Name: Welcome to Georgia: Rooting Down, Visioning Forward
Start: 2024-12-11T14:30:00-0500
End: 2024-12-11T16:00:00-0500

Wednesday December 11, 2024 2:30pm - 4:00pm EST

Marquis Ballroom A&B Main-Stage

States have long been on the front lines of protecting and advancing our most fundamental rights and liberties. That’s why we’re bringing our powerful network of state legislators and advocates together for the first time in Atlanta, a city long known as a beacon of movement-building for racial and economic justice. In our opening session, we’ll root down in the rich tradition of organizing and power-building in our host state and the South as a whole. Known as the Cradle of the Civil Rights movement, Atlanta has been the epicenter of movement building that focuses on beloved community, long-arc transformation, civil disobedience, and wielding power in ways that protect, affirm and grow communities.Georgia organizers have continued to develop robust civic engagement strategies through a multi-racial and multi-issue coalition that continues to deliver historic wins for communities across the state. The South has always been a model of how to win for our communities, regardless of the opposition we face, the structural power inequities that exist, or the political winds of the moment. It’s up to us to follow the lead of Southern organizers, especially in the context of the recent federal election results. In this panel, we will ground in the work that is underway, here in the state of Georgia and across the South to create a vision for building durable power by starting with organizing in Black and brown communities.

Speakers

Greisa Martínez Rosas

Executive Director, United We Dream

Ash-Lee Henderson

Former Co-Executive Director, Highlander Research and Education Center

Jessie Ulibarri

Co-Executive Director, State Innovation Exchange (SiX)

Hon. Jessie Ulibarri is SiX’s Co-Executive Director. As a queer person of color, as a parent, and as someone who grew up in a trailer park, Jessie viscerally understands the demands the progressive movement makes of our elected officials for radical, transformative change. As a... Read More →

Neha Patel

Co-Executive Director, State Innovation Exchange

Neha Patel is SiX’s Co-Executive Director. Growing up in the Midwest (Indiana/Michigan) as the child of immigrants, she believes fiercely in the American Dream—where opportunity exists only if we fight for it on behalf of all of us. This foundational belief led Neha to a lifelong... Read More →

Tamieka Atkins

Executive Director, Pro Georgia

Tamieka Atkins is a nonprofit executive with vast experience building and leading diverse coalitions focused on the advancement of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and historically underrepresented groups.Currently, Tamieka serves as Executive Director of ProGeorgia, a non-partisan voter engagement... Read More →

Sen. Hillman T. Frazier

State Senator, Mississippi-27

Hillman T. Frazier is a progressive legislator who has served in both the House and Senate. He currently serves as chair of the Interstate and Federal Cooperation Committee and subcommittee chair of the Appropriations Committee for Community Colleges in the Mississippi Senate. He... Read More →

Rep. Lydia Glaize

State Representative, Georgia-67

Lydia Glaize, a former educator and esteemed community leader, serves as the House Representative for Georgia's 67th District. Her dedication to education, community outreach, and sustainable solutions has made her a key figure in youth, education, and senior issues. As the Education... Read More →

Wednesday December 11, 2024 2:30pm - 4:00pm EST
Marquis Ballroom A&B Main-Stage

Plenary

Host Organization State Innovation Exchange
Media Open to Registered & Credentialed Media

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