Cheryle Moses is also the founder of Urban Mediamakers and BlackGwinnett Magazine.
(FotosByChase)
Just when the dust had settled on the controversial “Come Meet A Black Person” event, Cheryle Moses’ planned follow up has hit a snag. Moses says she was served a termination email from an attorney at Cornerstone Coworking at NovoLogic, Inc. in Lawrenceville, Ga. The message effectively canceled all upcoming events she had planned for her networking event.
The attorney noted, according to a press release, that the monthly co-working space ended Moses’ membership agreement “because of complaints.” It added there was no discussion with the organizer or any information about the complaints.
“This is shocking, unfair and disrespectful!” said Cheryle Moses, the creator of the controversial event meant to bridge the racial divide. “Why would Cornerstone do this? When I read the email my heart dropped. I was hurt.”
Moses said she signed up for space at Cornerstone on Oct. 17 and visited the office two days before the initial “Come Meet A Black Person” event on Nov. 16. She said she had not visited it since then and when she attempted to log in to her account on Monday, Dec. 11, she couldn’t get in.
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“I then went to my email account to see a message from NovoLogic’s attorney sent that morning informing me that my space agreement and upcoming events were terminated,” Moses continued. “I know racism is alive and well in Gwinnett County, Ga., but this move by NovoLogic is really tragic, troubling and disturbing.”
The attorney for Cornerstone Coworking, JoAnn Holmes, said she attempted to reach Moses twice, beginning Friday, Dec. 1.
“You may recall that your Cornerstone Member Agreement includes terms that are designed to create a cooperative and mutually respectful environment,” Holmes wrote in the initial email to Moses provided to Atlanta Black Star.
Holmes said the company “received complaints from some members respecting [regarding] recent interactions with you.” She attempted to meet with Moses to discuss the matter and noted that she would not be charged or be able to host events at Cornerstone “until a resolution is reached.”
The attorney reached out again on Wednesday, Dec. 6 asking for a reply two days later by 4 p.m. She failed to receive a response.
By the third correspondence on Monday, Dec. 11, the company terminated Moses’ membership agreement after not hearing from her.
However, the entrepreneur responded nearly three hours after receiving the termination email. She said she “will review my schedule and get back to you about a convenient time and location to meet.” Yet Holmes informed her the company had already made a decision since Moses did not respond within the designated time frame. Moses told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution she had not checked her email because of her busy schedule.
“We regret that Ms. Moses did not provide a timely reply to our various attempts to reach her,” Cornerstone’s attorney said. “Likewise, we find her evaluation of the circumstances to be unfortunate, and not reflective of Cornerstone’s values. If we had received a timely reply, perhaps it would have been possible to address this matter in a manner to her satisfaction. However, in light of the fact that there was no response to outreach over the course of more than a week, Cornerstone chooses to respect its other members’ concerns and take the actions described here.”
She added that the company “proudly treats every person with honor, dignity and respect.”
Still, Moses was determined to make the next “Come Meet A Black Person” event happen at the scheduled Friday, Dec. 22 date. She was able to secure a space at the Pinckneyville Park Community and Recreation Center in Berkeley Lake, Ga., instead. The CMBP mixer will begin at 6:30 p.m.
“NovoLogic cannot stop this new Movement and this is not 1957,” Moses said. “When one door closes, many open. We’ve just begun. This is a new day in Gwinnett County!”
