For the greater good of our democracy and nation, we must center the power and autonomy of people in the South engaged in the narrative of liberation.
To deepen conversation on the struggle for justice in the South, we offer the following narratives from people in the South working to shift power and create change.
“Power and justice in relationship to place is a critical nexus to explore. History and the current moment both reveal how power has been positioned in the South to limit justice based on race. The interlocking significance of power, justice, place and race is why the Southern Poverty Law Center’s president and chief executive officer, Margaret Huang, has repositioned the organization’s mission and aligned its impact strategy to increase power and capacity for a multi-racial, inclusive democracy in the South. This involves a deep commitment to the work in Black and Brown communities in five key Southern states—Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and Florida. The specificity of the SPLC’s focus is critical to the greater movement for racial justice as each of us who is committed to true justice must be reminded by the words attributed to Du Bois: ‘As the South goes, so goes the nation.’”
–Jalaya Liles Dunn
The Power of Place
LFJ Director Jalaya Liles Dunn explains that “the victories for justice must be fought for and by ordinary people in the South together with allies from other parts of the nation.”
Belonging
Podcast host Erica Young tells of her family’s multi-generational experiences of otherness in Eatonville, Florida, and the goals of storytelling on ‘Belonging.’
Dear Young Person, You Are Valued
Florida Activists Nikole Parker and Brandon Wolf emphasize the need for each of us to advocate for safer schools where all young people are valued.
Fighting for Inclusive Schools
Activist Carol Lerner advocates for children’s rights in Florida to reclaim the public education narrative from groups with discriminatory agendas.
Changemakers for an Inclusive and Just Future
LGBTQ+ youth activists from the ChangeMakers Leadership Institute advocate for inclusive education and community resilience in the face of oppressive legislation in Florida.
Where I’m From
Lolita Bolden reflects on history and the love of community in Mississippi while sharing a poem.
A Chorus of Reasons Why We Teach
The dedicated teachers and staff at a Jackson, Mississippi, elementary school share what keeps them committed to teaching.
Healing Through Restoration and Transformation
The Rosedale Freedom Project, a community Freedom School model in Mississippi, embraces transformative practices to strengthen relationships and disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline, illustrating the power of communities to effect change.
For Students, By Students
Youth activists co-create a scalable anti-racist curriculum with an emphasis on action to aid in the national fight for justice.
End Poverty. Period.
Breanna and Brooke Bennett, student activists and founders of Women in Training, explain the impetus for their work to provide free menstrual products to all menstruating students.
A Student’s Take On Sugar-Coated History
This Black Alabama teen and her family had to fill the gaps in her education at home. Here’s her advice to teachers.
The Power of Place: Art as a Tool for Social Justice
Alabama artists are depicting honest history and challenging historical invisibility—reshaping public narratives of justice in their communities.
Survival, Resistance and Resilience
Honoring the lives of enslaved people, the Whitney Plantation’s learning tour deepens our understanding of slavery in the United States, the people who survived it and their legacies.
Freedom Schools for Today’s Justice Movement
To confront current education censorship and voter suppression, modern social justice projects build on the foundations of the historic 1964 Freedom Schools.