Bridge Builders Series: A Documentary

Austin Thompson emigrated from the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, South America, in 1977. He resided in Brooklyn, N.Y. from 1977 until 1992, when he relocated to Georgia. After residing in several cities around the metro Atlanta area, he became a resident of Lawrenceville in 2012. In 2014, Austin was appointed to the Architectural Review Board by then Mayor, Judy Jordan Johnson. Also, he served one year as board member on the Lawrenceville Neighborhood Alliance. Austin resigned from both board positions in January 2021 to embark on his second campaign for a City Council Seat. He was also appointed to serve on the Lawrenceville 2040 Steering Austin has over 30 years of combined community service leadership and youth mentoring with several organizations, such as Community Action Network Initiatives (CANI), the Guyana Association of Georgia (GAOG), Caribbean Association of Georgia (CAG), and the Latin America Association (LAA). He is currently an Advisory Board Member with Discovery High School, mentoring students in the Business and Entrepreneurship Academy. Austin has over 25 years as an EMC/EMI Electronic Engineer, specializing in the Regulatory Compliance industry. In addition to working in an engineering function, he is responsible for senior project management and business development tasks. Austin is also a small business consultant, author and writer, speaker, and past adjunct professor of undergraduate business at Shorter University. He holds an Associate of Applied Science in Electronic Engineering Technology and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Telecommunications Management from DeVry University. From Keller Graduate School of Management, Austin obtained his MBA in Management and Master of Project Management with honors.

Terrica Redfield Ganzy is Executive Director of the Southern Center for Human Rights’ (SCHR), where she
leads the SCHR team in carrying out its mission to dramatically transform the criminal legal system
through direct representation, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and public education.
Prior to becoming SCHR’s Executive Director, Terrica served in several different roles at SCHR, most
recently as Deputy Director, helping to coordinate SCHR’s strategy and programs. Terrica also served as
SCHR’s development director, designing and leading SCHR’s development strategy and building strategic
partnerships. For nine years, Terrica served as a Staff Attorney in SCHR’s Capital Litigation Unit, where
her work focused on representing clients on death row in Georgia and Alabama. For five years, she also
served as the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) Death Penalty Resource
Counsel, providing training and resources to capital defense attorneys throughout the nation.
Terrica received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and an LL.M. in trial advocacy from
Temple University Beasley School of Law. She received a B.A. in English and Humanities, summa cum
laude, from Tougaloo College. She received a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Social Enterprise
from Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Public Policy. She is admitted to practice law in
North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, the Georgia Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of Georgia, and the
United States Supreme Court.
Terrica was recognized by the State Bar of Georgia's Committee to Promote Inclusion in the Profession
as 2023 recipient of the Commitment to Equality Award. She received the 2023 Excellence in Advocacy
Award from the Davis Bozeman Johnson law firm. Terrica is a member of Leadership Atlanta Class of
2022, a graduate of Leadership Clayton, a member of the 2015 Class of the Georgia Center for
Nonprofits’ High Potential Diverse Leaders, a 2014 New Leaders Council Fellow, and a graduate of
Georgia’s WIN List’s Leadership Academy.
Terrica serves as Vice-President of the Center for Death Penalty Litigation’s Board of Directors. She is the
Immediate Past President of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys’ (GABWA). Terrica also
serves as a member of the State Bar of Georgia’s Professionalism Committee and the State Bar’s
Seeking Equal Justice and Addressing Racism and Racial Bias Committee. She is a member of the Judicial
Council of Georgia’s Access to Justice Committee.

Murtaza Khwaja is a civil rights attorney and advocate. Originally from Lahore, Pakistan, Murtaza has been a resident of Atlanta since 1994, where his early life experiences instilled in him a profound dedication to civil rights causes.

During his time at GSU College of Law, Murtaza engaged in a year-long commitment at the Capital Defenders Clinic, providing legal assistance to Georgia Capital Defender attorneys in constructing robust cases for life during trials.

In 2017, Murtaza assumed the role of the first staff attorney and lobbyist at CAIR Georgia, where he provided direct legal services to clients facing anti-Muslim discrimination, educated Georgia Muslims about their legal rights, and addressed Islamophobia through both the judicial system and public discourse.

As the Executive Director of CAIR Georgia, Murtaza effectively managed and supervised the organization's expansion efforts, employing creative legal strategies and grassroots advocacy to combat discrimination and bigotry prevailing within the state.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Murtaza enjoys outdoor activities, sports, and traveling, as well as the shared experience of meals and a quintessential cup of chai. Murtaza's passion for cricket and appreciation of Pakistani music form significant aspects of his cultural identity.

Murtaza's philosophy centers around the collective liberation of all communities. Murtaza ardently advocates for transformative, disruptive measures to confront white supremacy and institutional racism, highlighting his commitment to fostering a more equitable society."