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The work of equity takes courage, commitment and compassion. It's not the easiest work, especially as we wrap up 2020, but in all things we give thanks and remember who we are. I hope the words above from "Remember" by Joy Harjo, performer and writer of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate, steel your resolve and grant you solace as we enter into the holiday season and the work ahead in 2021.
"Remember the earth whose skin you are: red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth brown earth, we are earth..."
Thank you for your past support of the Partnership for Southern Equity (PSE). Over the past 10 years, because of you we’ve been able to work to promote racial equity and shared prosperity throughout Atlanta and the Southeast region by:
- Providing access to more than $400,000 for people suffering income loss, illness, and reduction of services due to the COVID-19 pandemic;
- Training more than 50 young people under the age of 25 years old to activate as organizers, ambassadors, and community leaders in their communities;
- Transitioning our biennial Just Energy Summit to a virtual format and welcome more than 60 speakers and 500 registered attendees from across the country;
- Supporting We The Plug Tho, a coalition to stand up against the wrongful actions of the Georgia Public Service Commission that disproportionately affect Black and Brown communities.
Your support of PSE made this happen. And this good work would not be possible without your help. But we can’t stop now. COVID's entering its second (or third) wave and inequities have led to staggering disparities across the board.
Your continued action will help bring about the systemic change that is needed. Please recommit to equity and justice today by becoming an Equity Sustainer. You can make a difference all year long when you make a monthly gift to PSE. For just $20 a month, you can provide training to help community members advocate directly for changes that benefit them right now.
Thanks for all you do to make sure everybody in our community can reach their full potential. You are making a real difference and I am ever so grateful. Together we will prosper.
Onward towards equity!
Nathaniel Q. Smith, Jr.
Founder and Chief Equity Officer
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Thankfully 2020’s almost done, so what steps will you take in 2021 to advance racial equity via energy, utility, and climate justice issues? Apply today for the 2021 Just Energy Academy, our 7-month leadership education program focused on racial equity, energy equity, and environmental justice. The program is FREE, but invaluable to anyone who participates. As you look ahead to 2021, consider JEA to add to your life skills and work! Apply now at justenergyacademy.org! Application deadline is December 11!
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The 2020 Just Energy Summit planning team, sponsors, and partners thank you for spending your valuable time with us September 28-October 2. While this was the third edition of our premier biennial event, out of care for everyone's health and safety, this was our first virtual summit and our largest gathering to-date with more than 500 registered to attend!
Registered attendees can catch up on anything that they've missed by watching session recordings available on the Whova App and the web version.
Finally, remember to vote in the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) runoff on January 5, 2021! Daniel Blackman is challenging the incumbent - Lauren “Bubba” McDonald (District 4). Learn more about the PSC and the candidates, and vote for change on January 5, 2021. Mentions ≠ endorsements.
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"There is nothing scarier to white supremacy than a Black man (or, for that matter, a Black woman) in power. This is not a theory. Black CEOs make up only one percent of the Fortune 500. In Atlanta, nonprofits led by Black men received only seven percent of COVID-19 Relief funding, but the Black population of the city is more than 51 percent and we’ve had Black mayors for more than 45 years!"
- Nathaniel Smith, Nonprofit Quarterly, "I’m Not Superman" (October 29, 2020)
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Have a passion for engaging and enabling diverse communities around health equity across metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, and the American South? Become our next Just Health Program Director! Want to lead PSE’s efforts to develop and implement highly effective programmatic strategies that realize measurable impacts in our systems transformation efforts? Apply to become our next Vice President of Strategy and Engagement! Looking for a change in 2021? Apply today to help ensure an equitable tomorrow! |
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As a critical program of the Just Opportunity portfolio, the Partnership for Southern Equity is gearing up to launch the Just Business Roundtable (JBR) this fall. A core group of metro Atlanta business leaders has convened since last summer to plan the rollout of this initiative and this group was recently expanded to invite several prominent anchor businesses into the fold.
The JBR is seeking to influence how metropolitan Atlanta’s private sector advances racial equity in our regional economy. We believe that businesses committed to people create an impact in communities by cultivating strong relationships with the communities they serve, strengthened through trust. Businesses that embrace equity are uniquely positioned to build community by supporting innovative solutions to systemic issues and resourcing a more economically sound and sustainable future for all.
The roundtable will also serve to support corporate professionals seeking to advance racial equity in their industry while reshaping corporate practice. To learn more, please contact Sterling Johnson, Just Opportunity manager, and Michelle Long, sponsorship consultant.
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Keep up with Nathaniel Speaks, which will allow you to keep up with our founder and CEqO on his upcoming speaking engagements around the country, and Online Events to see what other virtual events PSE is participating throughout the equity ecosystem.
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