The fight for democracy and inclusion has been a defining feature of America’s history. For some, this brings to mind the Founding Fathers, who signed a declaration that all people are created equal. But these men were not the architects of this nation. That achievement belongs to the people who have fought to hold America to the self-evident truth of equality, dedicating their lives to making multiracial democracy a reality.

In 1995, the rapper André 3000 declared that “the South got something to say.” It does, and as history has shown, the South also has so much to give. People across the region have given their bodies and souls to realizing America’s potential for everyone. The history of African Americans, Native Americans, and other communities of color in the American South—where enslaved people were first brought to this nation in 1619—cannot be separated from the fight for democracy.

The Civil War. Reconstruction. The Civil Rights Movement, which we at the Partnership for Southern Equity call the Southern Freedom Movement. The election of Barack Obama. The racial reckoning following the murder of George Floyd. At these critical inflection points in our nation’s history, people of color and allies across the South have risen up to help make America the place it aspires to be but has yet to become: a nation for all. Across the South, these people have disrupted, fought, and refused to be denied their rights in these moments. They have served as the nation’s moral conscience.

It is no coincidence that PolicyLink has brought us together here in the American South, in Atlanta, to reflect on a revolution of the soul.

We remain acutely aware of a powerful counterforce, built on fear and fueled by resentment, that works to ensure that nothing changes for our most marginalized. And yet we must win, and we will.

Before all of us is a path that leads to the beloved community that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently described: a community where all people experience justice and share in the wealth of the Earth. That path moves through the South. For many, Atlanta is the “logistical home” of the Southern Freedom Movement and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which has aimed to “redeem the soul of America.”

What Dr. King knew then to be true now feels as true as ever: If our souls are not strong, we cannot advance the policies, programs, or large-scale changes that make life better for everyone. The real work of transformative change must happen from the inside out. Real change starts with the heart.

So let us use this time together in this powerful place to strengthen our spirits and position ourselves to best reflect our ancestors’ wildest dreams, fortifying not only our ability to advance equity, but also our ability to live it.

As an organization that holds the history and future of the American South at the center of our work, we are proud of our heritage. We are also proud to welcome you here as we continue this work together. W. E. B. Du Bois noted, “As the South goes, so goes the nation.” If we are going to move our nation forward, the South will guide our movement, especially when it comes to what it teaches us about the revolution that must take place in our souls.

We must embrace our responsibility to realize a multiracial democracy, which becomes possible only when we encourage the dignity and humanity of all people. We can lean on the legacy of leaders such as Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Joseph Echols Lowery, and Hosea Williams to work together in the spirit of love, the most transformative force in the universe. We must appreciate that equity is love in action—not a what, but a way. We must wield love as a powerful force to create policy that reflects our values, and we must wield it to turn enemies into friends. We must harness empathy as the bridge between love and action, manifesting it in our work and in redeeming the soul of America. We must fortify the power of diverse coalitions working together to elevate the nation, drawing on the example of the Poor People’s Campaign of yesterday and today.

This will not be an easy road ahead. Painful moments in history, such as the assassination of Dr. King, have taught us this lesson. There will be losses, compromises, and uncertainty. But we must continue to move forward together to realize our goals, honor our ancestors, and create a better world for future generations. While the opposition may have assassinated the dreamer, they cannot extinguish the dream. We are carriers of the dream that is the beloved community, and we will win.

Welcome to Atlanta. We are so glad you are here.