Photo: PhotoAlto
An all-Black boys gymnastics academy is at risk of closure due to strict zoning laws in Georgia, per HuffPost.
James Jones, who founded the James Jones Gymnastics Academy in 2019, currently trains dozens of young Black boys in a cramped former office space with low ceilings.
"These boys are teenagers, and most of them are almost 6 feet,” he said. “They’re literally kicking the ceiling.”
Jones said he's spent the past year looking for a new location for his gym in Clayton County, where commercial real estate is more affordable. However, county zoning laws are blocking his efforts to relocate to nearby vacant warehouses, the only spaces large enough to accommodate his athletes.
“There are so many warehouses and buildings that are vacant and empty, but we can’t move to any,” Jones said. “And at this point, I’m constructively being forced to close down because I can’t relocate the gym anywhere else.”
The properties suitable for Jones' gym are zoned for heavy industrial use, which are areas designated for manufacturing or waste disposal, according to a Clayton County spokesperson. "The County is committed to working with Coach James or any applicant to find solutions in line with the County’s zoning policies,” the spokesperson said.
Jones has served over 600 boys through his academy, offering training for free or at a reduced cost for low-income families. Moving the gym outside the county, where programs are fully funded through parks departments, would be an unfeasible option for many of his athletes.
Donations and support have poured in to help keep the program running, including from celebrities like Viola Davis and Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles.
Despite the donations, Jones said, “This isn’t an issue about money. It is an issue about zoning.” Jones is currently working with local leaders in hopes of finding a solution.
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