As Atlantans, we’re proud to think of our city as a shining example of a global 21st-century city. We’re a city too-busy-to-hate and the cradle of the country’s civil rights leadership. As the capital of the South, we’re a welcoming and diverse population with major Fortune 500 companies, world-class universities, a thriving tech industry and a great lifestyle. We know that Atlanta influences everything.
Yet somehow, amidst all of that, Atlanta also has the widest wealth gap of large cities in the United States. Our poverty rate is 50 percent higher than the average for the United States. A child born into poverty in Atlanta has a 4 percent chance of escaping that poverty in their lifetime.
This strange dichotomy of our city’s successes and challenges is on display if you drive only a few miles from one neighborhood to another. A person living in English Avenue on Atlanta’s Westside has a life expectancy of just under 64 years. A few miles away in Buckhead? A resident there is expected to live upwards of 87 years.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Here in Atlanta, we all live in the same city but it can feel worlds apart. The question to each of us is: how do we bridge this gap?
I’ve had the privilege to work with a number of individuals and organizations on the frontlines helping those in need, most notably the Westside Future Fund. They empower legacy residents on Atlanta’s Westside while working to restore vitality and economic mobility to this historic area. Yet even with their great work there is more to be done, and not just on the Westside but across our city and region.
In 2019, inspired by a vision of social connection and greater economic opportunity, Dan Cathy had an idea to start the Beloved Benefit. He pooled his resources with Chick-fil-A, The Arthur M. Blank Foundation, The Home Depot, UPS, Southern Co., The Coca-Cola Co., Google and many others to launch an annual dinner and concert event featuring well-known musical artists like Bruno Mars, Maroon 5 and Atlanta’s own Usher. And while the Benefit has distributed more than $12 million to local nonprofits around the city - it is so much more than a fundraiser or concert.
The Beloved Benefit is Atlanta’s event. By supporting local nonprofits and their leaders, by giving away up to 30 percent of the tickets to the community, and by asking folks to “come as you are” – the Beloved Benefit feels like the start of a community movement. It brings “All of Atlanta Together” to collectively address the needs of our neighbors and our neighborhoods.
The late Congressman John Lewis spoke at the Beloved Benefit in 2019. In front of thousands of Atlantans he proclaimed, “We’re one people. We’re one family. We all live in the same house. The house of Atlanta, Georgia.” He was right. We do all live in the same house. I believe that America is part of this same house too. Yet it’s one where we don’t all have the same background, the same view or even the same opportunities.
Inspired by the success of the Beloved Benefit, an incredible group of individuals have joined together to start a new organization, called The Same House, to bring a new movement of community service to Atlanta, the state of Georgia and our country. Rooted in the words of Congressman Lewis and the deeds of the Beloved Benefit, The Same House will have two goals: social connection and economic opportunity.
In partnership with the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, The Same House will be a living testimony to Congressman Lewis’ words. It will help bridge societal division through our common humanity and help create greater economic opportunity through education, entrepreneurship and employment programs.
Our vision is to create a “house” where we all can thrive and feel more connected to one another. Because no matter who we are and where we come from, when we come together to do good for all, each of us goes farther than we ever thought possible.
Rodney Bullard is founder and CEO of The Same House.
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