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Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (MLK) Merchants Association Clean-Up Day – Working Together to Rebuild and Rebrand the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Corridor

Members of the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (MLK) Merchants Association met at Johnny M’s Pizza Bistro Bar and Grill on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard to participate in neighborhood clean-up. Johnny M’s Pizza Bistro Bar and Grill is owned and operated by Atlanta businessman and philanthropist Johnny Mims who is also the current president of the merchants’ association.

The mission of the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Merchants Association includes providing professional business building guidance to the members, creating employment opportunities for the youth in our neighborhoods, and promoting healthy economic growth for the membership and within the community.

The MLK Merchants Association and its members have hosted various events and forums such as public safety for Atlanta and a safer Martin Luther King Jr. Drive corridor. The association’s members typically are business members and individuals located less than a mile away from the Mercedes Benz Stadium / Dome.

The association hosted a few “Meet the Candidates” events this year, including the most recent event on Thursday, October 21, 2021, from 3 pm to 7 pm at the parking lot of the Marquette Lounge and Restaurant at 868 Joseph E. Boone Boulevard NW in Atlanta. At these events, business owners and citizens could meet and greet the candidates for Atlanta Mayor and other local candidates that are running for election in November 2021.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Merchants Association has always been heavily involved in neighborhood restoration, beautification, and heritage and history preservation.

The members also are involved in community housing, business ownership, citizen health and education, partnerships with non-profits, youth groups, the Atlanta Public School system and Atlanta Board of Education and the Atlanta University Complex, including education collaborations with Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse School of Medicine and Morris Brown College.

A workforce collaborative, positive business ownership, financial empowerment and economic growth continue to be parts of the association’s outreach.


John B. Smith, Jr., publisher/editor of The Atlanta Inquirer newspaper (right) and Jennifer Freeman (second from right) participated in clean-up of a portion of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive corridor. They are joined by Jennifer’s daughter (left) and Johnny Mims II (second from left), son of Atlanta businessman and philanthropist Johnny Mims. This clean-up was in conjunction with the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Merchants Association (MLK Merchants Association). Other members of the association and local residents participated also.
Johnny Mims II (left), son of Atlanta businessman and philanthropist Johnny Mims; Jennifer Freeman (right) and daughter (center) participated in clean-up of a portion of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive corridor. This clean-up was in conjunction with the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Merchants Association (MLK Merchants Association). Other members of the association and local residents participated also. Other members and local residents helped also.
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