Building an Inclusive, Multiracial Democracy

This election season, we ground ourselves in supporting the work to increase power and capacity for a multiracial, inclusive democracy in the South and across our nation. In our Fall 2023 magazine, Angela Glover Blackwell, founder in residence of PolicyLink, and Margaret Huang, CEO and president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, shared their thoughts on the transformational possibilities of that democracy.

Blackwell emphasized the challenges and potential: “The nation—the world—has never had a flourishing democracy within the context of profound difference. Yet a multiracial democracy is the only kind of democracy that will succeed in the United States. … American institutions and our fundamental liberties are strongest when democracy grows and stretches to include everyone. When all people are served and protected by American democracy and its governmental institutions, they also have a clear stake in protecting those institutions.”

And Huang reminded us of our responsibilities: “Democracy can only thrive when we fuel it with our voices, votes and healthy discussion and debate about how we move the country forward. … Educating our next generation of leaders about where we’ve been and how far we have to go is our best hope for realizing a just and equitable future.”

We offer these articles to further conversation and encourage engagement in the electoral process.