Worth after completing her pre-medical studies at Xavier University in Louisiana when she died.
“We understand the climate that we’re in and we want to be a voice in that climate,” said Ashley Carr, Atatiana Jefferson’s sister and co-founder of The Atatiana Project. “Protests are still going on and people are still fighting for my sister Atatiana. Maybe we don’t see them in the media so much, but we see them on social media. We know that we are not carrying this alone and we are happy to have the support of the community in this fight.”
Jefferson was helping her older sister and mother, who were ill at the time, and working on paying down college debt and attending medical school, when she was shot by a police officer, family members have said.
Jefferson was playing video games with Zion in October when a police officer who was called by a neighbor to do a welfare check came through the backyard and shot her through the back window of her home, according to authorities.
Aaron Dean, the former police officer who shot her, awaits a pending murder trial.
The children will meet at 9 a.m. at the Business Society, 10847 Sanden Drive in Dallas, and caravan to the Fort Worth Public Library Southwest Regional Branch at 4001 Library Lane at 11 a.m., according to protest organizers with The Atatiana Project and the Grassroots Law Project.
The children and their adult supporters will urge Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price to increase funding for STEM and to invest in The Atatiana Project, an organization dedicated to improving community and police relations. The organization was founded by Atatiana’s sisters, Ashley and Zion’s mother Amber Carr.
The City of Fort Worth continues to focus on education from cradle to career in partnership with our schools, businesses and community partners, Price’s office said in an emailed statement.
“Fort Worth will continue to support and invest in our future leaders through education, including STEM,” the statement said. “Mayor Price has specifically focused on education, including STEM, throughout her time in office and has launched several supporting initiatives such as Read Fort Worth, Best Place 4 Kids, and Tarrant To and Through Partnership (T3).”
In addition to personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves, the children will be given backpacks filled with school supplies, the news release from protest organizers said.
“Atatiana Jefferson was the hope of her family and her Dallas-Fort Worth community. Her relationship with her nephew Zion Carr was unique,” said attorney Lee Merritt, who represents the family and is the legal director and co-founder of the Grassroots Law Project. “She wanted to pour her love, experience and resources into Zion to help ensure that his future was even brighter than the hard-fought successes she was able to enjoy. Former officer Aaron Dean’s deadly conduct disrupted those plans.
“Zion is calling on the city of Fort Worth to reinvest in his future and the future of all Fort Worth youth in the name of the Atatiana Project by providing funding for STEM and gaming opportunities. I am proud to stand with Zion as he continues to seek justice for Atatiana Jefferson and change in Fort Worth.”
