Freaknik

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Freaknik was a meeting of (primarily African-American) college students from all over the United States, occurring yearly in the city of Atlanta, Georgia. It was usually held during the third weekend in April, which at that time was Reading Day (or the break between classes and exams) for the schools of the Atlanta University Center. It began in 1982 as a small quiet gathering in Piedmont Park. For whatever reason, the event exploded in 1994 into a gathering primarily focused on dancing, drinking, and partying. The main issue being that black youth were either driving slowing or stopping completely throughtout the streets and highways of Atlanta. In 1995, Greenbriar Mall was looted. After 1994, city leaders to take measures to curtail Freaknik's accessibility and hence its popularity. Because of those plans, Freaknik in its later moved to Memorial Drive in Dekalb County to take part in heavy late night club activity during that time. At its peak in the mid-nineties, it drew upwards of 250,000 revelers to Atlanta. The primary complaint of Freaknik was that it brought extra criminal activity upon the city of Atlanta. It was last held in 1999, which was when a female was savagely raped in the middle of downtown Atlanta. The Reverie of Freaknik passed on the Daytona Beach, Florida until the city officials also grew tired of the antics done by the attendees and they took steps to kill Freaknik finally.