Join us for the State of the South as we gather around food, art, and critical conversations on how we can make Atlanta, Georgia, and the larger South equitably accessible for everyone.  

We live in a moment of incredible potential to uplift people and communities and to create a South where everyone has access to the resources necessary to support their well-being. We believe we can realize a brighter future through inclusive, candid dialogue. It will require us to reflect honestly on our histories, imagine and design new systems, and identify strategies to realize better policies and investments.  

The State of the South program seeks to amplify the issues that exacerbate racial inequity and poverty across the region. We support an equity agenda for the South and work to deepen relationships with communities and professionals working on systems change locally and regionally.  

Please join us September 30- October 2 for State of the South: Atlanta! We will bring together policymakers, nonprofit and philanthropic leaders, community organizers, and artists for participatory conversation to understand the policies, investments, and strategies necessary to create better outcomes for communities.  

Your voice is essential, and we look forward to seeing you there! The invitation is open to all, and the program is free of charge. Registration will open in August 2024. 

Sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, The National Black Arts Festival, Share our Strength, and South Arts. 

Click here to view speaker and artist bios. 

Imagining a Southern Futurist Vision  

Monday, September 30: 6-8 PM | Pittsburgh Yards 
352 University Avenue SW, Atlanta, GA 30310

What is possible for the South when we center equity as a shared value? Join us for an opening reception and dialogue with Dr. Fahamu Pecou and Charmaine Minniefield as we honestly reflect on history and the possibilities for the South by designing better systems.  

Performance by Giwayen Mata

Featured Artists

• Charmaine Minniefield 
• Dr. Fahamu Pecou 

Understanding the History & Policy Driving Inequity in Atlanta & Georgia 

Tuesday, October 1: 10 AM-1 PM| Ebenezer Baptist Church 
101 Jackson Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30312

Join us for a participatory exercise with MDC’s Race Matters Institute to understand the history of events, policies, and lived experiences in Atlanta and consider how they have amplified inequity. We will examine current equity indicator data prepared by Georgia Policy Labs to highlight key issue areas.  

Facilitators

• MDC’s Race Matters Institute 

Nonprofit Legislative Advocacy: Strengthening Community Coalitions 

Tuesday, October 1: 2-4 PM| Ebenezer Baptist Church 
101 Jackson Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30312

Nonprofits are playing a critical role in policy and systems change in this current moment and will continue to in the future. This workshop will provide examples of how community organizers and leaders in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors can leverage their full set of skills to advance structural change. Particular emphasis will be given to developing advocacy strategies in challenging environments. 

Facilitators  

• Dr. Alex Camardelle, Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative 
• Jennifer Owens, HealthMPowers & Brookhaven City Council 

Developing Policies to Support a Southern Educational Equity Agenda 

Tuesday, October 1: 6-8:30 PM | Ebenezer Baptist Church 
101 Jackson Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30312

Join us for dinner and dialogue on the policies and investments necessary to create equitable access to quality education in Atlanta and across the South. We will explore the policies and strategies needed to catalyze school boards, county governments, and state legislatures to invest in communities that have historically experienced disinvestment.  

Performance by Soul Food Cypher

Facilitators & Artists

• Introduction & Context | Max Altman, Southern Education Foundation 
• Expanding Early Care and Education | Tatjyana Elmore & Sharon Hudgins-Beck, Black Child Development Institute of Atlanta 
• School Vouchers in Georgia | Saif Hasan, Georgia Youth Justice Coalition 
• Expanding Opportunity for English Language Learners | Jean-Luc Rivera, Latino Community Fund Georgia 
• Tackling Student Debt | MDC Economic Security and Mobility 
• Arts Equity and Funding in Schools | Krystal Odom, National Black Arts Festival 
• Cultural Erasure in Education | Soul Food Cypher 
• Building an Educational Equity Agenda for the South | Fred Jones, Southern Education Foundation 

Improving the Social Determinants of Health 

Wednesday, October 2: 9:30 AM-12 PM| Ebenezer Baptist Church 
101 Jackson Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30312

Access to quality food, living wages, affordable housing, education, clean water, and medical care determine individual and community well-being. Join us for a series of participatory conversations to identify the policies and advocacy strategies needed to improve the social determinants of health for communities that have experienced inadequate investment.  

Performance by Thriving Together Atlanta Presents Equitable Dinners

Facilitators & Artists  

• More Land for Healthy Housing |Tasha Hall-Garrison, Center for Community Progress
• Inverting the Burden of Healthcare | Jeffrey Smythe, Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement 
• Enhancing Student Well-Being through School-Based Programs|Mary Kathryn Velazquez, Georgia Appleseed Foundation for Law & Justice 
• Closing the Healthcare Coverage Gap | Knetta Adkins, Georgians for a Healthy Future 
• Centering Maternal Mental Health | Miriam Goodfriend, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia 
• Improving Water Infrastructure & Billing in DeKalb County | David Wheaton & Josh Everett, NAACP Legal Defense Fund 
•  Strengthening Economic Pathways: Advancing Policy Solutions, Accelerating Programmatic Interventions, and Building Movements: Faith Adeola, Share our Strength
• Performance Discussion | Thriving Together Atlanta Presents Equitable Dinners 

Advancing New Policies to Close the Racial Wealth Gap 

Wednesday, October 2: 1-3:30 PM| Ebenezer Baptist Church 
101 Jackson Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30312

What actions are necessary to close the racial wealth gap in Atlanta and Georgia? In this session, we will focus the conversation on the policies and strategies needed to grow incomes for people and families, generate greater intergenerational wealth, and support economic security.   

Facilitators  

• Introduction | Amir Farokhi, Atlanta City Council 
• Context & Data | Dr. Alex Camardelle, Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative 
• Understanding Solidarity Economics | Kim Addie, Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative 
• Transforming Generational Wealth Through Baby Bonds | Amit Khanduri & Hope Wollensack, Georgia Resilience & Opportunity Fund 
• Building a Cash Agenda | Ife Finch Floyd, Georgia Budget & Policy Institute 
• Wages, Entrepreneurship, and Agribusiness in Georgia | Gigi Pedraza, Latino Community Fund Georgia 
• Democratizing Development: Recentering Community Agency & Benefit for Economic Inclusion | Sterling Johnson & Suzanne Burnes, Partnership for Southern Equity 
• Taking Charge of Public Dollars | Genny Castillo & Liza Crichton, Southern Economic Advancement Project 
• CareerReadyATL: Youth Apprenticeships | Angela Sparks, United Way of Greater Atlanta 
• Performance by Kemi Bennings, Poet/Interdisciplinary Artist