Music mogul and Atlanta native Usher Raymond came to city hall during a meeting between city leaders and local activists. Raymond only stayed inside the private meeting room briefly and instead spent most of his time interacting with people protesting.
He didn't make a statement to the media. Raymond also didn't make a big speech to those gathered. He played what appeared to be more of a peacemaker role.
When the group of protesters responsible for Monday's meeting were clashing with police officers about admission into the meeting, Raymond told them to calm down.
Photos | Activists meet with mayor at city hall
He said, "no, no, no. This is not the way you handle this."
Raymond encouraged the ATL is Ready group members to "ask the question" instead of entertaining.
At one point, a member of the group basically said he didn't have much respect for what celebrities were saying.
When asked what role Raymond played in the event, Reed said Usher came in on a red eye Monday morning because he thought the entertainer "could be a person that could communicate with both sides and keep the level of volatility down."
Reed said Usher "cares deeply about this issue," saying his presence kept that volatility down.
Reed said about a dozen entertainers expressed interest in being at the meeting. He called the number "overwhelming."
"We easily could have had 12 entertainers because they get this issue and they can help and, speaking candidly, they can reach that generation better than I can in many instances," Reed said.
"He's sincere."
