T.D. Jakes expects his development plan for Fort Mac to be accepted within 24 hours

By Maria Saporta

Bishop T.D. Jakes, speaking virtually from Dallas at the HOPE Global Summit in Atlanta Wednesday, described his vision to develop 95 acres of land at the former Fort McPherson in southwest Atlanta.

“We’re at the final stages of closing [on buying the land],” Jakes said during a conversation with Operation HOPE founder John Hope Bryant. “We presented our plans. We expect it to be accepted within the next 24 hours.”

Further into his discussion with Bryant, Jakes also commented about moving from protest to policy to affect change.

Interestingly, during his conversation with Bryant, Jakes spoke about how changing the world often happens in “small rooms” rather than big rooms.

“It’s done behind closed doors,” Jakes said. “I want to see the table in a small room where the changes are going to be made, where the monies are going to be allocated, where the grants are going to be released, where the doors are going to be opening so that we can have a legacy. I’m not worried about me. I’m almost 65 years old. I’m worried about my grandchildren having a world that they can live in and breathe air and have water and own a house and grab a car and have the kind of life — or better — than their white counterparts.”