Mark Baker is a retired Fulton County schools resource officer and certified instructor of FEMA's first responders’ weapons of mass destruction training.  He’s a graduate of Clark Atlanta University’s doctoral program and former professor of African American and Women studies.

 

In 2017, Baker was one of the first city councilors elected in the newly formed City of South Fulton, beating five other candidates to represent District 7.  He moved quickly to enact progressive policies.

 

In under two years in office, Councilman Baker was the first legislator in the entire state of Georgia to abolish Columbus Day in place of Indigenous People’s Day, worked to decriminalize marijuana within the city reducing it to a civil violation in order to avoid the damage caused to working families by unnecessary criminal charges, and set a $15 minimum wage for employees in the City of South Fulton.

 

Additionally, in light of nationwide 2020 protests from repeated instances of police brutality, Councilman Baker introduced and passed the Breonna Taylor law, outlawing “no knock” warrants within the city of South Fulton, as well as the ‘Eight that Can’t Wait’ resolution, which outlaws the eight ‘excessive force’ policing techniques which have caused the untimely death of many innocent civilians.

 

Baker also laid the groundwork for economic development for the city by sponsoring legislation to create the Development Authority for the City of South Fulton.

 

Baker currently serves as a board member of Brothers United Atlanta, and is the founder and servant of HBCU Student Government Alliance.  He is also an Independent Educational Consultant and member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.