With rising systemic and racial violence towards Black and historically disinvesting communities of color in the American South and beyond, we all must stand in solidarity with the oppressed and demand change. We must leverage our resources, position, privilege, and power to continue to hold systems accountable while leveling the playing field of engagement for those who have been systematically marginalized.

In the summer of 2020, in response to the COVID-19 crisis that has deepened existing racial, social, and environmental disparities, four placed-based networks emerged and united to launch the Georgia Systems Change Alliance. With the support of the Sapelo Foundation and Partnership for Southern Equity, four networks emerged from Albany, Brunswick, Savannah and Statewide to form the Alliance. The networks share three critical goals:

• Recovering, rebuilding, and reimagining systems and policies post-COVID.
• Advancing the movement for black lives and broader racial justice across systems and policies.
• Building internal muscle and infrastructure of networks for the short-term and long-term.

Each network has created a roadmap for systemic policy change, racial justice, and network-building. They have also created a case study to offer key learnings from their year together.

The Sapelo Foundation committed $800,000 as a grant-making partner. It built relationships with leaders from all four networks, helped identify common goals and needs, and approved two-year grants to all four networks in the Alliance. A $50,000 matching grant is provided to each network to support fundraising and implementing recommendations. The Partnership for Southern Equity was selected to manage and coordinate activities.